InTucker Magazine

Ask Rip – July 2020

Rip Robertson is the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Tucker. He brings to the job years of experience in Parks and Rec, as well as Public Works. Rip is a former Military Intelligence Analyst for the U.S. Army and is active with the Army Reserve.

Before we get to this month’s questions – and we got some really good ones this month – I wanted to take a moment to give a shoutout to our Tucker Parks and Recreation staff. This is one of the most creative and dedicated groups that I have worked with in all my years in this line of work. Just when I think they can’t impress me any more, they go and have a month like they had in June.

Because of coronavirus, we were unable to run a full-day summer camp. I was disappointed, but my staff quickly went to work on a slate of partial-day summer programs for residents of all ages. They came up with drama programs, tennis lessons, yoga classes; it was impressive to say the least. I will join with dozens of parents and kids here in Tucker when I say “thank you” to these very talented men and women.

Now on to the questions…

Bryan – Any idea when the Tucker Path plan will begin implementation? I haven’t noticed any progress yet.
This initial segment (downtown area) of the project is underway with easement acquisition and engineering happening right now. The anticipation is to have it out for bid in the fall of this year.

Brittany King – My question is about open green space in Tucker’s parks. On Sunday, I was looking for a place to lay out a blanket and have a picnic, but from what I could find, the parks were more woodsy than what I desired. Are there any plans to change that?
There are several parks currently with open greenspace: Tucker Nature Preserve, Peters Park (currently being renovated), Johns Homestead. We have been looking for some suitable space at both Henderson and Cofer Parks to add some open areas. We hope to identify some additional spaces early in the fall or winter for next spring.

Tracy Roberts – Any plans to do video tours of Tucker’s parks?
Tracy, this is a great idea and, quite frankly, one I’m surprised we haven’t thought of yet. I will work with our Communications team to see if we can start a video series to help people discover our parks.

Hoppy Ted – Why do the pools wait until 11:00 to open? My family has used the Smoke Rise B&R for nearly 20 years, mostly in the early morning while it is cool and shady. If we can’t go until 11:00, we likely will never use it again. We are greatly disappointed.
Our pools are operating on similar schedules due to the recommended use and published safety guidelines. As long as we have these restrictions in place, these hours will be in effect. I understand when privately owned, Smoke Rise pool had unrestricted access and, obviously, as a city park that is not possible. There are liability issues as well as paid staffing and supervision required during operating hours to ensure everyone’s safety.