20 replies to this topic

[jungletobacco]

All this talk of how to use our surplus of water sources got me thinking. I think of the Savannah River as a river of money that flow past Augusta, straight to Savannah's bank. I'm saying that Augusta and Savannah are the only GA metros that can cash in on a major body of water. Savannah is cashing in, when will Augusta? Now that Augusta is more progessive, younger and larger, the Riverwalk just won't do. Andy Cheeks has a plan to extend the Augusta Canal to the heart of the city. State Sen. Frank Albert want to remove the 88-year-old levee so Augusta could be connected to its riverfront. Commissioner Cheeks needs $100 million and Sen. Albert needs help from Congress. And we all know how long that could take for either one of them. I say Augusta should have a beach!!! With all the projects going on in downtown Augusta, a beach will the be icing on the cake. Village at the RiverWatch, TEE Center, WaterMark Condos, Hammond's Ferry and the completion of I-520 known as Pametto Parkway on the North Augusta side, the beach will tie them all in. North Augusta should also get a beach and hopefully draw people from Aiken and Columbia near. Condos, clubs and major retailers will pop up all over downtown, making Augusta a key player in the southeast?
Reality or pipe dream?

http://forums.august...topic.php?t=782

We should use the money and resources that we would if we were to move forward with the ellis street project for a beach! Now think about it, spend 10million on just clean-up and the rest of the 20million would be making the man-made beach. it shouldnt be that expensive to make a sandy shore, right. the beach would be off riverwatch parkway, somewhere in between I-20 and 13th street. I perfer across from the N. Augusta hammond ferry development,so they could compliment each other. west of the beach will be the village at the riverwatch, which will have shopping, business, lodging and residential development by itself. Having a beach would add another dimension to the CSRA which would unify the region for sure. I could go on and on about how future project in the downtown AUG would benifit from a beach. I think its a better and less risky proposal than the ellis street option. Augusta was the hottest city in GA this past summer, create a beach, thousands will be in the downtown area DAILY! thats right DAILY will be in the downtown area come summertime. DOWN WITH THE LEVEE!!!

[socaguy]

I think there used to be one where the Walmart shopping center is on Bobby Jones in West Augusta MANY years ago.  I never saw it but have heard people talk about it.  Not sure if it was just a waterpark or a beach or what though?

[Topher1]

Sounds nice....  I used to love Krystal River water park in Columbia Co before that closed.   Richardson's lake in Aiken is a nice summer spot too with a beach, slides, high dives, etc...  But that's about it that I can think of....  I wonder if people might be too afraid of the water quality in the Savannah to go swimming?  Of course there's always the enormous recreational area a half hour north at Clark's Hill Lake...

[Pillsbury]

socaguy, on Oct 16 2007, 10:41 PM, said:

I think there used to be one where the Walmart shopping center is on Bobby Jones in West Augusta MANY years ago.  I never saw it but have heard people talk about it.  Not sure if it was just a waterpark or a beach or what though?

Indeed.  And there was one in south Augusta on Peach Orchard Road behind the old Winn Dixie.   It was a like a beach-type thing.  The one on BBJ closed when a kid cracked his skull open there (if local folklore holds true).

[jungletobacco]

the metrospirit seems to think highly the beach idea. Its not about recreation but tourism. Abeach with condos and reasonable apartments would create the foot traffic that with rival savannah.

http://metrospirit.c...011911070633874

[augga706]

I have always thought with augusta having the canal & the savannah river. We should have a water park & a beach probably 2 or 3 of each

[jungletobacco]

Is there a no swim law? If there is, how do we get it turned around? I feel this is a way to attract colcty resident to the downtown area. I feel we need to stop with the condos and build apartments. Nice atractive high rise affordable building in the westend and harrisburg area. That will increase the foot traffic and the use of our parks & shops downtown. Connect downtown with I-20 by stretching it from the Village at Riverwatch to the Marina. Our downtown is fairly small without the medical community and expand what Downtown is will bring it up to par.

Im with you AUGGA706 more than 1 beach and waterpark is the right way to go with this.

[augga706]

I know broad st i think has the 1st or 2nd widest street in the united states for any downtown. Augusta downtown has to much potential, it definitely can be one of the best in the southeast or the u.s. I dont think all the residential areas being built at the whites will be condos. Some i think are lofts, or other types of residential.

Other apartments downtown

Firehouse house apartments(marbury center)


Old towne, uptown apartments downtown

Oglethorpe House


Third St. Commons


Hampton House


Levy House

Kessel Bakery Building

Enterprise Mill
From cozy studio apartments to spacious three-bedroom lofts, Enterprise Mill residents will enjoy a lifestyle that blends a sophisticated urban environment with unique southern living.

Enterprise Mill offers 56 unique loft apartments ranging from 500 square foot studios to three bedroom units with over 1600 square feet.




But yeah a water park off i-20 btw richmond & aiken or richmond & columbia would be good. The other water park could be in hephzibah near burke county or around the airport on doug barnard pkwy. The beaches could be anywhere aslong its close to the city limits. I always wondered why developers weren't buying up property in beech island like lake oconee, mccormick, or lincoln counties.

Edited by augga706, 22 November 2007 - 07:19 PM.

[jungletobacco]

jungletobacco, on Nov 22 2007, 06:25 PM, said:

Nice atractive high rise affordable building in the westend and harrisburg area.

I want to see more urban-like buildings like the Maxwell. These aparments should be in walking distant of the beach.

[Disgusta]

The place off Bobby Jones that some ppl have been referring to was called Andersons.. It was a huge spring fed sandy bottom swimming pool with a beach area. It closed because the family sold the land to a developer who built Sams and the adjacent shopping center.. called Anderson Plaza appropriately.

As far as a beach along the river, I am not quite sure how this would work. I have not heard of a riverfront beach... Would people really swim in the Savannah River? The current is also something to consider.

[jungletobacco]

the cuurent is not that rapid....2mph at best. Russian River beaches are in California between sacramento and san fran. River beaches are pretty popular in Europe, America hasnt could the wave yet. On a 100 degree Im pre3tty sure people would be willing to take a dip. But we must find out if its safe swimming water. Im pretty sure the upside to a project like this out weigh the obstacles.

This is Johnson Beach, one of the the many beaches on the russian river.

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[jungletobacco]

here is Metro Spirit praising the idea of a beach the only drawback they brought up was the Savannah under current. That could be offset with a cutout design.

http://www.metrospir...011112074488023

[Disgusta]

jungletobacco, on Dec 12 2007, 02:28 PM, said:

here is Metro Spirit praising the idea of a beach the only drawback they brought up was the Savannah under current. That could be offset with a cutout design.

http://www.metrospir...011112074488023

The photos you provided look like they were taken in Healdsburg, CA in Northern Sonoma County.. it's in the heart of wine country... beautiful little town. The Russian River is very nice, but it is also much cleaner and smaller than the Savannah.. it's not very deep. I think a riverfront beach is certainly something to consider..the only real problem may be the undercurrent.. I know several ppl have drowned in the river due to the undercurrent. I don't think the undercurrent would be a problem if the beach were located around the shoals of the river about midway from downtown to I20. The river there is shallow and very wide.. with islands in the middle. It's really a beautiful area. The only problem with that area is The Canal Authority and whether they would approve.

[jungletobacco]

The fact is that the canal authority are a bunch of idiots. They piss off the VRW developers because they wouldnt allow them to use the Augusta canal as part of the project. That is why they have pushed back construction, they have to come up with another plan. A the canal walk with eateries and shop would have been nice. Once again Augusta drops the ball.

If a beach is developed near the VRW it would encourage more restaurant, hotels and residential development to be a part of the VRW. Now if the water is safe and swimmable Augusta could have its own Hilton Head with upscale stores and hotels with beaches along a nice size river like the Savannah. We could carve a cut out to off set the under current where the water is deep. The city of Augusta owns most of the land east of the riverwalk so we just need to come with a solution for the under current.

[Disgusta]

I agree.. I haven't seen much progress at all from the canal authority.. as is the case in Augusta it is nothing more than another social club for the elite.. It would be great to get rid of the canal authority.. it has been an obstacle to utilising the resource of the canal... The only thing Ihave seen out of the canal authority is a fancy website (that hasn;t been updated in years).. If you want a river beach.. you are gonna have to get rid of the canal authority... because they will do everything they can to veto it.

jungletobacco, on Dec 15 2007, 03:57 PM, said:

The fact is that the canal authority are a bunch of idiots. They piss off the VRW developers because they wouldnt allow them to use the Augusta canal as part of the project. That is why they have pushed back construction, they have to come up with another plan. A the canal walk with eateries and shop would have been nice. Once again Augusta drops the ball.

If a beach is developed near the VRW it would encourage more restaurant, hotels and residential development to be a part of the VRW. Now if the water is safe and swimmable Augusta could have its own Hilton Head with upscale stores and hotels with beaches along a nice size river like the Savannah. We could carve a cut out to off set the under current where the water is deep. The city of Augusta owns most of the land east of the riverwalk so we just need to come with a solution for the under current.

[jungletobacco]

I think if we develop a beach on the eastside of downtown that would persuade them to consider it. You have to agree with me, a beach by the VRW, with it upscale tenants and hotels, would be a different look for Augusta. Throw a few palm trees her and there..........

Would a cutout design off set the current, then rope it off where it gets deep?

[jungletobacco]

Johnson beach in Guerneville CA
population of 2,441




Augusta GA
population 190,000 plus

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[CanukInAugusta]

jungletobacco, on Dec 16 2007, 07:27 PM, said:

Johnson beach in Guerneville CA
population of 2,441




Augusta GA
population 190,000 plus

I used to live in the SF Bay area for a few years. The Russian river valley has something going for it that sets it apart from Augusta: continuous year round flood of tourists.

Its in the middle (obviously) of the famed Russian River valley, arguably the finest Pinot Noir wine growing area in the US. There must be hundreds of vineyards in that area, and each one has a tasting rooms, and many have restaurants, etc.

[jungletobacco]

First you take care of Augustan, then worry about tourist. The people of Augusta would appreciate a river beach and (with the population 190,000 county-wide and 500,000 in the metro area)will use it for the long hot summer.

Soon as the summer ends the fall festivals roll in and the riverbeaches can host their own festivities.

Winter is the season of retail and with the improvement of the mall and the opening of VRW, Augusta would have that to fall on until spring.

We all know about the spring, spring cleaning in the garden city because the take a look at Augusta for a week. Hotels and restaurants are packed, traffic is a nightmare on Washington Rd and downtown is busting out the seams. If the  weather permits that would the perfect time to showcase our riverbeaches to the world and invite them back for the summer.

But make sure the people of Augusta like it first and then worry about catering to tourist.

[Disgusta]

the only issue with a downstream location of a beach would be the undercurrent and water quality.. The water in the shoals area is pretty clear and shallow.. it's  a more picturesque part of the river that many ppl probably wouldn't mind swimming in, in fact many ppl would probably flock to that area. Down river, the water is more murky..and then you have those local sightings of the occassional alligator. Otherwise you could just have a beach where swimming is not an integral part.. and could have other activities like volleyball, picnics, etc.

My question is this though... why don't Augustans use the beach that exists at Lake Olmstead?