Groveland City Council Members appeared uncertain how to move forward on project improvements to Lake David and Wilson Lake Parkway Park. They were especially hesitant about limited parking in the Downtown area. If the Splash Park is constructed at Lake David, there will only be 20 designated parking spaces. Wilson Lake Parkway Park can provide for more parking. After a lengthy discussion, the council unanimously approved the projects. The splash park will be constructed at Lake David.
The newly hired City Manager Mike Hein praised council for their due diligence and reassured them that their questions and concerns showed their commitment to the growing community.
The community will see improvements coming to Lake David, Wilson Lake Parkway Park, and John Wesley Griffin Memorial Park within the next few months, though, completion of these projects may take awhile.
Wilson Lake Parkway Park – a new park will be located on 40-acres on Wilson Lake Parkway. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in Spring of 2019.
John Wesley Griffin Memorial Park – A shade structure will be added to the existing playground in mid-April, and the city is adding a playground for 2-5-year-olds.
Lake David Improvements:
- Construct a 2,500 sq ft. fenced Splash Park with restrooms and other amenities.
- Remove the existing pavilion and walks to maximize lawn, increase park program and enhance views into the park. Establish a central event lawn to meet the capacity of future large-scale events.
- Procure a new performance structure that meets the needs of park event programs.
- Provide an accessible route to the stage for both the event crew, performers, and audience. The accessible route can also double as a plaza for increased event capacity and park programs.
- Relocate stormwater adjacent to the lake edge and develop a buffer of native planting. Create two stormwater ponds cells, allowing water to stage during high storm events and be treated before entering the lake.
- New Streetscape to match the cross-section of North Lake Avenue north of Broad Street.
- Formalize an open lawn adjacent to the park edge.
The City’s Conceptual Plan for Lake David: The site plan will increase event capacity by opening the park and formalizing the corner as a great lawn. The existing pavilion and walks will be removed to establish a “Great Lawn.” A new performance structure will be procured and located along the western boundary of the park, tucked into the existing canopy.
The “Great Lawn” will be enhanced by a festival street, which provides an approved public right-of-way location that can be closed to traffic on multiple occasions during the year for pedestrian-focused special events. Locating a festival street on North Lake Avenue adjacent to the park enhances the quality of the pedestrian environment, provides connections to the E.L. Puryear Building and park and increases park programming opportunities all without conflicting with the desired traffic circulation.
The existing cross section of North Lake Avenue, north of Broad Street, provides for two way traffic and on-street parking. The cross-section could be extended south of Broad Street to provide increased accessibility to the park and establish the infrastructure for a festival street. During events, the festival street could be closed to traffic and transformed into a pedestrian-only area extending the park’s capacity. In addition, the festival street would join several of the city’s cultural and recreational assets together establishing a significantly larger community resource
