2024 Update
After multiple rounds of bidding, the Lake House project has been postponed/cancelled as all bids exceeded the project budget by millions of dollars.
January 2022 Update
On January 13th 2022, the City of Brookhaven shared preliminary design renderings and a conceptual floorplan of the Murphey Candler Park Lake House.
The city has requested that questions and comments be directed to ParksFeedback@Brookhavenga.gov with MCP Lakehouse Feedback in the subject line. The deadline for feedback is Friday, January 28th 2022.
The 4000 square-foot lake house is designed to blend with its surroundings and offer panoramic views of the trees and the lake. It will feature several multi-purpose rooms facing the lake that have retractable glass walls so rooms can open to the large, cantilevered deck around the building. The rooms will be available for community rental, and the deck will be accessible from inside the building when open and from outside when closed.
The existing parking lot at the Scout Hut will be expanded from 52 spaces to approximately 100 spaces. The additional parking was established during a public input process in early 2021. The lot layout will save the 2 identified specimen trees, a 38” oak and 33” pine, both located close to the lot entrance.
For additional information see:
- Detailed Floorplan (PDF – 137 KB)
- https://www.brookhavenga.gov/parks-bond-ref/page/murphey-candler-park-i-planning
February 2021 Update
On February 22, 2021, the City of Brookhaven hosted a virtual open house to present an overview of the public input process for the MCP Lake House. A draft conceptual design was presented at the meeting.
For additional information see:
- Presentation slides (PDF 945 KB)
- A recording of the Open House is available here
- Public Input Report (PDF 2 MB)
- https://www.brookhavenga.gov/parksrec/page/brookhaven-hosts-virtual-open-house-mcp-lake-house-presentation
- https://www.brookhavenga.gov/parksrec/page/hundreds-weigh-mcp-community-center
Overview
A new Lake House (previously known as the Community Center) has been proposed in Murphey Candler Park at the corner of West Nancy Creek and Candler Lake West (currently the caretaker’s house). The MCNA position is that the new community center should be limited to the existing building’s footprint; the design of the building should be limited to an outdoor overlook and multi-purpose room; and parking should remain limited to the amount of spaces currently available. We have also requested that there be no net loss of trees, and that the City share with taxpayers how it intends to provide sufficient funds for the long term maintenance of the community center and its building programs.
Read the full MCNA Community Center Position Statement (PDF – 57 KB).
Per the City of Brookhaven Spring 2020 Park Bond Program Update:
The new Community Center is still in the planning stages. The program management and design teams had two successful pop-up events to collect ideas for the new building – first at Light Up Brookhaven on December 4 and then at the Cowart Family YMCA on February 29. Planned pop-ups at Murphey Candler baseball/softball fields and the Cherry Blossom Festival were cancelled due to the City’s Shelter in Place directive in response to COVID-19.
The City still wants feedback from citizens and park users on what they would like to see in this Bond funded facility, and more outreach is planned when the community reopens. This includes more pop-ups, stakeholder interviews, self-facilitated toolkits for use by citizen/homeowner groups, and an open house. Details on opportunities and schedules will be posted when groups are allowed to meet again.
Links
Community Center Public Improvement Plan – December 2nd, 2019 (PDF – 211 KB)
Parks Bond Oversight Committee Meeting Presentation – May 7, 2019 (PDF – 7MB)
https://www.brookhavenga.gov/parks-bond-ref
https://www.brookhavenga.gov/parks-bond-ref/page/murphey-candler-park-i-planning