Emerald Pathways

By Sarah Harter, marketing assistant, T. Lake Environmental Design

Dublin, Ga. residents enjoy the Christmas parade and their revitalized downtown. ?EUR??,,????'??For downtowns to work, people have to have easy access, close parking spaces, pleasant walking experiences and feel safe,?EUR??,,????'?? says Landscape Architect Tim Lake of T. Lake Environmental Design, principal of the downtown design.

Refining the central business district of downtown Dublin, Georgia, brought more than a new look and a new name. The city of Dublin felt the need to integrate aesthetics and safety improvements for the downtown area. The Emerald Pathways project addressed this need, along with accommodating pedestrian and nonvehicular traffic. Safety improvements and enhanced pedestrian paths make it more attractive for locals, visitors and business owners.

Dublin, Ga. is located in the middle of the state, approximately one hour from Macon and nearly two hours from Atlanta and Savannah. It is located at the intersection of Interstate 16 and U.S. Highways 441 and 319. Known as the ?EUR??,,????'??Emerald City,?EUR??,,????'?? Dublin was incorporated by the Georgia Assembly in 1812. The city is said to have been named by a settler from the Irish capital. The Irish tradition is still celebrated throughout March and an annual St. Patrick?EUR??,,????'???s Day festival has been part of the celebration for over 30 years. The Emerald Pathways project even got its name from the ?EUR??,,????'??green and growing?EUR??,,????'?? appeal of the city.

The western end of the project is the cultural center of the city. Looking beyond Dublin?EUR??,,????'???s first public fountain, there is a pedestrian path that crosses in front of the city clock. The memorial behind the clock leads to the entrance of the Dublin-Laurens County Museum. The fountain is brick with a tiled pool basin and three 1.5-inch geyser jets in the pool?EUR??,,????'???s center with spray heights of 4-6 ft. At the base of each jet are two 300-watt underwater lights. A 3-hp display pump pushes water through a 75 gpm cartridge filter and brominator to keep the water clean and clear.

T. Lake Environmental Design is a subsidiary of T. Lake Inc., a privately-held corporation founded in Winter Park, Fla. in 1990 by Timothy Lake. The firm was chartered in Georgia in 1992. A full service landscape architecture, land planning and landscape-contracting firm, T. Lake has completed projects from Central Florida to Middle Tennessee. Uniquely qualified to serve clients in all aspects of land development or management projects, T. Lake has been revitalizing the rural south for 15 years.

?EUR??,,????'??The project was a labor of love for me. This is my home. It was not profitable, but it was certainly worthwhile.?EUR??,,????'???EUR??,,????'??+Landscape Architect Tim Lake, T. Lake Environmental Design/

The T. Lake Environmental Design team, under the direction of Landscape Architect Tim Lake, went through a competitive process to win the Emerald Pathways design contract. Along with preparing plans and cost estimates and meeting with agencies, a core group of supporters in the community pushed for the revitalization. The cooperation and support of downtown businesses also helped the project run smoothly.

An overhead view of the cypress wood arbor shows off the fountain, the pedestrian-safe sidewalk and brick pattern of the plaza. Cypress lacks sap and doesn?EUR??,,????'???t bleed but produces an oil (cypressine) that acts as a natural preservative, making the wood durable and extremely resistant to weather, insects and fungi. The wood is being left in its nature state and will become a light pewter color over time. Good ol?EUR??,,????'??? natural Georgia clay brick (4 x 8 x 2.25 inches), very hard and weather resistant, is the chosen hardscape for the plaza.

?EUR??,,????'??For downtowns to work, people have to feel like they have easy access, close parking spaces, pleasant walking experiences and feel safe,?EUR??,,????'?? said Lake.

Being a concerned, local resident is not the only thing that led him to this conclusion. Lake spent years researching the area, along with studying site inventory and design analysis. Before the project was ever approved, Lake was drawing conclusions from the existing conditions and studying the way people and cars moved and used the area. The intensive site visits go back to his college years.

Inspired to retain the character and charm of small towns, Lake began in-depth research in 1987 for his senior project at the University of Georgia. The passion to revitalize his hometown sparked the need for improving the heart of the community and although it was a long process, local representatives helped Lake get appropriate funding for the project.

Green, ornamental lighting posts, like the one shown here, replaced wooden poles and added the convenience of raising banners for special events. T. Lake Environmental Design worked with Georgia Power to specify a Holophane acorn refractor luminaire to replicate Dublin?EUR??,,????'???s streetlamps from the early 1900s.

?EUR??,,????'??The project was a labor of love for me. This is my home. It was not profitable, but it was certainly worthwhile,?EUR??,,????'?? said Lake.

Budgeting slightly more than one million dollars, Emerald Pathways was divided into phases, including reconstructing traffic signals and preserving historical brick roads. The Intermodel Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 established a fund for transportation enhancement activities.

The federally funded program was designed to aid in the development of transportation enhancements, available through state Departments of Transportation. ISTEA provided 80 percent of the funding for the downtown Dublin project. The remainder was budgeted through the city.

Lining the Central Business District are steel and powder coated ?EUR??,,????'??Dublin green?EUR??,,????'?? bicycle racks that correspond to the lighting posts and waste receptacles. Eighteen-inch hexagonal pavers with a shot blast finish (Atlanta series by Pavestone, formerly called Tarmac) surround the landscaping. Most corners did not meet code, so ramps and tactile warning strips (cast concrete and stamped with raised dome pattern) were added at all ramp transitions.

The project began with T. Lake documenting deficiencies in the existing pedestrian facilities of downtown Dublin. New pavers and curb cuts brought sidewalks up to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. Most corners did not meet code, so ramps were added along with tactile warning strips at all ramp transitions.

Reconstructed sidewalks replaced the combination of vitrified brick, hexagonal pavers and concrete, originally installed in the 1900s. Prior to that, wooden blocks lined the streets. Original hexagonal pavers were preserved for the sidewalks and new curbing was installed. Historic pavers were carefully removed and reused in some areas; others were wrapped and placed in the city warehouse for future use. Commercial areas are safely linked where poorly marked crosswalks and broken curbs used to be. The few unbroken pavers were salvaged to use as replacements, while one section of badly damaged hexagonal pavers was removed.

Ginkgo trees on the sidewalk and Asiatic jasmine groundcover lead to the ramp and access to the brick plaza, the arbor and wooden benches behind it. The steel, powder-coated handicap ramp is ADA compliant. The ADA height specification of ramp railings is 34-38 inches.

Emerald Pathways has a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere, with improvements including appropriate signage and extensive landscaping. To avoid disturbing pedestrians and disrupting downtown businesses, the demolition and majority of construction work took place at night.

Installing bike racks, park benches and waste receptacles had a positive impact on the downtown. The Dublin City Council chose a custom color that became ?EUR??,,????'??Dublin green?EUR??,,????'?? and matched all of the furnishings, also including lamp posts and mast arms that hold traffic light signals.

Four city parks are connected through the pedestrian trails, beginning with Stubbs Park, a circular park surrounded by exquisite, vintage houses. The parks encompass the Laurens County Museum, Theatre Dublin, Dublin?EUR??,,????'???Laurens County Senior Center, City Hall, Federal Courthouse, Laurens County Courthouse and the Central Business District.

Lemon-yellow daylilies surround the fountain and arbor in front of the newly renovated Fred-Roberts hotel. This is part of the historic district of the city.

One of the most visible changes incorporated in the downtown project is the brick plaza located at the western end, surrounding the city?EUR??,,????'???s first public fountain. This area has a significant elevation change, so an attractive ramp was incorporated, in addition to the steps, to accommodate all pedestrians.

A wooden arbor extends over the fountain and daylilies surround it. Their lemon-yellow blooms bring the area to life during the summer. The towering city clock also sits at this end, displaying an ?EUR??,,????'??Irish?EUR??,,????'?? theme. This is the cultural center of Dublin, with several renovated buildings in the historic area, including the Fred Roberts Hotel and Theatre Dublin.

T. Lake?EUR??,,????'???s designers used ornate benches and native plants to complement the existing historic beauty. ?EUR??,,????'??The design took into account the historic significance of our downtown area,?EUR??,,????'?? said George Roussel, the Dublin city manager. Plantings were kept simple for unity and ease of maintenance. The enlarged landscaped area reduces heat and glare, adds color and is easy to maintain.

The steel benches lining the sidewalks are in facing pairs to encourage conversation, with metal waste receptacles nearby to discourage littering. Chinese elms (Ulmus parvifolia ?EUR??,,????'??Allee?EUR??,,????'???) are a colorful, tasteful addition and provide some welcome shade, more so as they reach their full growth (40-50 feet). This elm, an eastern Asian native, is noted for long, narrow leaves, attractive bark, red flowering, hardiness in urban settings and resistance to Dutch elm disease.

Gingko and and Chinese ?EUR??,,????'??Allee?EUR??,,????'??? elms were chosen as part of the landscape design for their compact, upright growth and urban tolerance. In the south gingkoes show off brilliant, yellow blooms during the fall. The ?EUR??,,????'??Allee?EUR??,,????'??? elms have smaller leaves, rapid growth and can withstand heat and wind. The stately elm and gingkoes welcome travelers to the downtown area, bringing an inviting shade that was once absent. Pairs of green, metal benches face each other encouraging people to interact. Metal benches were chosen for durability.

New lighting features replaced wooden poles. The new ornamental posts, with softly lit globes, add character to the downtown area. T. Lake Environmental Design worked with Georgia Power to specify a Holophane acorn refractor luminaire, which replicated Dublin?EUR??,,????'???s streetlamps from the early 1900s. Site furnishings were chosen that had a nostalgic feel with a timeless style.

?EUR??,,????'??We did not want to mimic any certain period of history.

I was adamant that we not create a false sense of history downtown, but acknowledge the dynamic historic journey that characterizes every downtown,?EUR??,,????'?? said Lake.

Landscape Architect Tim Lake of T. Lake Environmental Design, spent years researching the Dublin, Ga. area and studying site inventory and design analysis. Prior to the project approval, Lake was drawing conclusions about the existing conditions and examining the way people and cars move through and use the area. The site visits date back to his college years.

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Historical, educational and recreational facilities are linked by the landscaping and pedestrian paths. Emerald Pathways encourages pedestrians to travel safely between the commercial portion of downtown Dublin and the area of preservation. The heart of the community, this area is the setting for the annual St. Patrick?EUR??,,????'???s Festival. The street lamps hold banners to encourage such celebrations.

?EUR??,,????'??I was adamant that we not create a false sense of history downtown, but acknowledge the dynamic historic journey that characterizes every downtown.?EUR??,,????'?? ?EUR??,,????'??+Landscape Architect Tim Lake, T. Lake Environmental Design/

City Manager George Roussel considers the Emerald Pathways project a tremendous success. ?EUR??,,????'??The result has certainly not only added to the beautification of our downtown area, but the design itself will be used as the model for Madison Street, the Southside Gateway project and many others.?EUR??,,????'??

There are several renovated buildings in the historic area, including the Fred Roberts Hotel and the Theatre Dublin. Hexagonal pavers create the sidewalk in front of the theatre.

T. Lake Environmental Design is credited with bringing new life to the downtown area. Lake said, ?EUR??,,????'??I am glad I could be a part of the effort, in the company of many other citizens who wanted it to happen, and I am enthused to see younger people moving back home and advancing the cause further.?EUR??,,????'??