Alternatives floated for Jordan’s Point
When Lexington’s City Council decided to remove the dam at Jordan’s Point, they promised to revise the existing master plan for Jordan’s Point Park to provide improvements there. An initial survey of the public and an open meeting in January indicated that people want a good athletic field, better access to the Maury River, and improved trails with links to the Walkers Creek Trail and the Chessie Nature Trail (Lexington City Planning page). Based on that information, the city published two suggested plans (A and B) drawn up by its consultant, Land Planning Design Associates (LPDA).
After reviewing those two proposals, RACC’s Land Conservation Committee is urging the city to limit artificial intrusions such as roads, parking lots, and structures on the island, minimize pedestrian-vehicle conflicts, highlight historic structures, and preserve native plants.
RACC members involved in the effort include Arthur Bartenstein and Bill Blatter, who had both helped develop the old plan, as well as Lee Merrill and Chris Wise, who chair the Land Conservation Committee. They have participated in on-site inspection with city staff and LPDA personnel as well as participating in public meetings. Bartenstein, a landscape architect, has now created drawings of two further options, shown below (provided by Arthur Barentstein; click either image for a detailed pdf of both).
Alternative D, which leaves the greatest area of the park as green space.
It should be noted that, as City Council considers its options, Lexington’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan include no funding for work at Jordan’s Point.
Of concern to conservationists, while removing the dam and thus lowering the level of the adjacent river added more bank and cobble shore to the park, it also reduced water flow through the old mill race, thus exposing the historic timber gauge dock to air, sure to accelerate its decay and loss. It is not clear what can be done to mitigate that problem.