InTucker Magazine

Ask Rip – March 2018

Rip Robertson is the first Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Tucker. He takes the job with 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.

The city of Tucker is blessed to house such a diverse group of parks which are enjoyed by thousands of people each year. Our Parks and Recreation staff has a solid plan in place as we move towards transitioning management of the parks from DeKalb County and to make sure that immediate improvements can be made. Over the long term, we’re going to rely on our Parks and Recreation Master Plan to help identify the opportunities and challenges presented by our parks. Our Mayor and City Council will approve a contract for the Master Plan in April after which we will begin the process of forming a steering committee and engaging stakeholder groups for feedback. The entire Master Plan process should take six to nine months to complete. Should you have an interest in serving on the steering committee or getting more involved in our parks, please email us at parks@tuckerga.gov.

Now on to your questions…

Brian Dewey – I would like to know the latest information on the park land at the end of Smoke Rise Drive. I think it is known as the “Lords” property?

The park you’re referring to is 31 acres of beautiful, undeveloped land. Some folks use it for hiking, but obviously there’s a lot of potential there. Potential for what? There will be plenty of opportunities for the community to help decide that. This park area will be discussed at length throughout the Master Plan process.

In the meantime, City Councilmembers Bill Rosenfeld and Pat Soltys have organized a meeting on March 14 to explore community interest in a “Friends of Our Parks” group for the three Smoke Rise area parks. That meeting will start at 7 p.m. at Smoke Rise Country Club and would be another opportunity for you to weigh in with your ideas on these parks.

Lisa Shinew – I know my voice is among the many who believe there needs to be a bathroom in Henderson Park. “Functional and safe” need to be the guiding thoughts when it comes to this bathroom. What are your plans?

There’s a new bathroom facility coming to Henderson Park on the Henderson Road side. This is a project that has been in the works for several months, funded by money from your DeKalb County commissioners. We do not have an exact date of completion for that project. I can tell you that, as part of our Parks Maintenance agreement, there will be daily maintenance of this new facility.

While it’s not the bathroom facility some have called for on the Livsey side of the park, it is certainly a step in the right direction. And rest assured, we are still discussing logistics of a bathroom on the Livsey side.