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Posted: 8:33 PM Mar 8, 2010
Sugar Hill sets rules for park
SUGAR HILL — With its first park opening in more than 30 years scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, the Sugar Hill City Council at its monthly meeting Monday night ratified the agreement renters will sign to use Gary Pirkle Park.
Reporter: By Michael Alpert |
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3 Comments 
SUGAR HILL — With its first park opening in more than 30 years scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, the Sugar Hill City Council at its monthly meeting Monday night ratified the agreement renters will sign to use Gary Pirkle Park.
Like typical park rental agreements, Sugar Hill’s one-page agreement defined conditions for use of its 50-acre facility at Suwanee Dam and Austin Garner Roads, whose marquee feature is 255,000 feet of synthetic turf, reportedly the largest such surface in the Southeast.
Rental of the park’s three synthetic soccer/football fields will be $50 per hour during the day and $75 with light usage at night. The two natural grass fields will be $25 hourly without lights and $50 with. Seasonal league agreements, such as those for the Atlanta Fire United, will be negotiated individually. Additionally, tournaments that charge spectator admission must give the city a still-undetermined percentage.
Two park’s other marquee feature, two 60-by-40-foot pavilions near the synthetic fields, can be rented for $75 daily, and like the fields, require a $100 refundable deposit.
“They did a phenomenal job on those (pavilions),” said Mayor Gary Pirkle, the park’s namesake. “They’re unlike any other you’ll see at a park.”
City Manager Bob Hail touted the environmental friendliness of Pirkle, the city’s first park since E.E. Robinson opened in the 1970s on Level Creek Road, a half-mile south of downtown Sugar Hill.
“You’d be proud to put those pavilions anywhere,” he said. “We thought uniqueness would be important.”
Separately, the council:
• Heard proposals from Alpharetta-based architects Robertson Loia Roof and Norcross-based Wakefield Beasley & Associates to design their $8.4 million downtown city hall at West Broad Street and Temple Drive. The latter three of the five finalist firms are scheduled to present their proposals at the council’s work session April 5.
• Groundbreaking for Sugar Hill’s downtown street scape is scheduled to begin this spring, and construction of city hall this fall.
• Voted to begin the Sugar Hill Soccer League, the first soccer league to bear the city’s name, under the direction of established soccer league enthusiast Mike Morgan. The league will be for potentially several hundred children age 8 and under and share use of Pirkle Park with the Atlanta Fire United league for older players.
Latest Comments
Agree with Sugar Hill Mom about fiscal responsibility. Before Gary Pirkle was elected 8 years ago, the city was in debt, infrastructure was deteriorating, and the future looked dim. Suwanee was shining, Sugar Hill was sinking. Fast forward 8 years later and the city is cash flow positive, has ample reserves for funding capital projects like parks, downtown upgrade, and city hall. The future looks bright, property values are up, and Suwanee has some competition. The new Gary Pirkle Park is fantastic - an absolute first-class facility that rivals any park in the county. Yes there are a lot of great names in Sugar Hill, but let's get our facts straight. Gary Pirkle didn't vote to name the park - the Council did and surprised him. He wasn't happy about it - it isn't his style. Gary works his tail off behind the scenes and city residents should THANK HIM, NOT CRITICIZE HIM. Under his leadership, we have prospered - give the man his due!
This park has been in the planning and paying for stage long before the economy tanked. This council has gone beyond expectations in bringing the good name of sugar hill back. I applaud Gary Pirkle and all that he and the councils have done since the days when we came close to being dissolved. We are no longer on the front pages for stupid arguments but rather for fiscally sound policies and environmental soundness. Most people will not remember who it was named after anyway in probably less than a year.
with the economy like it is this seems a little dumb,and the name is as well,there has been numbers of home based residents of Sugar Hill that deserved a park to be named after them instead of Gary Pirkle,you have the buice's Sudderth's pass's Breedlove's Allen's poss's what about Tommy Morris that saved Mr.Robinson's life in the house fire several years ago? another who you know deal what a sad situtation for us home town people and no I'm not related to any of the ones I mentioned.
