Sandy Springs lays groundwork for Veterans Park

Sandy Springs is laying the groundwork for a major new Veterans Park across the street from the City Springs civic center.

The park is slated for a triangle of land bounded by Mount Vernon Highway and Roswell and Johnson Ferry roads that once was home to several businesses. The City bought the land several years ago for the City Springs project and a still-pending plan to reconstruct the Mount Vernon/Johnson Ferry intersection. The triangle was partially cleared in 2017 but continued to have foundations and remnants of walls and parking lots.

The idea of some type of veterans’ memorial on the site dates back nearly a decade, with early advocacy from former City Manager John McDonough, a Marine Corps officer.

The City in 2019 approved a conceptual plan for a $5 million park that would include a courtyard of flags and seals for all military branches. A fountain echoing one at City Springs and two large sculptures are other features, along with seating, lawns and a multiuse path that is planned for a longer section of Mount Vernon Highway.

The park has unusual dimensions due to the narrowness of the reconfigured intersection. Essentially it would consist of two triangular areas to the east and west, connected by a strip of green space and path.

For the short term, the City Council in June 2021 approved a deal with a contract to largely clear the site and install sod on the Roswell Road frontage. Fencing and a mural are other elements of the short-term look.

The park would join the City’s collection of several unique green spaces. A City spokesperson had no immediate update on a construction timeline for the park itself.