New Plans For Cookeville’s Dogwood Park Have Begun

The City of Cookeville has begun the process of planning future developments of Dogwood Park.

A public hearing held Monday with HFR Design stakeholders unveiled several plans for the park and gathered new ideas from the public.

Leisure Services Director Rick Woods said the city can likely accomplish some projects more quickly than others, including playground shading areas and a new restroom facility.

“I think some of the other things that we’re looking at are dependent on other funding or the completion of the police department moved to a different location,” Woods said. “Some of those things will be longer in developing.”

Longterm projects include additional parking, a new pavilion along East 1st street, and relocating the rose garden to the police department’s parking lot. Citizens also recommended a tower clock, outdoor workout equipment, and additional crosswalks on nearby streets.

The city hired HFR and Heibert & Ball Land Design to redevelop the park’s master plan last year. Heibert & Ball Land Design Co-CEO Skip Heibert said the main goal for the project is to make Dogwood easier to access.

“In the overview what we were trying to do is create a more pedestrian accessible park while also providing some more parking in other areas,” Heibert said. “There’s a lot of events that go on…and parking is a big issue. A lot of people have to access the park by walking, and we felt this was a very good way to do it.”

Woods said HFR will consider the public’s thoughts and will have a final plan toward the beginning of February.