The city of McDonough will be developing a parks master plan. The McDonough council approved moving forward with parks plan procurement at their February 6 meeting.
McDonough Parks Plan Procurement
Presently, the city maintains Alexander Park East and West, Avalon Park, Jonesboro Road Park, Big Springs Park, Rufus Stewart Park and portions of Richard Craig Park. Other parks, such as Heritage Park, are county-owned and maintained parks.
The city parks master plan will serve as a roadmap for the city’s park system. A master plan will provide a long-term vision for the city’s parks and green spaces. The planning process typically includes the following:
- an inventory of existing parks,
- community engagement,
- needs assesment,
- vision and goals, and
- action plan.
The city created a parks department in 2024. In addition, the city’s comprehensive plan supports the creation of a parks master plan. American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars are obligated to pay for it. The city’s amount set aside is $200,000. The exact cost is TBD, awaiting a request for proposals (RFP).
Following council approval, the city staff will now publish a RFP for interested vendors. The city council should consider approving a contract in a few months to award a consultant.
Council Comments
“I am very excited about this move,” shared Mayor Sandra Vincent. “[The city comprehensive plan] identified an element to preserve green space. I am happy this plan has an element to [address green space] and speak with the community what the city should be doing.”
Council members Burt, Reeves and Stewart all voiced their enthusiasm for the plan, and they are looking forward to the community engagement opportunities. The council voted 7-0 to move forward with the project.
Henry County Parks Plan
Last August, Henry County adopted its parks master plan. The county plan looks at recommendations for county parks. Learn more about the county plan in our August 2024 article here.
Featured image shows a map of McDonough and county parks. McDonough presentation slide.
