Henderson Road Park Master Plan
Cobb County, Georgia
This project attracted two distinct community groups with opposing opinions on how best to utilize this 29-acre property in Mableton, GA. One group, consisting of historic preservation advocates, sought to preserve historic civil war earthworks and remnants of a historic gristmill that exists on property. The second group, comprised of family-oriented citizens from adjacent neighborhoods surrounding the park property, advocated for close-to-home active recreation opportunities for their children.
Through thoughtful public engagement, BLP guided stakeholders to a solution received as a “Win” by both sides. BLP used McHarg’s Method to overlap multiple layers (vegetation, streams, cultural resources, topography, etc.) to highlight areas of the site most suitable for development. Through simplified diagrams, stakeholders gained a clear picture of how best this site could be developed. The end result is a master plan which offers experiential education opportunities for cultural resources, preserves and enhances natural systems, provides a much-needed play space with an interactive fountain feature and offers a multi-purpose community facility for revenue generation. Support came from both sides leading up to adoption by the Board of Commissioners in January of 2020.