The voter approved 2008 Parks Bond Fund will soon spend $40 million on the purchase of potential park lands throughout Cobb County. The Board of Commissioners appointed 15 citizens to an Advisory Board, who are using a set of 10 criteria to come up with the final recommendations of the original 340 parcels nominated. The final meeting for public input is on September 14.
A local community action group is appealing Cobb County to purchase 20 acres of land located between Concord, Floyd, and Hicks Roads and attempting to garner as much community support for this parcel as possible before that final meeting. Below is a link to the petition and information regarding this effort.
http://www.gopetition.com/online/30384.html
Petition:
We, the undersigned, request the Cobb County Citizens Advisory Committee and Board of Commissioners act to purchase the nominated Mableton property (#92) bounded by Floyd, Hicks, and Concord Roads with approved Parks Bond funds.
This 19.78 acre property is surrounded by residential neighborhoods. Purchase of this land would fill an immediate need for a centrally-located, easily-accessible, multi-functional green space in the heart of Mableton.
This parcel is located in close proximity to the ongoing Historic Mableton Preservation and Improvement Plan and the Mableton Livable Centers Initiative study area. It is convenient to two major Cobb County thoroughfares; the East-West Connector and Veterans Memorial Highway. It is bounded by a primary Mableton corridor, Floyd Road, and by a major connecting road to the Smyrna community, Concord Road. This space would serve as a park within walking distance to the surrounding residential community, and also be easily accessible to Austell and Smyrna residents.
The Silver Comet Trail, with a trail head at Floyd Road, is a quarter mile north. Also within the immediate vicinity are the Mable House Arts Center, Barnes Amphitheater, and numerous public and private schools. The property is relatively flat and has already been cleared of single-family homes, leaving old-growth trees, dogwoods, and azaleas intact, allowing for low-cost incorporation into park landscaping. This accessibility and amount of cleared space make it immediately usable as a passive park, with the possibility for future recreational enhancements such as; picnic tables, pavilions, trails, benches, playgrounds, dog parks, community gardens, etc.
This property is under imminent threat of becoming another medium-density residential development in an area of Cobb County already lacking green spaces. We the undersigned urge the committee to recommend the preservation of this ideal pocket park land before this opportunity is lost forever. Thank you for your consideration.
If you would like to get involved directly, have questions or feedback, or wish to receive print ready materials, please email: concord.floyd.hicks.park@gmail.com
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