Bank of Holly Springs

City OKs park enhancements

The Holly Springs Board of Aldermen is moving forward with some long-term im­prove­ments as part of the planning charrette completed several years ago.

The next step, approved by the board Tuesday night, Nov. 15, is improvements to a couple of parks in the city.

Enhancements will include bathroms and a gazebo at Spring Hollow Park, a gazebo at Henley Park and a retaining wall to control erosion from a hill near the Eddie Lee Smith Jr. Multi-Purpose Building.

City leaders voted to allocate $75,000 for the work, with the money coming from the tourism fund. The vote was 4-1 with Sharon Gipson opposing. She said she voted no based on procedural concerns and lack of documentation.

Public works director Clay Moore, mayor Kelvin Buck and board members reviewed the planning charrette and focused their discussion on things they could move forward on.

“A lot of work, money and effort went into developing the charrette,” Buck said. “We need to get started on some items within our reach.”

Erosion from an adjacent hill is washing into the parking lot of the multi-purpose building, according to the mayor. The city has tried to do some patchwork on the problem, but it has not been solved.

“We need to get that wall done,” the mayor said, “and keep the mud out of the parking lot.”

The retaining wall approved by the board will be one of landscape style, a more appealing way to control the slope rather than concrete.

Gazebos, which are estimated to cost in the neighbohood of $12,500 each, will be constructed at both Spring Hollow and Henley parks.

Locations of the gazebos at the parks and the bathrooms at Spring Hollow were discussed.

At Spring Hollow, the gazebo will be located as close to the splash pad as possible, and the bathrooms more toward the midway of the park, about where the old scout building used to be located.

“The design is ongoing,” Buck said.

Moore said, “We will fit the project to the money.”

At Henley Park, the gazebo will be constructed at the side of the basketball court and playground.

Other projects, as part of the planning charrette, were discussed, with hopes of proceeding with those soon.

Those included lighting from the downtown area to Rust College, plus an amphitheater and playground at Spring Hollow Park.

The planning charrette was a project of the Holly Springs Main Street Chamber, with the assistance of the Mississippi Main Street Association and funding from the Appa­lachian Regional Com­mission.

Holly Springs South Reporter

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