Beach expansion, upgraded bathhouse, pavilion on tap

The Covington County Commission on Tuesday learned that PowerSouth Energy Cooperative has agreed to contribute $40,000 toward improvements at the Point A park.

The county and PowerSouth have had a lease agreement in which the county – or a leaseholder – provides maintenance on the area where the campground and swimming areas are located.

“Eric (Johnson) and I discussed a plan of action and presented it to PowerSouth,” said Chairman Greg White. “It was for 12 months.”

White said PowerSouth agreed to make contributions of “$40,000, give or take.”

White said the county has also contributed some in-kind services.

“Eric and subcontractors he chooses will make simple, but significant impact in the presentation,” White said. “Our commitment is to oversee the work.”

White said the project includes extending the beach, repainting the pavilion at the beach area and the bathhouse, and relining the driveway.

“The boat pier and the deck have already been repaired, White said.

There are also plans to take care of some overgrowth in the park and resurface the parking lot at a later time.

The county will act as a pass-through agent between PowerSouth and Johnson for the funds, as well.

Johnson took over the park in 2016 and has been working to improve its conditions ever since.

“I’m really looking forward to working with PowerSouth to make the recreation area as a whole better for families to have something to enjoy,” he said. “We are extending where the beach ends now and taking it all the way down to the boat ramp and trimming around the entire day use park.”

Johnson said the lanes will be redone.

“We will make the left lane a one-way in, one-way out,” he said. “And the turn the right lane into a parallel parking. That will give room for about 30-40 more cars, which will double the parking area at the park.”

Johnson said once the overgrowth is trimmed back, it will give more areas for people to set up.

Cost is still $4 per car to get in, he said.

“Where else can you take the family for just $4,” he said.

Johnson said he has plans once these projects are complete to reinvest money by redoing the playground and upgrading it to better equipment and adding volleyball courts.

He said that the primitive camping is about as busy as he had anticipated, and he has plans to get with some of the local scouts to get them to utilize the new camping sites.