County seeking parkland feedback

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 by Ashley Hungerford, MDJ staff writer

MARIETTA - Let the nominations begin.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners officially activated the citizens advisory committee and opened the nomination process for land to purchase under the new parks bond.

On Nov. 4, Cobb voters approved a second $40 million bond to purchase parkland. The first $40 million parks bond, approved in 2006, was used to purchase more than 300 acres of land.

Bob Ash, Cobb's public services director, said the county will accept nominations of potential parkland from willing sellers starting Nov. 17. The nomination deadline will be Jan. 31, 2009.

"We want the public's input and we want them to nominate properties," Cobb Chairman Sam Olens said.

Land nomination forms are available on the county's Web site, www.cobbcounty.org, or by calling the parks department at (770) 528-6800.

For each nominated property, county employees will talk with the owner to get a description of the property's natural features and why the property would make a good park for the county.

After Jan. 31, a 15-member citizens advisory committee will visit the nominated properties. In January, each commissioner will nominate three citizens to serve on the committee. As with the previous parks bond, the committee will recommend purchases to the Board of Commissioners.

"This committee assignment takes a lot of time," Olens said. "They did a great job the first time, and I'm looking forward to working with them on this parks bond."

Olens said the county has already received about a dozen suggestions of properties to purchase. Ash said county staffers will contact those owners so the properties can be formally nominated.

Properties that were recommended under the first parks bond but not purchased are still eligible, so long as the owners are still interested.