The City of Brookhaven is progressing on plans to open the Horseshoe “Loop” Road inside Murphey Candler Park to traffic and parking. The MCNA opposes the project as currently proposed. We have asked the City of Brookhaven to pause existing plans for the road so that residents’ concerns can be appropriately addressed.
Sign the Loop Road Petition!
Ask the City of Brookhaven to stop the Loop Road project.
Georgia Audubon penned a letter to recognize Murphey Candler Park as an important bird habitat and asks the City of Brookhaven to carefully consider the bird habitat and many visitors who specifically visit the park to watch birds when making decisions on the park. Our thanks to MCNA member Pam Burnett for securing this letter!
An MCNA letter dated October 2nd asks the City Council and Parks Bond Citizen Oversight Committee to engage in open dialogue to address member concerns about park bond activities in Murphey Candler Park.
Brookhaven Reporter has published a letter to the editor penned by MCNA President Zane Douglass. This letter is in response to Councilwoman Linley Jones’s August 11th ‘Update on Murphey Candler Park‘ in which she stated she had done her job and resolved constituent concerns about various aspects of Murphey Candler Park projects. The MCNA is rallying to oppose the use of the east loop road for vehicle traffic and parking. This issue and other park bond projects are covered in the Brookhaven Reporter’s August 20th news story by Erin Schilling, ‘Murphey Candler Park residents outraged as Brookhaven moves forward with parking expansion.’
MCNA President Zane Douglass made a statement to the Brookhaven City Council regarding the Loop Road during the July 28th City Council meeting. Watch the video — Zane’s statement begins at the 13:45 mark. Read the full statement (PDF 108 KB).
Based on the survey results, and feedback we have received during member meetings, the Murphey Candler Neighborhood Association opposes the loop road project as currently proposed.
We ask that the Council pause existing plans for the loop road so that the residents’ concerns can be appropriately addressed. We ask that the City revisit the loop road design so that the project can be scaled back to address the top concerns of protecting the safety of pedestrians and children and preserve the existing natural state of the park, by prohibiting vehicle traffic and parking on the loop road. Prior to moving forward with any of the existing plans, we ask that you allow the association to present a formal proposal outlining alternatives.
View the results of the MCNA Loop Road Survey. Comments from MCNA President Zane Douglass and the results of the survey were recently featured in a Reporter Newspapers Article by Erin Schilling.
Per the Spring 2020 Park Bond Program Update: “the loop road and on-street parking along Candler Lake E NE is in the final stages of design. Based on Oversight Committee input, there was an extra effort to minimize tree removal and add parking in the area. Design completion, permitting, and bidding will allow construction to be planned for later this year.” See the April 2020 Layout Plan Update (PDF – 7MB) for detailed plans.
Additional proposed changes in the horseshoe loop area include:
- Community Stage and Green (page 2 of layout plan update)
- Natural Play Area (pages 3 & 4 of layout plan update)
- Additional On-street parking
Further reading & updates from the City of Brookhaven at https://www.brookhavenga.gov/parks-bond-ref