Commission will reveal park plans

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 by Kelly Brooks, staff writer.

MARIETTA - Cobb Commissioners on Monday chose to keep a process initiated by the public open to the public.

Cobb residents on Friday can expect to see a list of final purchase recommendations from a citizen's advisory committee that has been evaluating land for the county to buy with a $40 million parks bond.

Cobb voters overwhelmingly passed the bond in November with more than 70 percent of voters approving.

On Friday, commissioners plan to make public a list of 18 properties the advisory committee nominated for purchase.

Commissioners on Monday heard a closed-door presentation of properties nominated by the 15-member committee, which has worked gratis since January to narrow a list of 94 nominated tracts through study, analysis and in about 37 cases, property visits.

"I think we were all pleased with the committee's recommendations and the open and enthusiastic reception (commissioners) gave them," said Joni House Cope, committee vice chairwoman. "The commissioners, by choosing to set up and listen to the advisory committee, created a real trailblazing process that we hope will be replicated for future green space initiatives in Cobb and elsewhere."

According to Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens, letters are being sent to property owners whose land the county is "not considering at this time but may consider in the future" and "to the properties we want to consider further."

"We do want to make the properties public," Olens said, noting the Friday delay provides a chance for owners of nominated land to know the results of the committee's work before they read about it in the newspaper.

Owners of the 18 recommended properties most likely will receive a phone call and a letter, and the California-based Trust for Public Land will be involved in some initial contacts with landowners.

"We're also giving them an opportunity to tell us if they're still interested in having their property considered knowing that it's not in the top tier," Cobb Director of Public Services Bob Ash said.

Ash said that the properties were spread over four tiers, with six in the first tier, six in the second tier, five in the third and one in the last tier.

"All areas of the county were represented," he said. "The largest tract was 140 acres and the smallest was probably 2.8 acres."

There were no commitments made on the part of commissioners, Ash added.

"They want to go out and visit some of the sites that were recommended," he said, noting that visits would take place in the near future.

At the next executive meeting following the visits, commissioners will discuss what steps Cobb will take next to buy land for future park use.

Ash said there are pros and cons to releasing the list to the public - while the release might increase some prices, on the flipside, property owners will be aware of potential competition.

"The main reason commissioners chose to release the list is public involvement, which was a main part of the bond to begin with," Ash said. "The more the public knows about what's going on, the more they'll be able to keep up with how the program is being managed."

Ms. Cope maintained her previous viewpoint regarding release of the list, but expressed support for commissioners.

"My own opinion - not necessarily that of the committee - is, that while it has risks in terms of its potential impact on pricing, the decision to release the list is another example of commissioners' commitment to transparency and openness in their stewardship of public funds," she said.

kbrooks@mdjonline.com