Pleasantdale Park

Pleasantdale Park Sign - 2025.12.05

Pleasantdale Park borders Northcrest on the Northeast edge of the historic district boundary. In 1966 the park was renamed "Vego Field" after Frank Vego (it was originally named "Warren Field"). Frank lived in the neighborhood, the first home on the right (3563 Regalwoods Dr) in the main entry on Regalwoods, right in front of the Northcrest sign (the home has a distinct Asian motif).

Note that much of this information was copied from the HISTORIC DISTRICT INFORMATION FORM (HDIF) developed by the 2016 Georgia State Masters of Heritage Preservation Program involved in the Northcrest Historic District designation documentation.

In 1965, the park (now known as Pleasantdale Park) was developed under the name Warren Field as a place for Pop Warner football and Little League team play. In 1966, the park was renamed Vego Field after Frank Vego, who donated some acreage to the park.The park was renamed Pleasantdale Park and comprised 24.5 acres. The park was owned and developed by DeKalb County with three baseball fields, one football field, and a press box donated by P&H builders. Northcrest residents collected more than $2,000 for the park’s walking trails and playground equipment.

In 1967, the first stages of development of the park included a combo-athletic field. The athletic fields, complete with grass, would cost $12,000, two parking areas would cost $2,200, and restrooms including a septic tank would cost $2,400.

In 1978, residents approved a master site plan for Pleasantdale Park by a vote of 64-40. After passing the advisory board stage, the master plan had to be voted on by the DeKalb County Commission (the final authority). The Northeast Athletic Association requested to expand into the county-owned park’s remaining eight undeveloped acres with additional fields. Pleasantdale proposed designs for the additional acres to provide for tennis courts, jogging trails, family picnic areas, a playground, multi-purpose courts, and a grassy open field. The plan called for relocating the 10 year old baseball field into a spot previously used for parking. There was a disagreement between residents and the Northeast Athletic Association on what to do in the park, with the residents preferring recreational services. The purpose of the master plan was to be a graphic attempt to establish conceptual relationships on a site rather than a detailed developmental plan. The plan was said to serve as a tool to obtain funding for development.

A 1979 newspaper article further explained the controversy over the park with neighboring residents, the Pleasantdale Park Steering Committee, and members of the Northeast Athletic Association disagreeing on the planning of the park. The Northeast Athletic Association officials urged the board to reconsider proposed plans to relocate the Northeast Athletic Association baseball diamond to another part of the park. The proposed relocation was an attempt to develop more family friendly facilities which would include tennis courts, a jogging trail, bike paths, playground equipment, picnic areas, additional parking and a small pavilion. The park needed approval by the advisory board and the DeKalb Board of Commissioners before the project could be budgeted.

Pleasantdale Park Sign - 2025.12.05

In 1982, Northcrest’s Hoe ‘N Hope Garden Club took on the Pleasantdale Park Improvement Project to provide the Northcrest area with facilities usually associated with a designated neighborhood park. The Master Plan to carry out this project was adopted in 1980, but funds were not available to implement these improvements. According to the Pleasantdale cost estimate document in 1982, the park needed $5,914.44 to create the desired facility.

The Garden Club worked on a scaled-down version of the project for the time being which consisted of a play structure, sand box, and picnic tables. $2000 was raised from a door-to-door solicitation, a house tour, and a Christmas candle sale. The Northeast Athletic Association also contributed $1,000. In 1984, Northcrest’s Hoe ‘N Hope Garden Club raised $3000 for park improvements including railroad ties, mulch, picnic tables, and other landscape improvements.

In 1983, the Northeast Athletic Association (located in Pleasantdale Park) sought the financial help of the Department of Natural Resources. In early 1983, they received a grant of $10,000 from the Recreation Emergency Fund for the renovation of lighting. At the time, the fields were being used to their maximum capacity with the sports program serving young people from both DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.