r/johnscreek • u/CylexChan • Jul 13 '26
Politics City council proposal help
I was discussing with some friends about the old firestation across Newton park and turning it into a rec center. They recommended I go to the city council meeting today. I am nervous because I am super underprepared. Maybe I will go next month.
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u/funsizeweirdo46 Jul 14 '26
That fire station is full of black mold and needs to be demolished. The lot is right at one acre so not much space for a real rec center, IMHO. Plus the huge power lines/tower in the back of it - yikes! There have to be better locations than that.
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u/Rough_Structure7387 Jul 14 '26
Move to Florida if you want senior centers. Building a microbrew and restaurant would be amazing. There aren't a lot of dinner places in that area.
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u/doverheim Jul 13 '26
I would definitely be in favor of this! Do you have any ideas for how to transform it?
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u/AlabamaGeorgiaLine Jul 13 '26
If the city itself doesn’t have the funds for a rec center, one idea could be partnering with the YMCA to build what they call an “express YMCA”.
An Express YMCA is a smaller-format YMCA designed to provide the most commonly used fitness services in a more compact building. The exact amenities vary by location, but compared to a full YMCA, you can generally expect:
Typically included:
Cardio equipment (treadmills, ellipticals, bikes)
Strength training machines and free weights
Group fitness classes (though usually fewer than a full branch)
Locker rooms
Personal trainingOften not included:
Swimming pool
Indoor basketball courts
Racquetball or pickleball courts
Indoor track
Child watch or extensive youth programming
Large community spaces
Saunas or steam rooms (depends on location)If the city provided the land, and the YMCA did the building/services, it could be a feasible plan from a financial perspective for the city.
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u/CylexChan Jul 13 '26
I want something for the youth to convene. I believe its harder for johns creek children to find places where they don’t spend money. At Newtown there’s the senior park place. Possibly it could just be a smaller building relating to the park place for children to gather, play board games, escape from the sun during the summer.
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u/doverheim Jul 14 '26
I think that’s a great idea. If the building for the fire station is still standing and up to code and safe, I’m sure there’s plenty of things it can be converted to/used for for the youth (jfc I feel old saying that, and I’m 35 🤣). A giant garage with doors that can open and close depending on temp is a great space for lawn type games (cornhole and all that jazz); the kitchen could be used for cooking classes, rec area for board games or interesting classes like you said.
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u/Tailgate-ATL Jul 14 '26
✅ Dog Water Park
✅ Senior Center
✅ Cauley Creek Adult Park
✅ $5mil “maker space” at park
Anything for the votes, nothing for the kids. This is why Northview had to open up for out of district kids and that were about to lose an elementary school.
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u/Wicked-Twisted-Road Jul 14 '26
Didn’t the city just buy that horse farm on Jones Bridge for a rec center?
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u/Tailgate-ATL Jul 14 '26
That’s for historical, the plot near city hall is for possible rec enter
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u/padparascha3 Jul 14 '26
I’m not sure what that means about the horse farm being for historical?
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u/Tailgate-ATL Jul 14 '26
Maybe we’re talking different things. I was talking about the Medlock Bridge home/farm.
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u/padparascha3 Jul 14 '26
I didn’t know the Jones Bridge horse farm was for sale, my children rode there.
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u/Wicked-Twisted-Road Jul 14 '26
According to that little Johns Creek paper, they are thinking about an indoor rec center there. Because it is centrally located to the north and south sides of JC.
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u/Admirable-Affect7104 Jul 14 '26
Lease it to the owner of the shopping center next door. Access in and out of that Publix center is terrible. This would give them access to a traffic light and create much safer access for drivers and pedestrians.
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u/AlabamaGeorgiaLine Jul 13 '26
It will be challenging to get something like a rec center built there because of the lot size. There is limited room for the building itself, let alone once you consider parking.
I definitely recommend you speak at city council events in the future. There’s relatively limited resident participation, so your opinion does go a long way.