A.B. Sawyer Park Master Plan

Acquired by the Louisville Metro Parks Department in 1969, A.B. Sawyer Park is a neighborhood-serving park located in eastern Jefferson County, Kentucky. Home to the City of Lyndon’s Recreation Association, the park was predominantly occupied by a variety of active recreational facilities such as baseball and softball fields, as well as restrooms, concessions and operational facilities. Gresham Smith was retained by Louisville Metro Parks to develop a comprehensive master plan for the 47-acre community park that recommended long- and short-term physical improvements in context with its location, natural resources and community needs.

Working with a team of archaeologists and environmental scientists, Gresham Smith completed an extensive inventory and analysis of the park’s existing natural, historic, cultural and recreational resources. As part of the environmental assessment, the team explored the site’s natural habitat and features, and identified areas for preservation and protection.

A major focus of the master plan involved looking at the natural, remnant areas within the park and how those could be used to create more passive recreational park experiences for visitors like gathering spaces, picnic areas and walking trails. This focus ultimately led to the recommendation for a half-mile greenway trail that will connect A.B. Sawyer Park to the broader community.

Based on information gathered as part of the inventory and analysis phase of the plan— including vital community input derived from park-user surveys, stakeholder interviews and public meetings at key milestones—our team developed a program for physical and operational improvements, and created a series of alternatives from which the final plan evolved.

Providing the framework for the use and development of A.B. Sawyer Park over time, Gresham Smith’s final master plan allows for a variety of key enhancements that will offer the community more passive recreational opportunities while augmenting the functionality of existing active recreational facilities. The first phase of implementation includes the A.B. Sawyer Greenway as well as parking lot and entry way improvements.