This last week I’ve used to gather information about Huddleston Pond for those of us in Peachtree City who care what happens in our neighborhoods.

First, remember this project was not a commercial project to line a developer’s pockets. Only the contractor awarded the bid to put it all together would be the big winner. I don’t know how many subcontractors are involved.

I sought information from both elected and hired officials of Peachtree City. Since I will be involved more locally, I will try not to pull too many tail feathers too hard. This is to share my efforts.

One of the issues I did not bring up in last week’s letter was child safety in putting in an enticing playground near water. I emailed Mayor Logsdon and the four City Council members about this concern on April 29, requesting a response. Only Don Haddix responded by passing it the same day to Bernard McMullen, city manager, from whom I’ve yet to hear.

Not waiting on them, the next day I spoke with Randy Gaddo, leisure services director, and expressed my concern.

There will be a 4-foot-high chain link fence around the play equipment at the street side path entrance. Although it will be black vinyl clad, and will stop a darting child, it will still be ugly, the new equipment looks like McDonald’s, and it will still draw unaccompanied children to the pond. There always have been, of course, but it did not need to be added to in this manner.

Mr. Gaddo explained he spoke with four or five parents — whether area residents I’m not sure — who were enthusiastic about the new equipment. He could not explain why no one also talked with the many residents of this area who liked the pond as it was.

Just a simple wooden set of swings, more benches, or porch-type swings around the pond would have been sufficient.

Battery Way also is getting this garish new equipment. I don’t know if it, along with the other parks near water, will get to share the pleasure of chain link fence with nature. Safety should have been considered all along. All of this is an area where decisions were made without sufficient citizen input that I’ve been able to discover.

It has taken me several days and a number of phone calls, and finally an impromptu visit to the city engineer office to see a plan of Huddleston Pond, hoping it was better that it physically appears to be shaping up to be.

Mark Caspar, stormwater manager, graciously took me into an office and went over the plans, answering many of my questions. For the physically impaired the pond will comply with the ADA (American with Disabilities Act). It will still no longer be flat. He did say since he doesn’t live in the area he wasn’t aware of the ducks or where they nested.

He explained the pond will be larger because the red dirt mountain, no, make that, dam came from red mud dug from the pond itself, specifically from the dock area and the area closest near the woods and street (where the ducks used to feed). Some trees have been cut and the pond is now deeper there and at the dock.

Watch your children. The area behind the dam where ducks used for nesting will now not be very accessible because of the shape of the dam, no vegetation covering it, just sod, and accessibility to the water for the ducklings.

I more than once watched newly hatched ducklings entering water for the first time from the old dam area. That will be a lost time now. This leaves nesting at the sparsely wooded and less safe area adjacent to the nasty dumping pond before Huddleston or across busy Wingate Road — splat!

I tried to learn of citizen input to the plans and who had final approval. Mr. Caspar said at some time a couple of years ago there was a city council meeting that had citizen input. The homeowners who have occasionally had flooded yards especially were concerned.

Having worked nights for many years, I would not have been aware of this because I couldn’t attend any of the meetings. Apparently, the flooding and at some time a playground were all that were important, although far unequally. He mentioned the council, McMullen, and Dave Borkowski, city engineer, as having final approval or acceptance of the bid or plans of Huddleston Pond. He was not sure.

Whoever made the acceptance looked at flat paper, not at a community and the impact to the beauty and function. I’m a designer with a degree in art. I know about “form follows function.” In our city we have purposed to make sure that function did not scream at us over form as much as possible.

The people lost on this one. It is never going to be the “little jewel” again!

Asking questions now of a mayor or city council or calling for accountability is important to the time I have now. I want both my city and my county to better. Count me involved.

Jackie Sherwood

Peachtree City, Ga.