Public Service and Outreach Projects List

The following requests for CED assistance may be well suited for studios, classes or graduate theses. Projects are categorized under Historic Properties and/or Site Design for ease of browsing, so click either category to jump to that topic.  

For more information on ayof these projects, contact Jennifer Lewis at jmlewis@uga.edu or 706-542-6760.  

HISTORIC PROPERTIES

*NEW* Sandy Creek Pumping Station | Athens GA
Hidden in the woods along the North Oconee River Greenway is a small brick structure with arched windows reminiscent of City Hall. Built by architect and city engineer J.W. Barnett in 1916, the pump station brought water from a reservoir to the growing population of Athens. It sat unused and inaccessible until the construction of the Greenway and a pedestrian bridge over Sandy Creek, and it remains neglected. This property was listed on Historic Athens "Places in Peril" in 2002. Local citizens are interested in ideas, plans and illustrations for how it could become an adaptively reused resource for the public along the Greenway.  

*NEW* Wray-Nicholson House Graden Restoration | Athens GA
This is an ideal applied research project for a student interested in historic landscape planting design as a thesis/practicum. The Greek Revival Wray-Nicholson House on Hull St (now home to the UGA Alumni Association) was the residence of Ms. Lucy Nicholson, who served as the president of the Ladies Garden Club of Athens – the first garden club in America.  She lived there for about 40 years from the 1920s to the 1960s before the house was sold and became a religious college in the 1960s, when the landscape was destroyed. Members of the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation [now Historic Athens] were instrumental in saving the house from demolition, but many of us currently at CED were unaware of the house’s connection to the Ladies Garden Club of Athens, or, to Hubert Owens, CED, and the Founders Memorial Garden that were all developed during this period when Ms. Nicholson was active in the same circles.  Ms. Nicholson’s papers are at UGA Special Collections. A sampling of information and historic photographs have been provided to CED in support of this project.

Historic Grotto Woodland (Reichert property) | Macon GA (Macon-Bibb Co.)
The Reichert family, including former Macon mayor Robert Reichert, is interested in having a cultural landscape inventory done for a 36-acre in-town property. This woodland was part of an original land grant from the State pursuant to a treaty with the Creek Nation of Indians in 1821. Jesuit Monks used the property for several decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and created a series of walking trails, wading pools, and a replica of the Grotto in Lourdes, France.  The Grotto is remarkably intact, as are the trails and the forest that surrounds it.  The Reichert family owns three residences that adjoin this property, and they acquired the former Jesuit acreage with the idea of preserving it as green space and natural habitat for a variety of flora and fauna.  The question has become how to best do that while allowing the history to be enjoyed under controlled access.  As a first step, the Georgia Historic Preservation Division has recommended that Part 1 of a cultural landscape report be conducted to document the property's existing conditions and developmental history to facilitate the future interpretation of the property for the public. Interested faculty and graduate students should contact Jennifer at jmlewis@uga.edu for more information.  Sample photos of the property are available HERE.

Project: Billups Grove School House  
 East Athens Development Corporation (EADC)  has expanded their activities to include community-based micro enterprise, job training and development, affordable housing initiatives, and historic preservation and protection within the African American community. One of EADC’s focus areas include Community Engagement and Public Awareness which includes community appreciation and historic preservation. Part of this vision is to develop a plan for restoring the one-room Billups Grove School building. Success for this project would include the identification of committed stakeholders and an actionable plan to save the schoolhouse. A student team is invited to consult with EADC staff who will facilitate introductions with the community to ensure the plan is grounded in the history and importance of the site.  

SITE DESIGN

*NEW* Project: North Ave Public Engagement Forums | Athens, GA
Athens-Clarke County (ACC) is interested in collaborating with CED on the upcoming public engagement phase for the transformation of North Ave. ACC received a $25 million grant to make Complete Street improvements along North Avenue from Downtown Athens (at North Ave & Willow St) to just north of SR-10 (“the Loop”) at the intersection of Freeman Dr/Collins Industrial Blvd (1.05 miles total). ACC Transportation planners would like to explore a mutually beneficial partnership that engages CED with members of the public in identifying issues and proposing design solutions.  Ideally, CED would participate in two public forums to help translate resident desires into concepts to be considered in the professional design phase.  Funding is available to support CED participation, and ACC staff are willing to participate in class lectures/studios/etc. to support course learning objectives.  CCDP is open to collaboration with LAR/MUPD service-learning courses/studios.

*NEW* Project: Ramah Darom Environmental Assessment | Clayton, GA
Ramah Darom is a non-profit organization that operates a 185-acre summer camp and retreat center in the North Georgia Mountains. Prior to its use as a camp, the land belonged to the Cherokee Tribe and then a private homestead. We are looking to overlay our master site plan (which includes updating current facilities and some new construction) with an environmental assessment that ensures we protect the property for the long term. We want to establish directives on which parts of the site may be developed and which parts should be left as they are to ensure good stewardship of the property in years to come. We are able to provide additional information and documents including digital and/or print drawings/plans of the site upon request.     

*NEW* Project: Sandy Creek Pumping Station | Athens, GA
Hidden in the woods along the North Oconee River Greenway is a small brick structure with arched windows reminiscent of City Hall. Built by architect and city engineer J.W. Barnett in 1916, the pump station brought water from a reservoir to the growing population of Athens. It sat unused and inaccessible until the construction of the Greenway and a pedestrian bridge over Sandy Creek, and it remains neglected. This property was listed on Historic Athens "Places in Peril" in 2002. Local citizens are interested in ideas, plans and illustrations for how it could become an adaptively reused resource for the public along the Greenway.  

*NEW* Project: UGA Extension – Barrow County, Planning for the Future | Winder, GA
The UGA Extension Barrow County office is serving a growing community experiencing tremendous growth as it moves from a rural and manufacturing community to a suburban area. Our 4-H program serves youth and our Agriculture and Natural resources agent provides programs and technical assistance to the community in the areas of agriculture, gardening, and natural resources. As our community changes, so do our programs. We are housed in an older building; one that was not originally meant to be an office building. We are now beginning to see our current building as a permanent home for our programs and envisioning what that would look like. We would like create a multi-use space for outdoor programming (active and passive), improve an existing paved courtyard, create accessible connect paths to nearby trails, and use our outdoor spaces for a variety of educational programming.

*NEW* Project Name: City of Winterville Commercial District | Winterville, GA
The City of Winterville is looking for a design plan for aesthetics and the uniformity of signage, street lamps, landscape, traffic lights, the main intersection of the commercial district, and green spaces between businesses. The site is 34 acres. This is an opportunity to start from scratch and create aesthetics that may be adopted as ordinance and ultimately shape a city. A new movie studio is coming to town, so Winterville is sure to be used in films and television. The timeline is urgent and the project may have to be implemented in stages. Work should be completed as soon as possible in order to provide a quote for City Council. The budget for design work is flexible. The budget for implementation will depend on the DDA and local business owners as they create incentives to implement the design plans.

*NEW* Project: The Georgia Club Long-Range Landscape Assessment & Plan | Oconee Co.
The Georgia Club, a twenty year-old community, is experiencing rapid growth with an aging and haphazard landscape.  The homeowners association is interested in Identification of landscaping problems to be corrected, along with creation of a long-range, environmentally sustainable Master Landscape Plan that provides an executable blueprint for the proper continued development. This is a large-scale project  of over 1,200 acres and 500+ homes with ultimate build-out plans for 900 homes. There is a separately owned and managed Country Club, consisting of a 27-hole golf course, tennis and pickle ball courts, a clubhouse, etc. The two entities will need to work together to execute a common vision.   Our community is well-funded  and highly motivated. We would love to work directly with UGA faculty and students to create this plan!

Project Name: Oak Grove Community Amenities Area | Athens, GA
Oak Grove Home Owners Association would like to redesign/update a 6.5 acre area for our amenities – including type of meeting space relevant today (clubhouse, pavilion, other options), pool, courts, dog park and children’s play equipment, in addition to natural landscaping recommendations.  Would like to engage CED to develop a plan/drawings that incorporate modern design features, landscaping, and urban renewal concepts.   Budget will be developed after a concept it reviewed/agreed upon.  Would like to begin the conceptual design as soon as possible.  Map of property HERE.

Project name: Park Plan for Chapelwood United Methodist Church | Athens, GA
Chapelwood United Methodist Church would like to better utilize its adjacent, undeveloped 9 acre parcel as an outdoor park space for their membership and the surrounding neighborhoods. Currently, the land is just being mowed and used for youth seasonal soccer.  The church trustees have discussed walking trails, youth activities, disc golf, and a playground but are open to ideas. No timeline or budget in place as of yet. Map of property HERE

Project name: Gracious Fields flower farm and event space | Dawson, GA (Terrell Co.)
My father is gifting me 10 acres on his farm.  My goal is to have an upscale flower farm as well as a residence. The site is currently a rectangular plot surrounded by pine trees.  My focus is growing and selling cut flowers to the public and to florist as well as having events using the barn or garden.  I have an environmental horticulture degree from ABAC and I also work as a therapist in a hospital.  This is going to be my retirement job/passion!  This would be a very creative project incorporating water features, aesthetically pleasing features, incorporating function as well flower rows,drifts of color, fruit trees, native plants all cut flower producers.  For advertising purposes (drove video footage), I would love this area to be very neat and tidy using gravel and pre-designed areas for grass and design. it’s got to have an area for function for mowers etc, compost piles and possibly deer fencing and I think the challenge would be to make all of that beautiful.  I have four years to gather my ideas and hone this project before I have the master design drawn.  [Preferably a master plan that will allow the owner to develop the acreage in phases.]

Project Name:  Planting Plans for Walking Trail at Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic & Investigational Laboratory (TVDIL) |  Tifton (Tift Co.)

Project Description: The TVDIL Wellness Committee is building a walking trail around their facility (24 acres) for folks to relax or exercise (to promote wellness for employees). They would like to incorporate several planting and garden areas into their campus, including: a pollinator/butterfly garden, building entrance, pond edge restoration, and seating areas such as a pergola/gazebo. Katherine Melcher has gotten them started with a walking path design, but additional detailed planting designs are needed.

Opportunities: 

1. Existing walking path should be incorporated.
2. Two ponds adding landscape feature.
3. Collaboration with ABAC’s environmental horticulture department.

Challenges:

1. The drainage system from I-75 flow into the east pond and that area is often wet and difficult to walk through.
2. Northeast corner of the map area will be developed for other construction project in the future.

Timeline for completion:  ASAP (hopefully by the end of 2022)
Budget for design work:  unknown (maybe maximum $3k?)
Budget for installation:  unknown (maybe maximum $20k?)

Project:  Unity and Community Outdoor Area | Athens, GA
In Athens, GA there is an opportunity for an outside amphitheater style community area for 60 returning citizens who are recovering from substance abuse, addiction, and homelessness. The goals for the space are to be a place for gathering and community, including health fairs, family days, unity meetings, and sharing meals. The site has previously held several beautification days that allowed the community to become involved in the project. This opportunity gives the UGA College of Environmental Design a black space for creativity and a chance to help those community members experiencing homelessness, and those who serve them. The budget is zero but there are volunteers willing to help with installation. 

Project: Macedonia Cemetery and Shady Grove | Dooly County, GA 
Macedonia Cemetery and Shady Grove are two sites located in Dooly County, GA. The Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church is seeking the CED's assistance to document the history of the cemetery and to develop and install an indexing system and markers for those who will be interred in the future. The site provides the students a chance to physically link the past history to current people and places. Currently, the site has a lack of readily available recorded references about the people in the cemetery. The project should be completed by March 1, 2022. The budget for design work is $150.00 and the budget for installation is $1,500.00.

Project: Christ Lutheran Church | Oakwood, GA 
Christ Lutheran Church was built in 1992. This site contains 374 acres of thick woods and scrub bush that work to hide the church from Mundy Mill Road. In 2019, the church was able to gain ownership of the strip of land that would gain the property visual access from Mundy Mill Road.  In the fall of 2020, a majority of trees in the strip along the busy road were cleared, leaving several strong hardwoods and a few tall pines. The owner is interested in having CED review their project for consideration and approval of a professionally done landscape of the area to reveal to church to the highly traveled main corridor. The site contains a few challenges including various stumps, wood chips, and the continued growth of unsightly shrubs. The client would like the project to be completed in the next 6 to 12 months. No costs have been presented to the church council at this time.

Project: Orange Hall Landscape Plans | St. Marys, GA (Glynn Co.)
The City of St. Marys is working to rehabilitate historic Orange Hall and place the property back into active use for the enjoyment and benefit of residents and visitors. The city is now turning its attention to finding long term programmatic uses for the building that move in the direction of making Orange Hall self-sustaining. The city seeks designs/concepts that prioritize the adaptability of using the property for different functions including events like weddings. The city also desires to install a history walk/outdoor exhibit that tells the story of Orange Hall and the City of St. Marys. Orange Hall is an icon of the city and many people are willing to be engaged on planning and implementing the necessary changes to bring the building back to active use. Looking to complete plans and concepts for the site Spring or Summer 2021 and there is support for travel/meals (if possible), and charette materials.

Mathews Park, 28.7 acres at 1016 E Marable Street, Monroe, GA
Has a 3-acre lake, a trail that has been laid-out for cross country running, 2 pavilions, public restrooms and playground equipment. It hosts an annual fishing derby and has an environmental study area developed by Soil Conservation Service and the FFA of Monroe High School. The park is very tired looking with poor paving and worn facilities. Want to develop water based recreational opportunities using sustainable materials.

Hammond Park, 14.7 acres at 150 Russell Circle, Monroe, GA
Has baseball fields used for adapted baseball, picnic areas, playgrounds and tennis courts. Park has life-cycled out and needs to be overhauled. Want to provide a new mix of recreational activities. Design must provide adequate parking.

Pilot Park, 1.8 acres at 515 Church Street, Monroe, GA
This mini-park was on the site of the c. 1900 elementary school within a historic neighborhood. It is geared towards smaller children; also has community garden. Needs updated tot-lot equipment, shade for equipment, and make ADA compliant for all children. Limited parking is a challenge.

Childers Park, 17 acres at 217 W. Spring St, Monroe GA
This passive park is in the heart of the City of Monroe, two blocks from the Walton County historic courthouse. In 2009, Friends of Walton County, a private non-profit organization, in partnership with the City of Monroe, began working to turn the property from an overgrown kudzu hill into a functioning park with almost a mile of walking trails. On the site of the original high school football stadium, it is the site of picnics, family walks and the downtown dog park. Has a master plan, but needs assistance to address the eroded stream and banks, restore the natural spring, create a water feature with fountain, and bank stabilization. Challenges include limited parking and challenging topography.