What's next for Richland Park?

Metro Parks has a question for you: What do you want Richland Park to look like in the future? About 30 neighbors attended a meeting hosted by Metro Parks assistant director Curt Garrigan last night at Cohn Adult Learning Center. Garrigan and members of the department's landscape architecture firm discussed the history of Richland Park and its current composition before discussing its challenges and opportunities and asking attendees for their opinions and ideas. It was interesting to think about a public space that has so much potential with an open mind.

The meeting was the first of a series to develop a master plan for Richland Park. The next gathering will occur in about six to eight weeks. Here are some ideas that were shared:

• The park has abundant shade available because of its many very old and beautiful trees. Should there be some seating within the shaded area provided by this canopy?
• The 46th Avenue exit from the parking area on the library side is not up to current standards, and it can be hazardous. Should it be closed off, rerouted or otherwise improved?
• How should the open space at the south end of the park near 50th Avenue be used: as a ball field (perhaps with lines and bases, which aren't present on the existing field), as a green space, as multipurpose or youth soccer fields, or for something else?
• Richland Park once had a bandshell or amphitheater. Would it be a good idea to build a new one?
• Pedestrian access around the park via sidewalks is very good, except for the 50th Avenue side. Would walking trails within the park itself be a good idea? Should environmentally friendly permeable pavement be used for all future walkways?
• Should the main Charlotte Avenue entrance to the library be moved to the intersection with 49th Avenue, which has a red light?
• Should better lighting be provided for the pathways, so that students leaving Cohn in the dark after classes can safely reach the Charlotte bus stop? If so, should these be "Old-Timey" lights to make them more attractive?
• Should the playground be better connected with the library via a walkway?
• Should the tennis courts be repaved? Should a backstop be added for players who want to practice alone?
• The park has lost many trees over the years. Should more be planted to replace them?
• Should public art, perhaps in the form of a community project like the dragon at Fannie Mae Dees park near Hillsboro Village, be considered? If so, what should it be?
• Could a dog area be added?
• Could more trash cans be provided, and could they be emptied more often?
  

As part of this process, Metro Parks will develop a master plan that will guide decisions made about the park for at least the next several years. It is likely that the existing outdoor swimming pool will be removed because it will be replaced by an indoor pool at the new McCabe Community Center when it is complete. Parks staff and some attendees both expressed a desire to address unhealthy trees on the park property and to replace trees that have been lost over the years. The presentation displayed at the meeting is expected to be posted online soon.

Do you have an idea for Richland Park? If so, send an email to Curt Garrigan at curt.garrigan[at]nashville.gov.