Extra Special People Releases New Proposal For Harris Shoals

Extra Special People, in a virtual meeting on Friday, released to the public greatly revised plans for its proposed development of a part of Harris Shoals Park in collaboration with the city of Watkinsville.

Retained in those plans is a Miracle League Field, which is a ball field that can be used by people in wheelchairs, but gone are the originally proposed splash pad, additional park entrance off Experiment Station Road, and increased parking.

The proposal moves the proposed Miracle League Field from the edge of Calls Creek, which runs through the park, to the area immediately behind the existing ESP two-building complex at 189 VFW Drive in Watkinsville.

Included in the plans are a new playground next to the ball field and a paved pathway to allow users of the existing facilities to access the playground and ball field and people with mobility limitations access to the shoals area, which is the central physical and historic feature of Harris Shoals Park.

That pathway also will make parking at the ESP complex easily available to other users of the park, Whitaker said on Friday.

Whitaker first released the plans late in the May 20 meeting of the Watkinsville Mayor and Council, and she said on Friday she is hoping to be back on the agenda at that body’s June 17 meeting to further discuss a possible Letter of Intent for joint development of the park.

ESP also has scheduled two additional public meetings on the proposal, both in person, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. on June 6 and from 6 to 8 p.m. on June 10, both at ESP.

For more on the story, with a video of the virtual session on Friday, please go to Oconee County Observations.