Parks efforts get a boost

From the Marietta Daily Journal, Tuesday, June 13, 2006 by staff writer Amanda Williams

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Group plans a telephone poll to weigh support

A grassroots effort to develop future parks got another boost this week after a civic organization announced its support for the Cobb Parks Coalition.

The coalition hopes to get a question on the November ballot to ask residents whether they'd support the county issuing $40 million in bonds to preserve land for parks in the county.

Laura Van Mever, president of Involved Mariettans Planning Actively for the City of Tomorrow, plans to endorse the Cobb Parks Coalition at the Cobb Commissioners meeting today. Commissioners meet at 9 a.m. at the Cobb County government building, 100 Cherokee St.

IMPACT is a nonprofit citizen's advocacy group that aims to represent Marietta neighborhoods and residents in order to maintain and enhance the city's quality of life. The group formed in April 2000.

"(Green space) is just absolutely something that IMPACT as a civic organization promotes," Ms. Van Mever said. "I really think it's a win-win for the cities. Even if it's not developed for 25 years, that's land that won't be developed. "

John Cissell, a retired superintendent of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park who is involved with the effort, said he is happy with IMPACT's support.

"It's a great thing because with them being in the city of Marietta I think it speaks even more volumes for our group in that these are going to be county parks," Cissell said. "I think everybody recognizes that Cobb is growing so quickly that if something is not done now to secure this land we're never going to get it. "

The Cobb Parks Coalition already has drawn support from the Trust for Public Land, a California-based land conservation organization that works to preserve land for public use.

David Carter, a finance director who works for the trust in Raleigh, N.C., said last week that he and his staff were writing poll questions and plan to hire an Atlanta-based firm to poll 400 Cobb residents about what is important to them and how they view their community. Pollsters are expected to begin calling residents as early as this week.

Cissell said he encourages residents to participate in the survey if called. Information gathered from the phone poll will help the group write a ballot question if commissioners agree to put it on the November ballot.

"That poll will have a huge impact on what that language actually is, what people will red on the ballot," Cissell said. The results of the phone poll also could help Cobb County with other future decisions, Cissell said.