BPCA Park Committee
Meeting Minutes
Monday, June 9, 2008

Introductions

History of BPCA

 One goal of the LCI is to create a heart to Brookhaven at the Marta station and a park at the center. Currently there is a 17 acre green space on the corner of Peachtree Road and Osborne Road. Five to six acres is now being used by DeKalb County as a training center and helps children with disabilities. 

 Jack Honderd and Caroline Fierman met with Marvin Billups, the assistant director of Dekalb County Parks. Dekalb County requires the park to be designed as a passive park with walking trails, playground, and picnic areas. Marvin said it might be possible for the training center to be moved.

 Harriet Groves met with three different landscape firms. They estimated a budget of one millions dollar to renovate the park by adding new landscape, parking, entrance, etc. A million dollar budget might seem overwhelming; however, Piedmont Park has a yearly maintenance budget of one million dollars that is all privately funded. We need to look into the businesses that would be will to donate. 

Funding

1^st Step: Design—must meet Dekalb County standards

2^nd Step: Implementing—must follow purchasing order of Dekalb County

Kathy Ganner, commissioner at large, promised that Dekalb County will match the money we raise.

Jack Honderd - We would like hold a Public “Visioining” Session to raise awareness, create public enthusiasm and support and to gather ideas for the park. The primary focus will not be to re-design the park or poll residents to establish design priorities

Joel Putterman spoke about the visioning process

• We start with a brainstorming of ideas to help us set a framework to form guiding principals.

• Harriet Groves- Can we have a public meeting at the training facility at the park? We know meeting have been held there before. Caroline Fierman will call for more information about meeting at the training center.

Public Relations Program—What steps do we need to take to get the Brookhaven community involved in improving the park?

 Three Community Meetings

 Fundraising

 -Who will give?

 Develop a history of the park

 Develop a “friends of” organization

Publicity

 Newsletter- Brookhaven Buzz

 BFCA, BHNA, BCNC, Lynwood Park

 Post Announcements throughout the neighborhood

 Official Consistent Message

 Website- BPCAOLINE.INFO

 Invite Business to the visioning process

• Political Connection- Election July 15^th – We would like to invite some or all of the candidates to our next meeting on June 30^th.
• Commissioner, District 6 (our superdistrict):  Kathie Gannon (incumbent), Don Broussard and George Maddox (challengers)
  
  Commission District 1 (which B'haven Park is in):  Elaine Boyer (incumbent), Larry Danese (challenger)
  
  Commission District 2 (includes many B'haven n'hoods, from Dresden Dr. south)  Jeff Rader  (not up for election this cycle)
  
  DK County CEO:  Burrell Ellis (assumed frontrunner), Stan Watson (assumed frontrunner), Anne Kimbrough, Steen Miles

• Real Estate Developments

Timetable and Committees

 Public Relations Committee

• Harriet Groves, Jenny Trautman, Jan Cumming (Stephanie McGarity offered to help with printing if needed)

• Public Meeting for Visioning ( August 23^rd ,26^th, September 4^th )

 Caroline Fierman, Jack Honderd, Rebecca King

 Funding Committee

 Bill Simpson, Diane Beck, Jan Cumming

 Contacting Dekalb County Parks

 Larry Danese

The next meeting will be on Monday, June 30^th at 7:00PM at the Dekalb Training Center.