Land purchases top Cobb's agenda

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Tuesday, December 9, 2008 by Ashley Hungerford, MDJ staff writer

MARIETTA - The Board of Commissioners could extend the county's arsenal of parkland today as several new purchases are before the board for consideration.

The Commissioners meet today at 9 a.m. at 100 Cherokee St.

On the list are two parcels adjacent to 95-acre Hyde Farm in east Cobb.

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

The first property before the Commissioners is a 4.52-acre tract owned by the Walker family, and the second is 12.9 acres that includes a two-acre lake owned by the Dolvin family.

Using a portion of the remaining $3 million from the $40 million parks bond approved by voters in 2006, the county is looking to purchase the Walker property for $900,000, or about $199,115 an acre; and the Dolvin property for $1.35 million, or about $104,651 an acre.

Cobb Chairman Sam Olens said the county would like to use the property for parking and staff offices as to not disrupt the preserved Hyde Farm.

"We didn't want to put any parking associated with Hyde Farm on the property," Olens said.

County officials estimate putting about 50 parking spaces, including spaces for buses.

The Dolvin property includes a 16,000-square-foot house that Olens said they would serve as a welcome center with offices for county and park service staff. It would also be a place for the educational programs and restrooms for guests who visit the park.

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

The county has committed $5 million from the 2006 parks bond toward the purchase. Olens said a final agreement as to the division of the property is still being finalized by TPL.

"We're extremely close with negotiations as to the dividing of the property," Olens said. "We're anxious for a close to occur."

Earlier this year, Olens said the National Park Service would take the lead on the interpretive history of the land and the county will take the lead on the farm. Olens said he envisions having a working farm on the property where Marietta and Cobb school children can come and see how a real farm works.

Hyde Farm has remained steadfastly the same as it was when the Hyde Family first moved to the property in the late 1800s. The neatly plowed fields still produce corn, okra and sweet potatoes. The log cabin and nearby barns have weathered with age, but still show the skilled craftsmanship the Hyde's used to build them.

J.C. Hyde was the last Hyde to farm the property, working the fields with his mule, Nell, almost until his death in March 2004. Since his death, a farmer known only as Roho has maintained the crops.

In other action expected today, the Commissioners will consider authorizing a study on the feasibility of making the proposed Interstate 75/Third Army Road interchange a toll interchange. The proposed $30,000 contract would be with Florida-based PSB&J.

David Montanye, Cobb Department of Transportation Director, said the Georgia Department of Transportation is currently studying the possibility of building a new exit onto I-75 at Third Army Road in Bartow County near the county line. Studies already indicate that the new interchange could reduce the average travel times of motorist by 30 minutes.

Currently, there is about five miles between the Old Allatoona exit and the Glade Road exit.

"Cobb County has been in the leadership position to approve new interchange on I-75," he said. "A lot of Cobb County roads have a high volume of Paulding County traffic trying to get to I-75. This new interchange would give them more direct access to I-75 and relieve congestion on Cobb roadways."

Montanye said the cost estimate for the new interchange is $85 million - funding would be a major obstacle for the GDOT project, and tolls could help offset some of the costs.

The toll feasibility study would be to determine the likelihood that people would use the new interchange if it were a toll road, and how much people would be willing to pay, he said.

Montanye said no timeline exists for when the interchange would be built. GDOT has not approved the new interchange. If it gets GDOT approval, the proposal goes to the Federal Highway Administration.

He said today's action only concerns commissioning a study to look into one funding option for a major road project that could bring major relieve to Cobb's roads.