Toccoa Pursues Grant for Park Improvements

The city of Toccoa is pursuing grant funding to make upgrades at Henderson Falls Park.

Last week, Toccoa City Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution authorizing submission of a pre-application for the grant.

Toccoa City Manager Billy Morse said this is federal grant funding available through the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for the rehabilitation of parks and recreation facilities.

Morse said the city could use the grant to help fund a number of improvements at Henderson Falls Park.

The rehabilitation projects would include a new observation deck, shelter improvements, landscape improvements, and more, said Morse.

The total cost of the project would be about $237,000.

Morse said that the grant would cover part of the project, with SPLOST V funding covering the rest of the work.

“These funds are available to us up to $100,000,” said Morse.  “It is a one-to-one match, so if we get $100,000, we have to match it with $100,000.  We have that match available in SPLOST V.”

Morse said that about $220,000 in SPLOST V funds remain uncommitted for recreation.

Toccoa City Commissioners did note that other parks and recreation facilities need work in the city limits.

Vice-Mayor Andy Pavliscsak said that the city needs to ensure that the city looks at improvements at other parks, such as Emory Johnson Park.

“At one point in time, we were waiting on a public-private partnership to come together with Evan Oglesby,” said Pavliscsak.  “That has yet to be brought to the commission, but that is not to say we should not go ahead and make some improvements at Whitman Street that are just as badly needed at that location.”

City Commissioner Gail Fry also pointed to the Boys’ and Girls’ Club as another facility that could use improvements.

Staff for the city is putting together a list at those two locations of improvements needed.