Improvements for Charlotte Pike and Richland Park

Can you imagine Charlotte Pike as an urban streetscape with wider sidewalks, improved traffic flow and more trees? University of Georgia graduate student Jason Riley can, and he's been living among us this semester on Elkins Avenue. Jason is looking for community input on his ideas, which I personally think would be wonderful for our neighborhood and the surrounding area, and he needs your thoughts and feedback pronto.

Please send Jason an email with your reflections to [jwriley at uga.edu] before Tuesday, December 18. Here's Jason's original message with more details:

My name is Jason Riley. I am a student at The University of Georgia's School of Environmental Design(Landscape Architecture) Program. I have chosen Richland Park as my terminal project. As you probably know, gathering community input is crucial for creating or improving public spaces.

This is academic in nature and likely will not be implemented, but I do plan to send my finished work to the City Planning Dept. for future consideration. Currently Richland Park is one of many proposed enhancement greenspaces according to "The Plan of Nashville"(Nashville Civic Design Center) but has no specific design proposed. This is where I want to come in.

I have been renting a house on Elkins during my 6 month internship here and my family and I have enjoyed walking to and using Richland Park. Over the months I have noticed a great potential for not only the park but the adjacent, older commercial area across Charlotte. My plans are to propose a streetscape improvement(wider sidewalks, street trees etc.) plan for this area as well as enhancing and improving the bus stop. Other ideas inside the park include enhance entrances at south corners and entrance from bus stop, creating allee' toward entry to Cohn Center, an outdoor theater in close proximity to the library, fountain, more seating, additional and wider walking paths, visual and sound buffer from interstate, area for weekend outdoor co-opp market, etc..

Any and all other suggestions are welcome. Unfortunately I am moving back to Georgia Dec 18th. I just missed the last meeting at Cohn due to the birth of my second child. Please let me know even if you have no ideas.

Congratulations to Jason on becoming a father for the second time. Please help him out with your feedback over the weekend.