Op ed: Cobb voters chose right on parks bond

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Tuesday, December 12, 2006, by Marietta High School graduate Natalie Webb, a public relations major at the University of Georgia.

Two short decades ago the toddler-version of myself squealed with delight as I chased baby ducks out of Laurel Park's pond and swung blissfully on the swings of the playground. From end-of-the-year school parties to the fun-filled summer day camps of Laurel Leprechauns, I grew up spending every ounce of my playtime in the parks of my beloved Marietta community.

This childhood of mine revolved around nature's handiwork that has been consumed by development over the years. Now, as the glimpses of green space continually dwindle in the Cobb area, residents realize the increasing necessity of acquiring more parkland.

The University of Georgia's Department of Ecology's Natural Resources Spatial Analysis Laboratory reports that 7 acres of untouched landscape fall to the bulldozer's blade every day. That is an annual depletion of 2,400 acres of Cobb land. Paul Paulson, the head of Cobb Parks Coalition, says, "As the available land gets scarcer, the prices get scarier."

Fortunately our community voted to preserve the green that has not been yet conquered in the name of growth and passed the $40 million referendum on Nov. 7. Not only will the dog-walkers and Frisbee-players of our community benefit from the recent land acquisition, but homeowners will gain higher property values as well.

According to the Economics Resource Associates, neighborhood parks can appreciate housing values for those homes facing the park by 20 percent. Community parks would augment residential real estate value by 33 percent. Just look at the cost of lots in Anderson Farm and Parkside at Old Mountain adjacent to Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Park. This property value increase, combined with the fact that no excess taxes are paid by Cobb citizens, clearly reveals the economic benefits of our voters' decision.

Now the question is where the new parks will be established. The recently appointed panel is working to choose the most advantageous locations. In order to show the public quick results from the referendum, this 15-person group may try to get the ball rolling with a smaller parcel of Civil War-related land in south Cobb. They also hope to create "pocket parks" in largely developed areas such Vinings.

No matter where the parks surface, I am elated to know that Cobb County voters made the right decision by preserving the remaining greenery and allowing our children to have a place to go fly a kite and chase the ducks.