Draft Forsyth Park plan gets public eye

Forsyth Park Fountain
Savannah seeks input on a new master plan for Forsyth Park Credit: City of Savannah

The draft Forsyth Park Master plan is out and ready for public feedback. Friends of Forsyth, in partnership with Savannah, produced the draft after nearly a year of community engagement, including 4,500 completed surveys and hundreds of written comments.

Residents can view the draft plan and share their feedback through Sept. 30 in several ways, the city announced in a press release: 

  • Visit friendsofforsyth.org from Sept. 15 -30 to view the draft and offer comments. 
  • View the draft plan and offer comments in the park on Sept. 18 and Sept. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

The 30-acre Forsyth Park, built on land set aside in the 1840s, serves as the city’s playground, open-air market and public concert venue. The draft plan is a direct result of feedback from the community, local collaborators and subject matter experts regarding the park’s use, design, and amenities. Preserving the park’s tree canopy, open green space and historic integrity are top priorities and have guided the process. The community’s most requested enhancements to the park include: 

  • Adding a children’s garden. 
  • Relieving the tension between pedestrians and wheeled vehicles. 
  • Improving the lighting and adding restrooms on the south end. 

The Forsyth Park Master Plan project will move into the final design phase in October and conclude by the end of the year. Once finalized, plan will be implemented over the coming years as funding is available.  

“The level of community participation in this process over the past 11 months is unprecedented,” Mayor Van Johnson said. “Thousands of residents from across Savannah have made their voices heard, and their input has directly driven the design of this draft plan.” 

To view the draft Master Plan, visit FriendsofForsyth.org. The deadline for submitting comments is Sept. 30. For additional information, contact Friends of Forsyth at friendsofforsythpark@gmail.com or 912-441-8851. 

Rena Peck of the Georgia River Network paddles a canoe in the Okefenokee Swamp, which she fears would be harmed by a proposed mine nearby.

Okefenokee support grows among small cities

Faced with plans for a new titanium mine nearby, Kingsland City Council on Monday became the third south Georgia municipality to adopt a resolution “to help protect the integrity of the Okefenokee Swamp and the natural resources many communities depend on.”

The resolution, passed unanimously, reads in part “RESOLVED, that the Mayor and City Council of the City of Kingsland, urge the Governor of the State of Georgia, its responsible executive agencies, and the Georgia General Assembly to take every reasonable step to protect the integrity of the Okefenokee Swamp and the natural resources upon which the City of Kingsland and many other communities depend.”

The cities of Homeland and St. Marys adopted similar resolutions over the summer.

Alabama-based Twin Pines Minerals has sought access to land adjacent to the swamp to mine titanium and other metals, saying that its project would bring jobs to a rural part of Georgia. Environmental groups have opposed the request for mining and other associated permits, concerned that the project could harm the underground water flow into this enormous freshwater wetland preserve.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Board will hear about the proposed mine operation at its upcoming board meeting at 9 a.m. Sept. 28. That meeting is in Acworth but members of the public are encouraged to access the meeting by teleconference. Information will be posted on the DNR web site.

BEACH ADVISORIES: As of this writing, there are no beach water advisories except for the permanent ones at Clam Creek Beach and St. Andrews Beach on Jekyll Island, and King’s Ferry at the Chatham-Bryan County line on the Ogeechee River. Before you head to the beach, check the link to see current notices.
A 200-foot crane hovers over a section of the shipwrecked Golden Ray off St. Simons Sound on April 8, 2021, as the removal of the massive car carrier resumed. . Credit: Altamaha Riverkeeper

NTSB: Inaccurate calculations capsized the Golden Ray

The National Transportation Safety Board tweeted on Tuesday that “inaccurate stability calculations caused the capsizing of the vehicle carrier Golden Ray in 2019.” The tweet links to a press release and a 57-page marine accident report.

“The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the capsizing of the Golden Ray was the chief officer’s error entering ballast quantities into the stability calculation program, which led to his incorrect determination of the vessel’s stability and resulted in the Golden Ray having an insufficient righting arm to counteract the forces developed during a turn while transiting outbound from the Port of Brunswick through St. Simons Sound,” the report states. “Contributing to the accident was G-Marine Service Co. Ltd.’s lack of effective procedures in their safety management system for verifying stability calculations.”

Chatham faces climate change, sea-level rise

Chatham County held a two-hour climate and sea level rise symposium Tuesday. Speakers from local universities, the Metropolitan Planning Commission and architecture and engineering firm Goodwyn Mills Cawood laid out what Chatham is already seeing in terms of flooding from high tides and what it can expect to see from sea level rise in the near future. Researchers explained how they’re tracking local changes while planners discussed best practices they hope to see the county use to adapt to sea-level rise, including tide gates and green infrastructure like rain gardens.

Chatham County Commission Chair Chester Ellis ended the symposium with a promise of more opportunities for citizens to get involved.

“Chatham County will have a plan of action and it will involve everyone who wants to get involved,” he said.

View a video of the symposium on Chatham County’s Facebook page.

Black gill linked to warming world

Black gill shrimp
A shrimp with black gill Credit: UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography

If you didn’t have a chance to listen to the online presentation by Marc Frischer of the UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography on Tuesday, be sure to check out what he has to say in a new Current article on the same topic, black gill in shrimp.

Frischer is part of the team that has teased apart much of the puzzle that is black gill. He helped identify the parasite causing the disease and even helped name the new species of single-celled organism. That species has been in Georgia waters a long time, Frischer now believes, but it’s only become a problem with rapid climate change. His findings can help shrimpers plan for their next catch.

If you have feedback, questions, concerns, or just like what you see, let us know at thecurrentga@gmail.com.

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Mary Landers is a reporter for The Current in Coastal Georgia with more than two decades of experience focusing on the environment. Contact her at mary.landers@thecurrentga.org She covered climate and...