Holly Springs Names Park After Councilwoman Karen Barnett

HOLLY SPRINGS — A park in the Taylors Farm subdivision is now named after a Holly Springs City Council member remembered for serving her community with kindness, humility and compassion.

City leaders and staff, alongside Karen Barnett’s family and friends, officially unveiled the Karen Johnson Barnett Park sign Monday at the park in the Taylors Farm subdivision in Holly Springs. The park is open to the public.

In August 2023, the Holly Springs City Council unanimously voted to approve a resolution naming the park in her honor. The park previously didn’t have an official name, according to the city.

A sign is now at the park, reading “Karen Johnson Barnett Park.” On the back of the sign, there is information about her time on the city council and her impact on the community, as well as her family.

Karen Barnett died at the age of 64 in May 2021. She served on the Holly Springs City Council for 17 years. In addition to serving her community, Barnett also worked at Kennestone Hospital in X-ray, CT, and MRI for almost four decades before retiring in 2020.

She lived in Holly Springs for over 20 years and became a constant, present figure in the community.

“We appreciate the city and the council for naming the park after my wife Karen,” said her husband, Richard Barnett.

He added that he hopes the park continues to bring joy and happiness to the kids of the neighborhood.

Karen Barnett’s daughter, Melissa Kohring, thanked those in attendance for being a part of her mother’s life.

“She gave everywhere she went, and she is truly someone I looked up to,” she said. “I hope that someday maybe I can follow in her footsteps and make an impact like she does. Thank you again for being a part of her life and helping her make things better in the world.”

At Monday’s ceremony, Holly Springs Mayor Steven Miller spoke about the importance of this park to the neighborhood, and how Barnett impacted his life.

“This park is special to me because I used to live about six houses down there on the left-hand side and my kids grew up here,” he said. “We used to come down to this park to play, so re-doing this park and getting it so it didn’t turn into a pond when it rained and getting this new equipment — it means a lot to me,” he said.

Miller added that Barnett was “a sweet lady and one of the most welcoming members of the council when I first ran for mayor.”

“She came up to me and gave me all the advice she could give me, and she was there the night I was elected mayor the first time,” Miller said. “It’s a wonderful tribute to her. I was blessed to know her.”

Holly Springs City Councilman Michael Zenchuk added that Karen Barnett “served her community with humility and boundless compassion.”

“Our friend Karen’s legacy is not just one of achievement, but the lives that she touched with her warmth, wisdom and spirit,” he said, reading from the sign on display at the park. “May Karen Johnson Barnett Park stand forever as a living testament to her enduring legacy, reminding us of the profound impact one person can have on the world around them.”

Karen Johnson Barnett Park went through $535,740 worth of renovations paid for through the city’s parks and recreation fund, said city spokesperson Erin Honea. The parks and recreation fund consists of taxes collected through alcohol excise and local option mixed drink taxes, as well as American Rescue Plan Act funds.

The renovations took about six months and included the clearing and grading of a new detention pond and filling of an old detention pond, stormwater improvements, fencing, construction of a new detention pond, construction of an underdrain system at the playground area, erosion control and installation of new playground equipment, Honea said.

Karen Johnson Barnett Park is located at 937 Taylors Farm Court in Holly Springs.