The inception of Signature Park is as unique as the park itself. It wasn’t devised by a group of commercial land developers staking out land and drawing up blueprints for a roadside attraction. It wasn’t planned by County Parks and Recreation referencing a census and determining a need for another cookie-cutter park. Signature Park was created by the public: parents and coaches, who have a desire to provide superior playing fields for their children in a clean, safe, fun environment.

Collectively, the fundamental concept behind Signature Park is the sum of several years’ worth of arbitrary input from the local sports community. Yet what started as chit-chat amongst parents, grew into a conscious endeavor for Signature Park co-founder Chris Palomba. At some point, Chris had become the unofficial soundboard for his peers’ grievances with existing ballparks. As he listened, Chris noticed trends in what people wish for in a baseball park: parents insist upon sanitary bathrooms, umpires seek a room of their own, and coaches and players just want an available field to practice on.

Chris was already familiar with the lack of practice fields in the area. As a parent of ball players, he’d taken matters into his own hands a few years ago and built a baseball diamond on his own property for his kids’ teams to use. Chris granted use of the field to other local players. Soon enough, youth recreational and travel teams from all over Gwinnett County were practicing at the Palomba residence five nights a week. Clearly, a shortage of facilities was a widespread problem. It was time for Chris to take initiative again.

With the help of fellow baseball-loving parents Kevin Renz, Josh Skelley and Keith Hyde, and brother Lou Palomba, Chris was ready to take his collection of ideas on “how a baseball park should be” and bring it to fruition. Of course, there are the added twists that allow Signature Park to live up to its claim as a “unique sports experience”: its environmental initiatives, Miracle Field and family-oriented activities. Everyone is engaged. Everyone is involved.

Chris summarizes Signature Park’s goal exactly: “I just want a place where parents and children can leave saying, ‘Wow, I’d like to come back here!’”