Lafayette hosts ribbon cutting for Traverse Park
LAFAYETTE, GA (WDEF) — The ribbon was officially cut today for Lafayette’s newest park.
Traverse park is split down the middle by Culberson Avenue. The north side has climbing walls and an accessible playground. The southern side has a pavilion, skate park, walking trail, and a disc golf course.
Lafayette Mayor Andy Arnold tells us, “It’s incredible. The pride that this has brought along with the honeybee festival and all the other stuff that we’ve got going on in the city of Lafayette has just been incredible, but the most fun thing is just seeing families together having fun.”
Director of Parks and Recreation, Jason Shattuck said, “It had a soft opening back around the Honeybee so people are already aware and since words gotten out you drive here at any time of the evening day or night and there’s 20, 30, 50, I’ve heard this weekend around 200 people out here on a Saturday so words out we’re excited skateboarders are here right now ripping it so they’re having a good time.”
The rock climbing portion of the park was inspired by nearby Rocktown, which is a cluster of naturally formed rock structures, world renown in the bouldering community.
The playground is designed to be accessible to children of all different abilities. City officials say their own kids have made great use of it already.
Jason Shattuck continues, “I actually grew up less than 5 miles from Rocktown and didn’t know anything about it. We knew about Pettijohn’s Cave. We knew about some of the other things, but we didn’t realize what kind of world class bouldering opportunities we have right here in our backyard so with that kind of being the forethought, we kind of thought that you know maybe a rock climbing wall bouldering opportunities could help plant that seed for people… to our locals and surrounding communities to come out here and test it maybe in a safer environment and then build their confidence to go try and see what our natural amenities are outside of our city.”
Traverse Park is open from sunrise to 11PM. The mayor tells us it’s well lit for those late-night excursions.
