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Public Input For Centennial Park Master Plan

Dog Park

All of us are passionate about our pets. They are full- fledged members of our family and we want the best for them. We understand that the folks who utilize the Dog Park at Centennial on a daily basis have become a supportive, active, close-knit community concerned about their dogs and the park. The Master Plan Committee, Metro Parks and the Design Team are proposing changes that we feel will to help strengthen the use, functionality and love of Centennial Park.

The concept plan that was shown on July 14th was in draft form and is not final. There appears to be some confusion of this plan resulting in people making assumptions that the dog parks are being removed; being made much smaller; or that there will be only one dog park where the small and large dogs will mix. None of these are correct, the plan was only showing the relocation area of the two dog parks not the size of them. The attached diagram shows where the dog parks will be located in the proposed Master Plan. As you can see we are not making them smaller but actually have the ability to expand them. The sloped terrain of the large dog park and the high use at it's current location has caused the grass to wither, soil erosion and created other maintenance issues. Moving to the new location along with some additional upgrades and amenities will greatly improve the functionality and enjoyment of all who use the dog parks.

Proposed Dog Parks Relocation Areas

Right now, the plan, which again is still merely a draft, is continuing to be developed and taking into account all of your concerns. We appreciate your input and the passion you have for this very important piece of Centennial Park.

Centennial Park Master Plan Public Input Process

Public Input Process
The Master Plan design team chosen by the Mayor’s Centennial Park Committee will use multiple methods to capture and communicate public input.

Public Meetings: Three meetings have been planned to date: March 9, mid-April, and late May or early June 2010.
Website: Metro Parks & Recreation will support a website containing continuing updates. Please stay up to date at www.Nashville.gov/parks.
E-mail: Please provide additional comments or clarifications at centennialpark@nashville.gov. These comments will be displayed on the website.
Facebook: Please “friend” one or both Facebook pages for:
- The Conservancy for Centennial Park and the Parthenon
- Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County

Master Plan Presentation

Centennial Park Public Meeting #3 - July 14, 2010 6:30pm

Questions and Comments from the Public:

Handicapped accessibility?
Yes, park will adhere to federal laws and codes. Details will be worked out in the schematics phase.

Parking near art center will be enough?

In a previous master plan the Parthenon had an additional building that had an orientation and assembly area?

It’s possible that this programming could be incorporated into the Winter Garden.

Truck access to amphitheater?
That needs to be worked out in the schematic phase. Acoustics studies will also be done before access is determined.

Considerations of expansion?
Multiple parking areas have been moved outside of the park expanding the site. As of now the team has not developed any programming other than parking outside of the park boundaries.

Ballpark costs?
Phasing will be next. No numbers have been assigned.

How will the lawn and meadow relationship work? How much smaller is the lawn? When will the meadow be mowed?
The meadow can be mowed to expand the event space.
Other partsof the park will be developed to offer additional size and types of event spaces.

Have you considered fruiting trees as a part of urban agriculture?
No opinion, but will consider it. Must think about maintenance on this. Master plan allows flexibility to make changes like this.

Could there be a smaller playground near the arts activity center?
Yes. Considerations about age groups should be taken into account and multiple playgrounds could be included. Please submit ages to GGN, so this can be considered.

Will there be a new building for the arts activities?
Yes. Users have a lot of input!

Will information be on the Parks website?
Yes. Very soon.

What I always liked about the park was the amount of open space. Will the pick up games still be an option with this plan? Yes. Now the land is greatly compacted. It will be better served for use once it is engineered for high impact and frequent use.

I like to drive my parents through the park. Will that be able to happen with this plan?
No. They will have to park with this plan.

I think the plan is overworked. Can’t you move some of these programmed ideas to other parks? This park is small. It’s not Central Park.
The park is 132 acres, so it’s not too small. We have heard these requests from the public and we have designed this park so that all of these ideas can work together. It will not be as overwhelming as you may think. There are a lot of areas that are untouched. Over 50% of the park will look the same as it does today. Currently you are only using 50% of the park. We are giving more parkland than you current have.

Will the dog park be the same size?
It is not clear now. At this level of the design, it appears to be the same size. We are aware how important that there is a significant dog park community, so we are working to improve on what you have, not take anything away from it.

Is there any chance the park could get bigger?
The design team was told Previous attempts to buy land were too expensive to consider it.

Could more trees be planted for cover in the dog park?
If the park users want that, then yes.

Drainage for event space? Mowing? Engineered lawn? Is it plastic?
The type of grass we intend to plant is still grass is just a more durable variety. The drainage it is graded to allow for positive drainage and well-percolated soil will be

We would like to see more education and interaction regarding the existing varieties of trees in Centennial Park.
Yes, good idea.

The elderly and unfit population will not come here if they can park and right in the park.
We need to be very careful in our evaluations. In our surveys, we got an overwhelming majority that the public wanted the parks out. We need to make sure it works will for everyone. We will re-look at how this can work better.

Loved the park ideas presented. It’s beautiful, best ideas we’ve seen in a long time. Seems to incorporate all the ideas that we would want in a park

How do you incorporate the needs of the one time visitor to the park? Someone driving by? How can people admire from afar? Views from the Parthenon? Relationship between Parthenon and Winter Garden.

There is a long history of one-way parks in all the parks in Nashville. It was just recently that they made it two-way. One-way vehicular path would be highly desirable.

Why don’t you move the service area to another area in town to free up more park space?
It has been considered. Bike paths are proposed around there. We are considering greening the area and making it optimized and more efficient. It is very good idea to have some maintenance area near the park.

What will the new Centennial Café area look like?
We are not sure, but we think the new location will be better. We do not really want to put more restaurants in the park either. We do want no more stand alone rest rooms. We want them to be tied to a building for safety reasons.

The historic gates memory that was mentioned, is that idea still alive?
Yes. The idea is still valid, but what is the role of the gate? Will it be closed at 11pm? That is a decision the community needs to make.

What about lighting the Parthenon?
Yes, this is important and needs to be considered in the schematic phase.

I would love to see the park reconnected to the City. The edge near the lake is really disconnected.
Please note the significant grading and drainage needs brought on because of the Lake. We are considering opening up the vegetation to help with the connection to the City.

Will there be some kiosks or an information center about upcoming events? How will information about current events be shared in the park?
We are interested in developing a signage program to dissipate information to the public. We want to implement a signage strategy to help people use the park and make the most of their visit.

Dog Park: include a physical separation between large and small dogs.

Centennial Park Public Meeting #2 - April 22, 2010

Are we focusing on restoration of the park “as is”?
How will the plan be prioritized?
Lights need to be on Parthenon at night
28th Street connector development concern with egress/ingress of park
Could a parking structure make way for a restoration of green space?
New lighting at Parthenon: was it LED? Why/why not?
Holiday decorations were really bad in 2009. If it looks like an eyesore, it should not
be done.
Park design: This park is not that big; concerned about trying to fit a lot in one place.
Memory study shows the evolution of transportation and its impact on the park.
Human scale of landscape; pedestrian circulation; entrances restored and
reinterpreted for the pedestrian.
Urban vs. rural park? Need to consider more intense use as this is an urban area.
We need parking near the places visitors want to go.
What is historical relationship to the Natchez Trace? Cockrill’s Spring was a
popular and refreshing destination for Trace travelers.
Café not listed as an active or passive amenity and it should be listed. It’s a part of
the local economy.
Café menu tries to sell healthy food; lean meat and vegetables.
West End Park neighborhood not listed on the neighborhood map. There is a lot
development occurring in this area.
Coordination with Metro for public/private partnership for edge development and
coordination with parking?
No problem parking except for special events.
Park is overused now.
Special event parking would be better served by shuttle service.
Parking structures around the edges of the park would really change the look and
feel of the park like Parthenon Towers has.
What is the view like for the people in the park? West End is loud. Could noise be
blocked from park users?
Relationship to West End Park neighborhood; crossing the street is difficult from the
neighborhood to the park.
Don’t want high-rise buildings around the park. Don’t want to see into condos, just
focus on the green space. The park should come first. Coordination with Metro?
Look at UDO plans.
Park & Recreation offices and storage are not best use of that land. Could it be
relocated?
Would like to see more Activity Center support.
What are the plans for water? The flow of water? The lake is stagnant.
Parthenon Towers: how can we lessen it’s visual impact on the park?
Medical district relationship with Centennial Park? Perhaps there could be a
partnership to enhance this shared use of the park?
Could there be a pedestrian bridge over 31st Ave to lessen the impact of the
pedestrian conflict with the busy street?
Centennial Café not listed under celebration section either. Why not? It’s really
highly used.
Building #7 use has been curtailed because of budget issues and staff is not
present to keep it open. How can a bigger building help if we can’t staff it and keep
it open?
Viewshed to city is really important.
Waterfalls, Cockrill’s Spring; bringing these back would be great.
Axis with lake could be enhanced with a bridge over the lake serving as a gateway
to the park.
Promenade is tight in some areas.
Relationship between park and parking; smaller parking structures that fit into the
scale of the adjacent neighborhood. Using liner buildings around the garage could
help activate the area.
Hate the idea of blocking the view to West End
What are the plans of the Master Plan sponsors? What do the sponsors expect in
return? The effect that private sponsorship has had on Rose Park should not be
repeated. Further, we need to be careful about setting a precedent for private
funding.
Belmont is using 22 out of 25 acres of Rose Park; private funding is involved. We
don’t want this to happen to Centennial Park. At Centennial Park; what amount of
money will be provided by the city?
Corporate sponsors influence use of Centennial Park: game day Vandy use and
uncontrolled parking. HCA employees regularly use Centennial Park for parking.
Vandy game days take over Centennial Park; Metro has not controlled it. Vandy
should include parking in the ticket cost; Ticketing should be adjusted to solve the
issue. They are not being a good neighbor. Could master plan alleviate the
problem?
Fishing tournaments not listed on the activity sheet for the lake.
Can there be a diagram locating memorials? How does the design team see the
monuments fitting into the master plan?
Monuments may be better suited in other locations.
Public needs to raise money to implement the plan for this park (to avoid potential
conflicts of interest from strictly or majority private donors).
The Public Meeting locations have been nice, but most park users don’t know
where these places are. Meeting at Centennial Park would be ideal.
Could Centennial Park have a mass transit stop planned for the future?
What about a TOD (Transit-oriented Development) planned near the Park that can
serve the park?
Café needs more restrooms.

Centennial Park Public Meeting #1 - March 9, 2010

o Structured Questionnaire: results to be tabulated and posted on website
o Unstructured Public Comments: results to be posted on website

Structured Questionnaire
Results being tabulated and analyzed by design team – intended for website posting during the week of March 15, 2010

Unstructured Public Comments - Executive Summary
Several initial themes came from the Public Comment period of the first Public Meeting and are summarized here (in no particular order):

Enhanced arts & performance experiences: quality of dance floor; landscape preserving sound quality of live performances; careful selection and placement of permanent performance facilities; continuation of popular existing arts & entertainment events and instruction; maintained or additional artistic design elements
Play in the Park: opinions for and against play venues: outdoor pool, sprayground, ball fields, lake-based activities
Horticultural Preservation and Enhancement: preserve or restore selected landscaping; enhanced landscaping for beauty; enhanced setting for weddings; selected maintenance items; opinions for and against park design themes: Contemporary, Picturesque, etc.
Nostalgia: preserving what Nashvillians currently love or remember about the Park: streetcar, pedal swings, merry-go-round, paddleboats, still want Centennial Park when finished
Improved Edges, Entry & Layout: improved sight lines; functional parking and park entry; definition of edges; proactively accommodate mass transit options/partnerships

Unstructured Public Comments - Detail
[Comments listed sequentially with no themes or additional feedback added]
Below you will find the ideas, suggestions and thoughts expressed during the March 9 meeting to solicit input for Centennial Park. The meeting was held at the John Seigenthaler First Amendment Center and Freedom Forum. These comments are an unedited summary of individual statements made during the meeting.

Saturday night Big Band Dances must stay: “Best thing to happen to Nashville since Saturday night Opry”.
Can we revive paddleboats on the lake for families?
Is it possible to put a Merry-go-round back in the Park?
Trees on east side of Park are low; need trimming.
East-side trees are an obstruction; sight lines that lead into the park towards the Parthenon would be nice.
Need theater on the lake where you can hear.
Afraid of changing the park too much because it is very loved and used now.
Please find the “hippie tree” and preserve it as well as trees with other history or significance. The base of trees that look dead are adored.
We miss the streetcar.
The “Contemporary” design style is out of place in this park.
A theater is not ideal; too loud. However, live performances are great, especially multiple and different all at once.
More flowers; “Picturesque” style.
More restrooms are needed.
Please retain good performance spaces.
Brown Bag Lunch Concert Series: would like to continue (do not need any additional equipment, provisions, just would like to be able to continue the event).
Would like to see a free outside swimming pool – just for play - like there was in the past.
This is a neighborhood park as well.
Replace picnic tables, chairs and grills from the normal wear & tear they've received.
Consider restoring an educational component of the park (similar to contributions of J.C. Napier & Scales in the past).
A favorite childhood memory is the Nativity Scene that used to be hosted annually.
An enhanced setting for weddings.
From a former Opry singer: live concerts in 1963 held 10,000 people.
Art shows at the Parthenon have been held for decades.
Audience member is planning to host a film about the Parthenon.
Millennium Park [Chicago, IL] is a great frame of reference for this park.
Spray park at Millennium Park provides a water without the safety features needed for a pool; a good alternative to an outdoor pool.
What would you do for parking? For success, how will it be accommodated?
Continued public input is needed.
What’s going to happen in the next year?
Concerned about outside firm designing our park.
Outdoor jazz café provides wide variety of food items.
Café gets complaints about lack of bathrooms.
Please make improvements to exteriors of the buildings in the park.
I love the art classes at Arts Center; I'd like to see that expanded and maintained. Pottery classes are crowded. Equipment needs upgrading.
Varied physical activity currently at the park.
Dog Park is an asset.
Music at the park; bandshell is used all the time. An additional stage could be used all the time.
A musicans’ corner could be added.
Neighbors Reaching Out (local neighborhood association advocating for the youth activities in this park): community surrounding the park has no recreational areas such as a football and baseball field within walking distance of the local residential neighborhoods.
From the perspective of young families living in the city, in the neighborhood: Park has long had a “front door” [along West End] and a “back door” [north edge]. What about the sides? What about pedestrian entries? How could the improved edges in the park improve the quality and value of the surrounding neighborhood? Could they be arranged so there are more eyes on the park?
We enjoy the gardens
We enjoy the art classes
Youth center – similar to the Arts Center could be enjoyable.
Outdoor public swimming pools are not really existent in the city [such as in speaker’s native city of Austin, TX]. The Arts Center used to be where the pool was. I love the Arts Center also, so please don’t move it to replace the previous pool.
Would like a place for my grandkids to play.
Wall of glass onto Hope Garden is nice. Relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces is important.
Signage could be improved
In another park, the Princess Dianna memorial is incorporated into the space, but does not overwhelm the space. It is very enjoyable. Glass wall is a nice design feature.
Would like to see the lake cleaned up.
Miss the fountains.
Millennium Park is too big for Centennial Park. [Recreating a MP in Nashville would be a mistake].
We’re afraid that an outside design firm’s “grand scheme ideas” will destroy what we love about CP.
Centennial Park is a little park. [Land area is not as large as other Parks being used as examples for CP’s future].
Spray parks are a joke.
It gets warm out in Nashville.
We want an outdoor pool.
Rose Park is not lost yet. A plan has incorporated it in the neighborhood including cooking classes, pottery, bilingual studies, etc. for seniors and residents to utilize the park. It’s not just to look at, but also to use in an interactive way. Rock Park in DC is a good example to look at for Centennial Park.
Special memory from when the lake froze and she and mother went ice skating on the lake.
Adult ballet class 3x/week is very important to me.
Art Center flooring needs to consider needs of dancers/dance instruction.
Performance spaces in Park need to also consider needs of dancers.
Centennial Arts gallery is well lit, a great facility. The garden at the arts center is great.
If Nashville is supposed to be the Athens of the South – that means Nashville is a place where ideas converge, therefore we’re excited to see what the design team will design for this park.
We’re in Music City. We’d like to see an emphasis on [quality of] “sound” in the park and how the landscape can improve that.
We are also a city of healthcare. How can an emphasis on healthy activity be incorporated into the landscape?
Connection to Jefferson Street Bridge. How can that be addressed in this Master Plan?
Pro GGN ideas if there was a local component to the design; local businesses involved. Support education on food and health.
Concerned that Centennial Park will change too much. How much different will it look to an average person?
Will it still look like our park?
Parthenon hours need to be expanded. Many people are disappointed by the museum being closed.
Please preserve the ability to feed the ducks. But ducks have to be fed something more than the bread and cheerios they are fed today.
Please keep the pedal swings.
Has the design team been spending time in the park? [Yes, this week’s site visit is the team’s 3rd visit to the park since proposal interviews were held in November 2009].

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