New playgrounds are coming to East Roswell, Groveway, Roswell Area and Sloan Street parks. The City Council approved $1.54 million in bond money Tuesday.

Roswell will tear out and replace the playgrounds at four city parks. The City Council voted 5-0 on Tuesday to hire Dominica Recreation Products for the work.

The four parks are:

  • East Roswell Park
  • Groveway Community Park
  • Roswell Area Park
  • Sloan Street Park

The contract is worth $1,468,683.14. The council authorized up to $1,542,117 for the whole project, all from the 2022 parks bond. That is according to the staff report for the item.

City staff want all four playgrounds finished by June 1, 2027.

Why these four

Each of the four playgrounds went in before 2010, the staff report said. It said they have reached or are nearing the end of their useful life. Staff listed the problems:

  • aging equipment
  • more maintenance
  • parts and fixtures that need replacing more often
  • growing safety concerns

The city’s 2022 parks master plan named playground replacement as a priority, based on what residents told the city, the report said.

What the new playgrounds will include

The contract covers design, demolition, new surfacing and commercial-grade equipment. The report said the designs will be “inclusive” and meet ADA accessibility rules, with “adaptive and inclusive play elements” for children of different ages and abilities.

An independent certified playground safety inspector will check each one before the city accepts it. Staff used one request for proposals for all four parks, which the report said saves money and keeps standards the same across the park system.

A green and tan playground with yellow tube slides and swings, set among tall trees at East Roswell Park.
The playground at East Roswell Park, another of the four. Photo: Qwiddler (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

Also decided Tuesday

Mayor Mary Robichaux had an excused absence, and Mayor Pro Tem Sarah Beeson ran the meeting, the city’s meeting recap said. Every vote was unanimous. The council:

  • Opened talks on the Masonic Lodge. The Roswell Development Authority can now negotiate to turn the city-owned lodge at 1054 Alpharetta St. into a live music and performing arts venue. More below.
  • Adopted the 2045 Comprehensive Plan. The council first approved it July 27. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs and the Atlanta Regional Commission have since signed off. The city called Tuesday’s vote the final legislative step.
  • Limited LED window lighting. A change to the city’s development code limits neon and LED signs and bans neon or LED strips that outline windows.
  • Limited some real estate signs. A second change limits temporary on-site real estate signs.
  • Signed a tax deal with Fulton County. An intergovernmental agreement brings the county into the city’s East West Connector Tax Allocation District.
  • Approved stormwater repairs. A pipe lining project on Charleston Drive has a total authorization of $146,836.
  • Put off a decision on Oxbo Road. The council deferred a plan for the city’s roughly 1.35 acres at Oxbo Road and Atlanta Street. The city said neighboring owners have shown interest in working with it on a joint redevelopment. It could return at a later meeting.

What happens to the Masonic Lodge

The vote does not lease or sell the building. The staff report set out the next steps:

  • The development authority finds a developer and operator.
  • It brings the council a letter of intent and a scope of work.
  • The developer pays for a building conditions assessment.
  • The deal needs an independent review of the developer’s finances, an economic impact report and restoration and preservation plans.
  • Any lease comes back to the council for a separate vote.

The city will pay up to $30,000 toward the financial review and the economic impact report, from its general fund. The site includes the city-owned lot to the south, once 1028 Alpharetta St. The city’s parking deck and surface lot next door are not part of it.

What it means for you

  • The playgrounds stay as they are for now. The city has not said when each park’s playground will close for the work. We will report the dates when the city publishes them.
  • This is the bond you are paying for. The 2022 parks bond is why Roswell’s 2026 property tax rate went up. Our story on the bond projects finished this fall covers the new field lights, turf and pond.
  • The next council meeting is at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, at City Hall, 38 Hill St. Agendas are on the city’s meeting portal.