Dalton City Council approves new playground for Civitan Park

Published 2:00 pm Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Dalton’s Harlan Godfrey Civitan Park should have a new playground by early summer.

The City Council voted 3-0 Monday to approve a $349,359.73 contract with GameTime of Longwood, Florida, to replace the playground at Civitan Park. Mayor David Pennington typically votes only if there is a tie, and council member Dennis Mock attended the meeting online and because of technical difficulties missed this vote but was able to vote on other agenda items.

The work on the playground is expected to be complete by the end of June. The playground will be handicapped accessible. To see a video showing the playground concept, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4ne17HrQhk.

The current playground is not handicapped accessible and some of the features are broken.

According to city officials, Civitan Park is one of Dalton’s most-used parks. At 505 Shugart Road, the park opened as Civitan Park in 1997 on land donated by the Dalton Civitan Club. In 2014 it was renamed for Harlan Godfrey, a longtime Dalton Civitan Club member and leader who was instrumental in the park’s creation.

City officials say the park’s .375-mile track is the most popular place to walk in all of the city’s parks and recreation facilities. The gazebo is also a popular place for picnics.

Chartered on July 28, 1921, the Dalton Civitan Club said it is the oldest civic club in the city. Civitan International began in 1917 when a group of business leaders formed the first club in Birmingham, Alabama. Its mission is to promote citizenship by providing volunteer opportunities to improve the communities where Civitan clubs are located.

The council members voted 4-0 to:

• Approve an agreement with CLC Photography to provide photography services for the Parks and Recreation Department’s youth sports programs. The city will receive $4 for each set of photos sold.

• Approve a right-of-way encroachment permit for the awning at Buckin’ Burrito at 212 N. Hamilton St. and to break a 3-3 tie by the city Historic Preservation Commission to grant a variance for the awning.