County preps for buy

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 by Ashley Hungerford, MDJ staff writer

MARIETTA - Cobb County is close to purchasing a major portion of land in downtown Kennesaw using remaining funds from the county's 2006 parks bond.

The Board of Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a letter of intent to purchase 7.57 acres of land off Watts Drive, owned by W.E. Hamby, using $834,000 from the $40 million parks bond.

Cobb Chairman Sam Olens said they're in final negotiations with Hamby, and are looking to purchase the property by the first of the year.

"This has been a good resolution," Olens said.

Bob Ash, public services agency director, said the county has negotiated an agreement with The Kennesaw Development Authority in which the authority will purchase 2.39 acres, and the county will purchase the remainder. The entire property is 9.96 acres, and the entire purchase price is $1.3 million.

"This is an example of working together with the leaders in Kennesaw," Commissioner Helen Goreham said. "We've found a balance between preservation of green space and allowing development to take place in the heart of downtown Kennesaw."

The county's portion, which will be maintained as a park, includes dense woods and a stream, and is located directly behind Kennesaw City Hall.

The city's portion of the property would be off Main Street. Mayor Mark Mathews said the city would use the land for future development.

"This is something that the county and city have been able to put together," he said. "It's a win-win situation for everyone."

Mathews said the City Council has a special called meeting today to discuss an intergovernmental agreement with the KDA, as the authority would be the one ultimately purchasing the city's portion of the property.

The Hamby property was one of the sites recommended by the 2006 Parks Advisory Committee. Advocates have called for the county to preserve the property because of its connection with Camp McDonald, a Civil War troop-training center.

The camp occupied much of the downtown area, and primarily was a tent encampment. No significant structures were ever built, and no major battles were fought in the area.

Olens said the county would place historic markers on the new parkland to discuss the significance of Camp McDonald.

"People hate to see some of the history removed, and now we've protected it," Olens said.

The county's letter of intent concerning the Hamby property includes several stipulations including granting the county the option to buy the Kennesaw portion of the property if the city does not purchase the property.

Buying new parkland was the theme of Tuesday's Commission meeting.

The Board unanimously approved the purchase of two tracts of land adjacent to Hyde Farm in east Cobb. Both purchases used funds from the 2006 parks bond.

The county, along with the National Park Service, are in a partnership to preserve the 95-acre working farm off of Lower Roswell Road near Johnson Ferry Road.

The first property is a 4.52-acre tract, owned by Sarah Fountain Walker, and was purchased for $900,000, or about $199,115 an acre.

The second is a 12.95-acre tract, owned by the Harper L. Dolvin family trust, and was purchased for $1.35 million, or about $104,651 an acre.

The Dolvin property also includes a two-acre lake and a 16,000-square-foot house that the county and National Park Service plan to use as a visitor center and public restrooms for Hyde Farm. The Dolvin's have agreed to make $100,000 of repairs to the dam on the lake, Ash said.

Olens said the county would put about 50 parking spaces, including spaces for buses, on about one acre of the new parkland. He said the National Park Service has asked that the parking be $3 as to be consistent with other nearby National Park Service parking lots. All the money would go directly into Hyde Farm.

The Trust for Public Land announced in June the purchase of the farm for $14.19 million. The property will be sold and divided between Cobb County and the National Park Service.

Olens said he hopes to have a final agreement on the division of the property by the end of the year.