Cobb Parks Coalition

Editorial: Park Plans

2009-07-27T11:14:00.000-04:00

An editorial from the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday, July 26, 2009

Cobb voters had their priorities right in 2006 and 2008 when they approved a pair of parks bond referendums. And those designing one of the biggest park tracts bought with proceeds from the first of those referendums are getting their priorities in order as well.

The revised master plan for the sprawling Bullard-Stockton property at the intersection of Dallas Highway and Old Hamilton Road was unveiled at a public hearing Thursday night and was greeted with positive reviews all around. The initial plan by Lawrenceville-based Lose and Associates had a gazebo, bandstand and more than 600 parking spaces intended in large part as overflow parking for nearby Oregon Park. That led to creation of a 15-person committee of interested stakeholders to provide input into the final plan.

Bullard-Stockton was intended as a passive park, as opposed to a recreational, ball-field-dominated park like Oregon. So the revised plan takes that more into account.

One very significant change was the June decision by the county to acquire the 13.75-acre Swing Time driving range on Old Hamilton for $1.3 million. That property will act as a land bridge between the 112-acre Bullard and 44-acre Oregon parks, and will allow room for a parking lot for the adjacent parks.

"This plan is a thousand times better than the first plan," said west Cobb resident Sue Lake at the hearing. "This first plan had over 600 spaces. This one has only about 300 spaces. The previous plan had 12 to 14 different structures. This plan has far less structures and less disturbing of the natural features. I'm delighted that they're preserving this land, and that they're also preserving the house and barn."

The new plan brings Bullard's focus back to passive recreational use. Planned are almost seven miles of trails, including a 10-foot-wide pervious asphalt trail, and 8-foot crushed gravel trail and a 6-foot-wide nature trail.

"As the trail network gets in the more environmentally sensitive area it will change to compacted gravel trails and the mulch/dirt paths will be into some of the deeper parts of the property," explained Whit Alexander of Lose.

And it will be primarily a dawn-till-dusk park, meaning there will be little need to install lighting.

"The end result was what we all started out to do with the parks bond - preservation," said Parks Coalition and stakeholder committee member Jim Dugan. Added Paul Paulson, another stakeholder, "The first plan tried to make something of the property. This plan accentuates what's already there while preserving the essence of what Bullard means to the community."

Cost of the changes is estimated at around $3.5 million to $4 million, although those funds have yet to be identified in the budget due to the economy.

The plan appears to be a good one. The county deserves credit for listening to the public, and the stakeholders and others who have provided their input deserve the public's thanks.

Preservation top priority in revised Bullard land plan

2009-07-27T11:11:00.001-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Friday, July 24, 2009, by Ashley Hungerford, MDJ staff writer

WEST COBB - The revised master plan for the Bullard-Stockton property includes nature trails, open fields and as little paved surface as possible.

"The first plan tried to make something of the property. This plan accentuates what's already there while preserving the essence of what Bullard means to the community," said Paul Paulson, a west Cobb resident and member of the stakeholder group that helped create the revised plan.

More than 120 people gathered at the West Cobb Senior Center off Dallas Highway on Thursday evening to review and comment on the revised plan for the Bullard-Stockton Property at the corner of Dallas Highway and Old Hamilton Road.

Bob Ash, Cobb public services director, said the plan will likely go before the county's recreation board in August for approval, and the Board of Commissioners will vote on a final plan around September.

The public can submit comments on the plan to the county at prca.cobbcountyga.gov.

Cobb County purchased the 112-acre tract at the corner of Dallas Highway and Old Hamilton Road using $18.6 million of the $40 million parks bond approved by voters in 2006. This property is the first land purchased with the parks bond to undergo the master planning process.

In June, the county added to the parkland by purchasing the 13.75-acre Swing Time driving range on Old Hamilton Road for $1.3 million. The property ties the Bullard-Stockton tract to the neighboring 44-acre Oregon Park, which caters to more than 100 baseball teams and 1,200 players ages 5 to 12. County leaders plan to use this property to provide parking for the Bullard-Stockton tract, while alleviating an already overcrowded parking lot at Oregon Park.

"This plan is a thousand times better than the first plan," west Cobb resident Sue Lake said. "This first plan had over 600 spaces. This one has only about 300 spaces. The previous plan had 12 to 14 different structures. This plan has far less structures and less disturbing of the natural features ... I'm delighted that they're preserving this land, and that they're also preserving the house and barn."

The county conducted a public meeting in March to present the initial master plan developed by Lawrenceville-based Lose and Associates. The group has a $45,000 contract to create a master plan for the property.

That plan included a trail network, several learning areas, educational hands-on play area, a gazebo, bandstand and 600 parking spaces, including a 225-space overflow lot for Oregon Park.

After the March meeting, the county formed a stakeholder group with about 15 interested citizens who were charged with sifting through all the comments gathered by the county on the initial plan and work with Lose and Associates to create something that will work on the land and be beneficial to the community.

Northwest Commissioner Helen Goreham said the goal of the first plan was to elicit public response to hone in on what people wanted in the park.

"It was designed to encourage input from the community," Goreham said. "Tonight, we can see the results for all the citizen input."

The revised plan is primarily passive, with most of the existing natural landscape preserved.

"The end result was what we all started out to do with the parks bond - preservation," said Jim Dugan, a member of the Cobb Parks Coalition and member of the stakeholder committee.

It will likely be a dawn until dusk park so that the addition of lighting would be limited, Ash said.

Almost seven miles of trails are planned for the property including a 10-foot-wide pervious asphalt trail, an 8-foot crushed gravel trail and a 6-foot-wide nature trail.

"As the trail network gets in the more environmentally preserved area it will change to compacted gravel trails and the mulch/dirt paths will be into some of the deeper parts of the property," said Whit Alexander, vice president of Lose and Associates.

The main entrance will be on Old Hamilton Road near Swing Time. Ash said they'd work with county transportation officials to determine the safest place for the entrance as some neighbors have expressed concerns about already existing dangers on Old Hamilton Road such as speeders and limited sight distance.

The main lot will have parking for about 200 cars. There will also be restrooms, a community garden, playgrounds and small picnic area there. A small parking lot will be available off Bob Fleming Road.

The old farmhouse on the property will be restored, and county leaders plan to eventually open it to the public.

As for the timeline of the project, that is extremely dependent on funding. Ash estimates the project is $3.5 million to $4 million.

"It's a hefty sum," Goreham said. "In today's economy, we're looking for every dollar to maintain our existing services."

There is not funding in place to develop the park, although several county leaders have suggested another Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax program that would fund the development of some of the parks purchased using the parks bond. Goreham said the county is also in discussions with forming a "Friends of the Park" group that could assist with fundraising and development of the park.

Laura Armstrong: Cobb County making columnist, Thomas Jefferson very proud

2009-07-27T11:06:00.001-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday, July 19, 2009, by Laura Armstrong, MDJ columnist

Two hundred and four years ago, Thomas Jefferson said at his second inaugural address, "Our wish is, that the public efforts may be directed honestly to the public good ..."

He also encouraged, "Come forward, then, and give us the aid of your talents and the weight of your character towards the new establishment of (democracy)."

These days, it's difficult to pinpoint a worthy model for such high ideals in government, with honesty, civility and the "care of human life and happiness" (which Jefferson said is the "first and only legitimate object of good government") taking a backseat to power grabs and crisis-induced redistribution, i.e. change.

In many places, good people have turned away from involvement in their governments, feeling they can't make a difference.

Fortunately, Cobb citizens aren't that easily discouraged.

Consider the 2006 Land for Parks Bond Referendum, approved by 72 percent of voters and now well on its way to success in our community.

Conceived, prodded, pushed and nurtured by We the People along with Commission Chairman Sam Olens, other commissioners and county staff, this visionary move to secure more parkland should be and is in fact (I'm told) a model for others to follow. But as the City of Marietta is finding with its current initiative, making parkland happen isn't as easy as Olens et al have made it appear.

In reality, the county campaign and vote was only a miniscule part of the whole process. The untold and still unfolding story on the county level involves a whole cast of characters, from landowners to national preservation groups to dastardly developers to a coalition of dedicated volunteers. One tireless force behind the volunteer effort, aka the Cobb Parks Coalition, is Paul Paulson, a small businessman. He and other stakeholders (Paulson calls them "regular people working to save what they love") have a special interest in more than 100 pristine acres known as the Bullard Farm property, adjacent to Dallas Highway near the Avenues at West Cobb. Not the typical Cobb mover-shakers, they've come together in earnest with their representatives and already accomplished a great deal.

Refreshingly, they've not sought the spotlight, but instead have shined it on the projects themselves, putting in hours upon hours of effort to enrich our lives and those of future generations.

I tagged along last April with the group as they walked Bullard Farm with Bob Ash, head of community development, and Bob Hovey, west Cobb's planning commissioner. A conceptual plan had been drawn up and presented to the public in March by a Gwinnett-based company, but with about 250 citizens attending, staff received over 150 comments, largely critical of proposals such as an amphitheater and massive paved parking. The result was a decision to involve We The People even more, another refreshing twist, and the exhilarating walk we later enjoyed was an effort to brainstorm more suitable ideas for the land. As Paulson asked, "How do we accommodate...without compromising the beauty of the natural landscape we're now stewards of?"

And now the plan is amended with input by people such as Dan Brown, superintendent of the Chattahoochee National Park, John Pape, chairman of the citizen group charged with spending our bond funds and Kelly Gambrill, president of PLAN (People Looking After Neighborhoods). There was even a small suggestion by yours truly, the humble playground expert, which I'm told has been incorporated.

The new ideas will be revealed this Thursday evening, 7 p.m., at the West Cobb Senior Center at Lost Mountain Park. Public comments and questions are welcomed.

As the stakeholders so aptly stated, "We hope people from throughout the county will attend, not only to view the results of the public input, but to learn more about the process used by our group."

My guess is Thomas Jefferson would be proud of Cobb County, where public efforts are directed to the public good. I'm proud to be a citizen here. See you at the park.

Lbarmstrong3378@comcast.net

Cobb to narrow possible park purchases

2009-07-16T15:52:00.002-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Tuesday, June 16, 2009, by Ashley Hungerford, MDJ staff writer.

MARIETTA - The 2008 Parks Bond Citizen Committee is still deciding how to narrow down a field of more than 200 nominated park properties to a manageable number for the committee to visit.

"We need to decide how we're going to eliminated properties," Committee Chairman John Pape said. "We can't possibly look at and visit 240 properties."

The citizens committee is reviewing about 240 nominated parcels that have willing sellers and will make a recommendation to the Board of Commissioners on which properties should be purchased using the $40 million in bond money. Voters approved the bond on Nov. 4.

The Board of Commissioners appointed the 15-member citizen committee. Chairman Sam Olens nominated Pape.

After hearing from seven citizens lobbying for various nominated park properties on Monday, the committee went into executive session to review the committee's rankings of all the properties.

Each of the committee members ranked the nominated parcels based on criteria agreed upon in April. The criteria includes property in underserved areas and passive uses.

Committee member Larry Ceminsky, also appointed by Olens, suggested narrowing the field down to about 50 or 60 properties to visit.

"The prices have dropped, and there are not as many large, expensive parcels like last time," he said.

Large parcels were weighted heavily with the 2006 parks bond. Then, the committee only had to consider 94 properties.

The complete list of nominated properties has remained under wraps because the parcels are potential real estate purchases, which are exempt under Open Records laws. Any discussion on specific properties by the committee is done in executive session.

Any information about the properties is gleaned from the two public hearings the committee conducted earlier this year, and the public comment portion of each committee meeting.

Jared Conroy, along with a dozen of his neighbors from the Rose Arbor development off Mars Hill Church Road in Acworth, attended Monday's meeting to lobby for a 7.6-acre tract of land on Mars Hill Road.

"We would very much appreciate a nice park to take it easy in," he said.

Cindy Brake presented a slide show of the Jake Canup property at 1205 Villa Rica Road. The 26-acre property has a lake and creek, and it's directly across the street from Mud Creek Ranch. Brake said the property would be a perfect location for area schools to come see nature.

"It would be a very big help to have a passive park here for our community and the local schools," she said. "Think about how we can take this easy property and enrich both adult and children's lives."

The question was raised as to when the list would be made public.

"That's not my call," Pape said.

Jimmy Durham, who was appointed by Northwest Commissioner Helen Goreham, said that's a decision left up to the Board of Commissioners.

"The direction we have (from the commissioners) is that once we make a cut, we will notify the landowners of the properties that are cut," said Bob Ash, Cobb's public service agency director.

The others will be kept secret until a recommendation of properties is made to the commissioners, he said.

Eddie Cannon, Cobb parks and recreation director, said the committee would likely present a recommendation to the Board of Commissioners in September. The committee is expected to nominate about 20 properties for the board to consider purchasing.

That could be pushed even later as it appears the committee won't begin making site visits to the parcels until August. Nine of the committee members have travel plans in July.

The committee's next meeting is July 6 at 6 p.m. at 100 Cherokee St. Public comment is open the first 15 minutes of the meeting.

Secrecy shrouds Cobb’s parkland plan

2009-07-16T15:48:00.001-04:00

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday, May 3, 2009, by Jeremy Redmon and Mary Lou Pickel, AJC staff writers.

Cobb County officials won’t disclose the locations of 277 properties they are eyeing for parkland, and a county committee says it will meet behind closed doors to decide which ones should be purchased with taxpayer money.

The secrecy is necessary, say county officials, to prevent land speculators from driving up prices as they prepare to spend $40 million in proceeds from a bond issue voters approved last year. Many other local governments in Georgia and other states operate similarly, citing the same concern.

Critics, however, don’t buy the county’s argument now, particularly amid a recession that is socking property values. They say publicizing the locations of the properties could encourage owners to make their prices more competitive.

“I’m not sure if I really understand all of the secrecy around this,” said Jeff Wood, who serves on the 15-member committee county commissioners appointed to evaluate the properties. “I just happen to think that it is may be a little bit shortsighted because there is so much competition for the $40 million.”

The county rejected an April 22 request from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for the list of 347 properties the public nominated for purchase. In doing so, it cited an exemption in Georgia’s Open Records Act that allows governments to withhold records related to real estate transactions “until such time as the property has been acquired” or the transaction has been abandoned.

The county’s secrecy is not new. Cobb also kept things under wraps while buying parkland with proceeds from a bond issue voters approved in 2006.

Asked about the secrecy, Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens said he is deferring to the county attorney’s office, which has recommended against releasing the information. Olens said he also doesn’t want to interfere with the work of Wood’s committee.

Olens, however, said he would direct the county to disclose the locations of the properties the committee ultimately recommends, as he did after the 2006 parks bond issue. County commissioners, Olens added, will vote on purchasing the parkland in public after giving residents an opportunity to comment.

“I can clearly see both sides of the argument,” Olens said about disclosing the locations of the properties.

Cobb isn’t keeping everything secret. Bob Ash, the county’s public services director, said the properties are from all over the county, though most are in western Cobb. They range in size from a fraction of an acre to 150 acres, Ash said.

The county solicited nominations through the news media, county water bills and newsletters. Anybody was allowed to nominate a property, even if they did not own it. Cobb officials have said they would seek to buy land only from willing sellers, so they reached out to the owners of the nominated properties. For 70 properties, the county either got no response or the owners said they were not interested in selling. So those properties were taken off the list.

Some of the property owners described their land during a public hearing April 21. Barry Allen, for example, promoted the 4.5 acres he said he owns at 5570 Old Stilesboro Road in Acworth. He said it is relatively isolated, includes a pond and is adjacent to the entrance of an existing park.

“My property is pastoral,” he told the committee. “It has some trees, a house, an outbuilding, a barn and a pool.”

Committee members, meanwhile, say they will consider 10 factors in recommending which properties the county should purchase. Price is not on the list. At the top of the list, however, is whether a given property is in an “underserved area.” That factor will weigh the most — 14.87 percent on a 100 percent scale. The county defines it simply as property “located in an area in need of additional public parks.” Cobb officials say they have not devised a quantifiable way to measure that criterion, but officials say they could look at population statistics and distances to existing parks.

The committee ranked the rest of the criteria in this order: parcel sizes, potential for long-term public use, environment, accessibility, linkages to other parks and trails, topography, hydrology, history and whether the property is in danger of imminent development.

Paul Paulson, chairman of Cobb Parks Coalition, said the last two criteria should be given more weight. And like Jeff Wood, Paulson says the locations of the properties under consideration should be publicized.

“There is absolutely no reason to cut us out, because we should know what is going on,” said Paulson, whose grass-roots coalition promoted the parks bond issues in 2006 and 2008. “We want to be part of the process just like we have from the beginning. We voted for this.”

But John Pape, the committee’s chairman, said his panel doesn’t want to irritate property owners.

“Last time around in 2006 or 2007 there were people — whose properties were publicized — who were not happy about it,” Pape said of the county’s efforts to buy parkland after the 2006 bond issue. “And that did impact negotiations.”

Land owners eager to sell park land to Cobb

2009-07-16T15:44:00.002-04:00

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday, May 24, by AJC staff writer Mary Lou Pickel.

The possibilities seem endless.

For sale:

• A lake and 19 acres in West Cobb.
• A 122-acre tract near the Douglas county line, complete with a creek, two ponds and numerous springs.
• A house and carriage house at the site of an old whiskey distillery on 2.7 acres in Vinings.

Cobb County wants to buy park land, and residents and developers are more than ready to sell.

Harsh economics times have turned a buyers’ market into a virtual going-out-of-business sale.

Industrial sites, private homes, even a strip of land with a Civil War earthwork is for sale.

Cobb County voters approved a $40 million bond program last fall to buy more greenspace.

A 15-member citizens advisory committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. June 1 in a side room near the Cobb County commission chambers in Marietta to debate a list of 277 properties nominated for purchase. There will be a brief public comment period.

The committee will winnow the list down to between 20 and 50 properties by the third Monday in June, according to Bob Ash, Cobb County’s director of public services. At the top of the county’s criteria is the mandate to buy land in areas underserved by parks.

Cobb County won’t release the list of the nominated parcels, citing public records laws that it says allow the county not to divulge information about real estate transactions. Nevertheless, the county has held two public hearings where property owners have hawked their land, giving PowerPoint presentations about why the county should buy it.

Ash said the citizens advisory committee should pick the best park land, regardless of where it’s located in the county.

“We don’t want to make it a public contest to see how many people can call in and vote a particular property,” Ash said.

Many who want to sell their land say the market is tough.

“That’s why everybody’s here. They can’t develop their properties right now,” said Steve Tingas, co-owner of 19 acres at the corner of Mars Hill Road and Fords Road in West Cobb. He has owned the land for two years.

Tingas says the land is attractive because it has a lake and could serve as a neighborhood pocket park.

“If it’s not a park, then it will be developed in the next couple of years,” he said.

About two dozen properties are parcels where owners have continually tried to change the zoning, but the County Commission has turned them down, said Cobb County Commission Chairman Sam Olens.

Also available are large tracts for sale, which is “rare,” said Ash.

One of those tracts belongs to Carmine Wright, 66, of west Cobb, who spoke briefly before the citizens advisory committee earlier this month to urge the county to buy his 122 acres at the corner of Brownsville-Lithia Springs Road and Brown Road, near the Douglas County line. The property has close to a mile of creek-front as well as two ponds, numerous springs and grazing cattle, Wright said.

Northwest Cobb resident Tom Downs also told the committee about his 18-acre tract, which used to be a dairy farm and has tall white oak trees.

John Pape, head of the citizens advisory committee, said the committee won’t recommend a property “unless we walk it.”

Linda Dodd Lay, the daughter of former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Dodd, told the advisory committee that her land near downtown Vinings has a home, a carriage house, a creek and a waterfall. It was the site of the old Four Roses whiskey distillery founded in the late 1880s, she said. Lay was quick to point out the distillery was a legal one. Lay is the ex-wife of former County Commissioner Joe Lee Thompson.

Neda Gayle, who lives in south Cobb, spoke in favor of acquiring land next to I-285, near Oakdale Road.

Some of the land is zoned for townhomes. The area has more than 2,000 units and is in need of green space, she said. The county could expand Shoupade Park, which contains Civil War forts built in 1864 by slaves under the direction of Brig. Gen. Francis Shoup, she said.

One 3.5 acre parcel with a Civil War shoupade is owned by speculators who don’t want to build townhomes in this market, said real estate agent Nick O’Connor, who represents the owners. “They are willing to sell at a discount price,” he said, “it’s a deal.”

Landowners flood parks bond hearing

2009-07-16T15:28:00.002-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Wednesday, April 23, 2009 by Ashley Hungerford, MDJ staff writer.

MARIETTA - Tuesday's parks bond hearing felt more like a real-estate forum, with more than 80 landowners lining up to speak on why the committee should recommend purchase of their property.

"Given its natural beauty, size and border with Lost Mountain park, this would be an asset for Cobb County," Catherine Bella said of her family's 141-acre Kyle Farm.

Catherine Hudson's property, on Turner Lake Road in north Cobb, includes a large lake.

"Everyone who fished it has said it's some of the best fishing in the county," she vowed. "We've enjoyed it for 40 years, and we'd like the citizens of Cobb to enjoy it for years to come."

Speakers had PowerPoint presentations, petitions and handouts ready to aid their sales pitches. So many people turned out, in fact, that citizens committee chairman John Pape limited the number of speakers to 50. Each speaker had three minutes to make his or her case.

Another hearing is set for 6:30 p.m. on May 4, for those who didn't get a chance to speak Tuesday. The meeting will again be conducted in the Board of Commissioners meeting room.

Wylene Tritt, who owns 54 acres on Roswell Road next to East Cobb Park, also spoke Tuesday night. Hers was the only top-tier property recommended by the first citizens committee that was not purchased.

"I would like the county to have my property so the park would be big enough for all the residents in the area to enjoy," she said.

The citizens committee is reviewing the 272 nominated parcels that have willing sellers, and will make a recommendation to the Board of Commissioners later this year on which should be purchased using the $40 million in bond money. Voters approved the bond on Nov. 4.

Many of the speakers Tuesday said public purchase of their land would keep developers at bay.

"My plan is to develop it with residential homes if it's not turned into a park," Ron Mann said of his nominated property at 1910 Milford Church Road in Marietta.

Others professed their area was in need of a park.

"This land is ... green and beautiful with Sewell Mill Creek running right through it, and there is a great need in east Cobb for small parks like this," said Ann Russ, regarding land on Sewell Mill Road.

Committee Vice Chairwoman Joni House said the public hearing further emphasizes citizen involvement in choosing new parks.

"People are leaving a green space legacy," she said.

Public can give input on park purchases

2009-04-02T18:08:00.003-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Thursday, April 2, 2009 by Ashley Hungerford, MDJ staff writer

MARIETTA - Cobb residents will soon have a chance to lobby for potential park purchases.

The citizens advisory committee has set April 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the Board of Commissioners' meeting room, 100 Cherokee Street, as a public hearing for citizens to express their opinions on potential purchases.

The committee is sifting through more than 300 parkland nominations and will recommend about 20 parcels to the Board of Commissioners for possible purchase, using money from the $40 million parks bond voters approved on Nov. 4.

Committee members have set some ground rules for the public hearing. Speakers will need to sign up ahead of time. The sign-in sheet will open at 6 p.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.

Speakers will be limited to three minutes each, and the chairman of the committee, John Pape, may limit repetitive comments.

The hearing will last a maximum of three hours. If there are still people waiting to speak, the committee may schedule a second hearing.

The county is trying to create an online comment section on the parks and recreation department's Web site, www.prca.cobbcountyga.gov. Only members of the committee would be able to view the comments.

And community members are invited to attend meetings of the advisory committee. The committee usually meets the first and third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the training room at the county administration building, 100 Cherokee Street in Marietta. The first 15 minutes of each meeting are open to public comment.

The parks bond committee's next meeting is April 13.

The committee has set its own criteria for possible purchases.

"The first thing we're looking at is areas that are underserved," said committee member Gary Wolovick. The committee defines an underserved area as "areas in need of additional public parks."

Most of the 15 committee members agree that when they're considering property, they should be envisioning passive parkland, not more ballfields.

"This money is not like the stimulus money that has been handed to the commissioners. This money has been voted on by the public," committee member Debbie D'Aurelio said. "We need to think what the citizens want first. And the citizens of the county want passive use."

Citizens prep for parks project

2009-02-25T11:37:00.003-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 by Ashley Hungerford, MDJ staff writer

MARIETTA - The nominations have tripled, the public interest has intensified, and now is the best time to make a lasting impact of future generations to come.

This was the scenario laid out before the 15-member 2008 Parks Bond Citizen Advisory Committee during the group's first meeting Monday night.

The committee has been tasked with sifting through 310 nominations of parkland, narrowing it down to about 20 recommended pieces for the Board of Commissioners to consider purchasing with the $40 million parks bond approved by voters in November.

"We've got a lot of work ahead of us," said Bob Ash, public services director.

With the 2006 parks bond, the Board of Commissioners decided to appoint a citizens advisory committee.

Because the parks bond has been citizen-led and driven, Cobb Chairman Sam Olens said it was important to maintain citizen involvement when it came time to choose which properties to purchase.

"You are the interface with the community," Olens said. "The last committee did a fantastic job and we listened to them ... I don't think there is anything the county has done with as much public interface that has been as successful. You're providing joy to future generations."

With the first $40 million parks bond, which was approved by more than 70 percent of voters, the county was able to secure 10 properties, totaling more than 375 acres of green space.

"This is a unique opportunity for you," Ash said to the committee."Most governments don't do it like we do in Cobb. Most do it in-house. You have an opportunity to contribute to the legacy of the park system here in Cobb."

Joni House, a returning member of the committee and District 2 appointee, agrees with Ash.

"This is probably the last generation that can help contribute to conserving green space for parks," she said.

But the amount of work before the committee now has intensified. The first committee only had to consider 94 properties.

"Some of the your first discussions should be how to deal with the large amount of properties," Olens said. "This is not a three-year project."

The goal is to make its 20 recommendations to the board by August, Ash said.

"As bad as the economy is, the benefit to the taxpayer is getting these properties at the best price," Olens said.

With that said, Olens said some properties should be automatically thrown out because the property owner is looking to the county to be a substitute for developers.

"We're there to make the best decisions for the county and the residents," he said. "We're not there to buy property simply because developers are broke. We are there to be good stewards of the residents' tax dollars."

Ash said the county employees are compiling information on each nominated property. The only culling by county staff is finding out if the nominations have willing sellers. The county will only consider property with willing sellers.

The committee members will soon receive on CD data on all the properties including tax assessments, interesting features on the land, typographic and wetlands maps, parcel boundaries, and proximity to other parks.

The information will be kept confidential, Ash said, and any discussions regarding specific property will be done in executive session.

Because there is so much public interest in this process, Ash suggested that the committee consider conducting several meetings specifically for public comment.

"It can be a reasonably lengthy process at times," Ash said. "This way keeps the public involved."

The returning members, like District 3 appointee Debbie D'Aurelio, said they were glad the county decided to once again launch an effort to buy parkland.

"We looked at that last $40 million and thought it would be the last money we had to spend," she said. "I'm thrilled that we get to do this again."

Knowing the task at hand, several returning members offered words of encouragement to new members by discussing the reward at the end of the day - more parks for the county.

"With the first parks bond, it was a lot of work, but extremely satisfying," said John Pape, who is appointed by Olens. "What is also satisfying is that the board actually took and listened to our recommendations."

During Monday's meeting, the commissioners offered encouragement and some advice for criteria when considering parkland.

"The results last time around were wonderful, and I would expect the same results this time around," District 1 Commissioner Helen Goreham said. "I wish you good luck; you have an awful lot of work ahead of you. Wear bug spray."

Both District 2 Commissioner Bob Ott and District 3 Commissioner Tim Lee, who represent the eastern half of the county, appealed for more consideration this time around for smaller, pocket parks.

"Small pocket parks are very much appreciated," Lee said. "The park on Scufflegrit is covered up by people who walk there."

Undeveloped land in east Cobb is not as plentiful as west Cobb, but the residents in east Cobb are just as eager to see new parks in their area, they said.

"An eight- or 10-acre piece of property in east Cobb is just as valuable as a 50 acre piece in west Cobb," Ott said. "And it will mean just as much to the residents."

Goreham also said the committee should look at the potential future uses of the park land, saying some may be considered for active parks in the future.

District 4 Commissioner Woody Thompson echoed Goreham.

"Some day there might be facilities on these parks," he said.
"Facilities that will get kids out of the parking lots and into structured environments."

Olens also told the committee to think countywide when considering parkland.

"There are areas of the county that don't have parkland," he said. "Consider the underserved areas ... this is a county initiative, and we need that broad look."

The returning members of the board are: Durham; House; D'Aurelio; Doug Reed, representing district 3; and Connie Taylor, representing district 4. All three of Olens' appointees - Pape, Larry Ceminsky and Gary Wolovick - are returning members.

New to the committee are: Barbara Savage and Jeff Wood, of district 1; Bruce Hollmuller and Veronica Jones, of district 2; Matthew Phillips, district 3; and Chandon Adams and Barry Yeager, of district 4.

The committee will meet on March 5, March 16 and March 30, followed by the first and third Mondays of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the county training room, 100 Cherokee St. in Marietta.

County sees huge influx of parks bond applicants

2009-02-25T11:33:00.003-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Thursday, February 19, 2009 by Ashley Hungerford, MDJ staff writer

LAKE LANIER - The 2008 Parks Bond Citizens Advisory Committee has a daunting task before them.

Bob Ash, Cobb's public services director, revealed at the county manager's retreat at Lake Lanier on Wednesday that the county has received more than 310 parkland nominations for the $40 million parks bond.

Cobb voters approved the second $40 million parks bond in November. The first $40 million parks bond, approved in 2006, secured more than 300 acres of green space.

For the 2006 bond, Ash said the county had 94 total nominations.

The 15-member committee, whose members are appointed by the Board of Commissioners, has its first meeting Monday at 7 p.m. at 100 Cherokee Street.

"The parks bond program is very much centered around citizens involvement," Ash said. "We're following the same model as we did in 2006. Our mission is to find the best parkland. It's not a political process."

District 1 Commissioner Helen Goreham said it's vital to have the citizens involved in choosing the parks because it's the citizens who supported, promoted and voted for the parks bond.

Monday's meeting is more an informational meeting to discuss the process for recommending purchases to the board of commissioners.

Eight members of the committee served the first round, while seven are new to the process, Ash said.

There will be a time for comments from the commissioners. Several commissioners indicated at the retreat they have ideas for criteria they would like the committee to consider when dwindling down the nominations.

"I would like to see what the community feels is important to the rest of Cobb County," Goreham said. "Hopefully we can get a broad view of the county to get the best overall value."

With the 2006 parks bond, large parcels were weighted more during the assessment.

This time around, District 3 Commissioner Tim Lee, who has been a big proponent of pocket parks, said he would like the committee to take a closer look at small parcels.

He said in his district, there aren't large tracts of land available. But his residents could benefit from smaller pocket parks that they could walk to.

Lee said he was pleased there were more nominations in his district this time around.

"The community woke up and saw that the property wasn't in their district," he said. "Now, they're saying, 'if I'm going to support it, I want to see the benefits.' They were more active in the nominations this time."

Eddie Cannon, Cobb parks director, said they are currently going through the nominations to verify there are willing sellers. So far, he said he has 280.

Cannon said they will create packages for the committee that include a wealth of information about each nomination, including significant or historical features of the property, information from the tax assessor, maps that show the property's location and proximity to other county parks.

The packages will be on disk this year because of their expected size, Cannon said.

Chairman Sam Olens expressed worry about how the committee was going to go through all the nominations.

"The first committee busted their tail; there's no way this committee is going to be able to look at 280 properties," he said.

Olens suggested doing a first culling by district, and allow the district representatives on the committee to look and see which land would actually fit into the needs of the district.

"It's a major undertaking, no question," Ash said.

Time isn't an issue, but Olens said he'd like to try to take advantage of the current economy.

"I'd like to buy some of these properties when we could get them cheaper," Olens said.

The county cannot purchase the properties for higher than the appraised value.

Olens said part of the increase in nominations could be likely due to property owners looking for a quick way to sell their property in the current economic climate.

"This is not the opportunity to sell your property, because developers are not knocking on your door anymore," he said. "We have to make the best decision for the residents, not the seller. We got to pick the properties where we'll get the most bang for the buck."

The property size of the nominations range from 150 acres to 0.2 acres, Cannon said. They've had more involvement from real estate agents and homeowners, and assemblages of properties this year. Cannon said they've even had people nominate homes within a subdivision for consideration.

The county also had nominations in four of the county's cities: Acworth, Kennesaw, Marietta and Smyrna.

Ash said all discussions of purchasing specific properties would be taken in executive session.

The committee will likely compile a four-tier list of about 20 properties and make their recommendation to the board in August, Ash said.

He did say they have contacted property owners from last year's recommended purchases that weren't bought to see if they're still interested.

Olen's appointees are Larry Ceminsky, John Pape and Gary Wolovick. Goreham's appointees are Jimmy Durham, Barbara Savage and Jeff Wood. Lee's appointees are Debbie D'Aurelio, Matthew Phillips and Doug Reed. District 2 Commissioner Bob Ott's appointee's are Bruce Hollmuller, Joni House and Veronica Jones. And District 4 Commissioner Woody Thompson's appointees are Chandon Adams, Connie Taylor and Barry Yeager.

The Retreat

The Board of Commissioners, along with County Manager David Hankerson and department managers, are on a three-day retreat at the Legacy Lodge and Conference Center at Lake Lanier Islands.

Olens is paying for the entire retreat out of his campaign fund, an estimated $11, 000 expense.

"I'm thankful to the Chairman for seeing the importance of our retreat," Hankerson said.

Both Goreham and Lee said the retreat is a great time to get a wealth of knowledge about what's going on in the county at once.

"We're able to hear from all the department heads, and we're all working from the same frame work," Lee said. "You can't beat doing this."

Editorial: More Parks A good week for greenspace in Cobb

2008-12-14T09:59:00.000-05:00

An editorial from the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday, December 14, 2008

Years spent haggling over the future of one of the last sizeable undeveloped tracts in downtown Kennesaw finally came to a sensible resolution last week that splits the difference, so to speak, between the competing claims of development and preservation.

At issue was a 9.96-acre tract owned by W.E. Hamby off Watts Drive within an easy stroll of downtown Kennesaw and the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History. The wooded property includes a stream and, like all the surrounding area, was part of Camp McDonald, a Confederate army "basic training" facility during the Civil War. But no permanent structures remain from those days and there is nothing visible above ground that links the property with the camp. Some felt the Hamby tract should be preserved in its entirety.

Meanwhile, Kennesaw leaders were eying the property for development, as a portion of it fronts Main Street, and were loath to see such a prime candidate fall off the tax rolls.

The upshot came Tuesday when it was announced that a deal had been struck to buy and divide the property. The county will purchase 7.57 acres for $834,000 with money from the $40 million 2006 parks bond and develop it as a park.

The city, meanwhile, will acquire the front 2.39 acres along Main Street for $466,000.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously agreed to deal on Tuesday.

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

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

Historic markers will be erected on the site to tell the story of Camp McDonald, noted Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens, another big proponent of the deal.

The arrangement comes hard on the heels of the news that the county has purchased a pair of tracts adjoining the pristine Hyde Farm property in lower east Cobb, which is in the process of being developed into a park.

All in all, it was a good week for greenspace in Cobb.

Editorial: Purchase helps Hyde preservation push

2008-12-13T11:03:00.000-05:00

An editorial from the Marietta Daily Journal on Thursday, December 11, 2008

The Hyde Farm overlooking the Chattahoochee River is a pristine slice of Cobb as it was 50, or 100, or 150 years ago - a last island of green space in what now is heavily developed east Cobb.

The farm has been worked continuously from the 1830s. Longtime owner J.C. Hyde plowed its fields with a mule almost up until his death in 2004, and it still includes an original log cabin and various outbuildings and barns.

Hyde sold part of the farm for tax reasons in the 1990s to become part of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, and after his death the Trust for Public Land announced the purchase of the 95-acre remainder. That portion ultimately is to be divided and sold to the National Park Service and Cobb County. Some $5 million from the 2006 county parks bond approved by voters has been earmarked for that purchase.

The plan all along has been to keep the Hyde Farm as intact as possible and use it as a museum of sorts for school children and the public to give them an idea of what life was like here in decades long past. But the aim of keeping it pristine is in obvious conflict with the necessity of providing parking, restrooms and interpretive/administrative space.

Hence, the county commission's vote on Tuesday to approve the purchase of two adjoining tracts. The first is a 12.9-acre tract (including a two-acre lake) owned by the Dolvin family, purchased for $1.35 million, or about $104,600 per acre. The second is a 4.5-acre tract owned by the Walker family, which the county bought for $900,000, or the $199,000 per acre.

Money for those purchases also came from the $40 million parks bond passed in 2006.

"We didn't want to put any parking associated with the Hyde Farm on (the Hyde Farm) property," explained Commission Chairman Sam Olens of the purchases.

Also on the Dolvin property, in addition to the lake, is a 16,000-square-foot house that can be used as a welcome center for the farm.

In short, the two purchases of adjoining property will do nothing but enhance the experience for the generations of visitors and schoolchildren expected to come to the farm in years to come. The wise use of the parks bond money in this instance is in keeping with the county's careful spending of it thus far, which was a big reason why Cobb voters passed a second $40 million parks bond in November. And such decisions also help lay the groundwork for a third such bond a few years from now, should one be deemed necessary.

County preps for buy

2008-12-13T11:02:00.000-05:00

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.

Land purchases top Cobb's agenda

2008-12-13T10:57:00.000-05:00

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.

Kennesaw green space deal likely

2008-12-13T10:51:00.000-05:00

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday, November 29, 2008 by Dan Chapman, AJC staff writer

By year’s end, the city of Kennesaw’s oft-delayed development plans should edge closer to reality. Controversy, though, will continue to dog many of the projects. And the souring economy will also add to Kennesaw’s development woes.

“We’ve had our ups and downs. This past year has been very challenging for both the private sector and (local) governments,” said Bob Fox, the town’s community development director. “Everyone is waiting to see what happens with the economy.”

Fox said recently that he expects a deal to be worked out soon between the city, Cobb County and the owner of a 9.85-acre tract downtown.

Kennesaw had planned to build shops, condos and a parking deck on much of the forested land. Green space advocates prefer parkland. Compromise is likely. The site, behind City Hall, served as a Civil War training ground for Confederate soldiers. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s also one of the top 10 properties targeted for acquisition and preservation by the county’s park advisory committee.

Flush with another $40 million parks’ bond approved by county voters earlier this month, Cobb could easily handle the $1.3 million asking price. But Kennesaw, with a population of 32,000 and a city budget of $23.1 million this fiscal year, has long coveted the land as a key piece of its downtown redevelopment puzzle. City and county officials have met repeatedly in recent weeks to iron out a compromise, perhaps setting aside two-thirds of the property as green space.

“There isn’t a 100 percent resolution, but we’re extremely close,” said Sam Olens, who chairs the Cobb County Commission and declined to offer details. “The accommodation is very much in favor of preservation of the property.”

Olens took a decidedly less diplomatic view of Kennesaw’s development of a 34-acre tract along North Cobb Parkway. The Columns, at the intersection of Kennesaw Due West Road, fashions itself a “walkable lifestyle center with the look and feel of a European style village,” according to the company’s Web site.

The Kennesaw Development Authority issued $12 million in bonds last year to help jump-start McGuire Realty’s proposed $100 million retail, office and hotel park. The so-called payment-in-lieu-of taxes bonds will be paid off over 25-30 years with tax money that would’ve gone to Cobb County, its school system and others.

“If Kennesaw seeks to do a redevelopment project with their millage that should be between them and their residents – the school system and the county millage should not be used without their respective governments’ consent,” said Olens. “We were totally in the dark, as was the school system.”

The county is requesting state legislators amend Georgia law to require that all affected governments approve those types of bonds before they’re issued. Kennesaw’s Fox defended the tax break.

“It allowed that project to be developed where it wouldn’t be developed otherwise,” he said. “It will allow that project to be a catalyst for development up and down Cobb Parkway.”

Fox listed a slew of other developments moving closer to fruition including light industrial, retail and road-building projects along Jiles Road; privately financed student housing downtown with as many as 700 beds for Kennesaw State University students; and construction, set to begin early next year, on a plaza and a pedestrian underpass below the train tracks that run through downtown.

Editorial: The Parks Bond

2008-11-16T12:25:00.000-05:00

An editorial from the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday, November 16, 2008

Cobb residents did an admirable job in the first step of the process of adding public greenspace for the county when they voted by an overwhelming 65.3 percent margin Nov. 4 to approve a $40 million parks referendum. The measure was approved in every precinct of the county.

Now comes the next step, that of nominating properties for potential parkland. The county will accept such nominations starting Monday and running through Jan. 31, which will be here before you know it.

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

Should you know of an attractive piece of land that you think would make a nice park, especially if it is in a part of the county that is underserved by parks, you can obtain a nomination form at the county's Web site, www.cobbcounty.org, or by calling the Cobb Parks Department at (770) 528-6800. However, when nominating a property, it is helpful if you know whether it belongs to a willing potential seller. That's because the county will not be using its powers of eminent domain to obtain property with the proceeds from the parks bond.

After a property is nominated, the county staff will talk with the property's owner to get a description of its natural features and a better idea of its suitability for a park, according to county public services director Bob Ash.

Once the nomination deadline is passed, the county's 15-person citizens advisory committee will visit the most promising of the nominated properties, subject them to a rigorous analysis, rank them as to desirability and then make recommendations to the board of commissioners. (Each commissioner gets to nominate three members of the advisory committee.)

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

County voters approved the first $40 million parks bond in 2006. It proved so popular, and was so well implemented, that persuading voters to approve another $40 million in November was an easy sell.

Park supporters would be wise to stick with what worked so well the first time: choosing parcels based on availability, attractiveness, price and the need for more parks in a given area. That method is the one most likely to net the county the best portfolio of new parks.

County seeking parkland feedback

2008-11-12T08:24:00.000-05:00

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.

Cobb picks parks

2008-11-05T14:24:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 by Ashley Hungerford, MDJ staff writer

MARIETTA - Cobb residents made it clear they want more green space in the county.

Cobb voters approved another $40 million parks bond by 67 percent of the vote.

There was a total of 154,380 votes cast concerning the bond, with 103,525 in favor of it.

"Noting the economy, I think this is a great tribute to the (15-member) citizens committee who assisted us with the purchases of the first parks bond," Cobb Chairman Sam Olens said. "The public has faith in the process ... this is great because for the majority of the county, there is no millage increase. And land will never be this cheap again. This is one of the bright spots of a terrible economy."

The first $40 million parks bond, approved by more than 70 percent of voters in 2006, enabled the preservation of more than 309 acres of green space. The county still has more than $2 million left that they could still use to purchase land.

Members of the Cobb Parks Coalition, the grassroots effort that pushed for a follow-up bond, said current economic conditions make it the prime time to buy more green space. Property values are low, and developers aren't in a hurry to buy land to start new projects.

Cobb Parks Coalition leader Paul Paulson said he was impressed by the turnout in support of the parks bond.

"A lot of people worked very hard and it looks like the hard work paid off again," he said. "This was a test of what people wanted. People are sick of development and they want to preserve what's left of the green space. They told us that over and over."

In 2006 election, 121,109 of the 179,625 votes cast were in support of the bond measure.

Paulson agrees with Olens that now is a great time to purchase property.

"With the market like this, we can pick and choose this time and expand the $40 million to buy more acres," he said. "We want to purchase the best property."

The parks bond's biggest hurdle came from the cities of Marietta, Smyrna and Austell.

Because of the financing the county approved to fund the bond, residents in those three cities will see a 0.1 mil tax increase.

Olens said the financing decision was an "unintended consequence," of the short timeline the county had to get the bond measure on the November ballot.

To finance the 15-year, $40 million bond, the county plans to divert from the fire fund 0.1 mil of county property taxes collected and put those revenues toward the debt fund. For taxpayers in unincorporated Cobb, Acworth, Kennesaw and Powder Springs, the net effect on property taxes is zero because the increase to the debt fund is offset by the decrease in the fire fund. Officials said the fire fund has a surplus.

But for residents in Austell, Marietta and Smyrna, the 0.1 mil increase is not offset by anything, leading to a slight property tax increase. Paulson earlier said 0.1 mil increase would amount to about $4 per year on a $100,000 home.

All three of the cities have their own fire departments and do not pay any taxes toward the county's fire fund.

Officials in Smyrna and Austell eventually voiced their support of the bond.

But prior to the election, Marietta Mayor Bill Dunaway said he didn't oppose the bond measure, but couldn't endorse something that he said was unfair to the residents of Marietta.

Tuesday evening, Dunaway said he voted for the bond.

"But I think it's unfair to property owners in the three cities and therefore could not endorse it," he said. "We hope that the county will try to seek out property around the three cities.

Like with the first bond, county officials said they will take nominations on tracts of land to be considered for purchase. The Board of Commissioners will appoint a citizens advisory board that will be charged with ranking the nominated properties.

Olens said they already have about 30 properties that have been "quasi" nominated, including a couple new parcels.

One new property is a 50-acre tract in northeast Cobb. Olens said the tract would be great for an area that currently doesn't have any parks.

Paulson also has some parcels in mind, including the 9.85-acre Hamby property in Kennesaw, 54-acre tract owned by Wylene Tritt on Roswell Road in northeast Cobb and a 25-acre tract owned by the Canup family in west Cobb.

With the first $40 million bond, the county purchased the 137.45-acre Stana property on Brownsville Road in southwest Cobb, $5.76 million; 112 acres of the Bullard-Stockton tract along Dallas Highway in west Cobb, $18.6 million; 26.5 acres of the Mabry Centennial Farm at the corner of Wesley Chapel and Sandy Plains Roads, $4.2 million; 16 acres near Henderson Road off Veteran's Memorial Highway near the Chattahoochee River, $2.4 million; and 17.7 acres of the Price property at Stilesboro Road near Acworth-Due West Road, $1.4 million.

The county will also use $5 million of the parks bond money to help purchase the 95-acre Hyde Farm in east Cobb.

"We got some great pieces of property, but there's a lot left to save," Paulson said.

Joni House: Parks bond vote may be best chance to assure greenspace

2008-11-05T14:20:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Monday, November 3, 2008 by Joni House, MDJ More Opinions contributor

There are some things we may never get another chance to do. Running out of time is not something anybody wants to think about. It makes us wince to think about things left unsaid, vacations not taken, and even, yes Mom, the thank-you notes unwritten.

Communities run out of time too. Things slip by us simply because no one is paying attention. And buried within all the polarizing issues on the current ballot, there's something that requires our nonpartisan local attention as Cobb county voters.

The last item on the current ballot asks whether Cobb should spend an additional $40 million on greenspace purchases for our community. If we pay attention and vote "yes" now, we will be voting "yes" to providing passive recreation opportunities for generations to come. We will be saying "yes" in a forward-looking way, knowing that this opportunity with its unique circumstances won't be around for future voters to choose.

What's unique about this chance to expand the greenspace portfolio? The opportunity now before us results from the stars aligning on several factors in a way we won't see again.

First, Cobb county's balance sheet - that is, its debt load and assets especially relative to its ability to service debt - is strong. In other words, we're not even close to debt laden. The greenspace bonds will be completely paid off in 15 years. Cobb can finance conservatively even in this most challenging of financial markets.

Second, the bad news for the national and local real estate markets has created a rare timing opportunity for our community as greenspace buyers. The market forces temporarily driving real estate prices down have also affected prices for the type of undeveloped land Cobb needs for its citizens for future passive recreation. We have the chance to acquire land throughout the county at prices that will stretch our collective buying power. A newly funded Cobb greenspace program will be at a fortunate crossroads where the public may be able to preserve parcels previously out of reach, while sellers will benefit from an injection of capital into the real estate community.

Third, as time goes on, the supply of undeveloped land will continue to shrink. Looking past the current real estate market, there will always be human need and population growth and movement driving the development of land. The pressure on our greenspace supply hasn't ended. It has just temporarily eased a bit. In real estate school they teach you, "They're not making any more land." And it's true. The longer we wait, the less land there will be to buy. If we wait to renew the greenspace program for Cobb, the land choices will be fewer and those that remain will be more expensive and possibly more difficult to finance.

Also available at this point in time to enhance a continued greenspace program is the set of learnings that the county team gained from designing a selection and vetting process from scratch to implement the purchases under the 2007 bond. All team members, including staff, Board, and citizens committee, partnered to establish an empirical evaluation toolkit to ensure that each parcel of land was treated in as non-political and objective way as possible.

Our generation may be the last to have the opportunity to make thoughtful, strategic greenspace purchases. We may be the last group of voters with the power to ensure the future availability of trees, fields, trails, and unspoiled places for recreation for the Cobb county community.

There's an opportunity on Tuesday for our community to fund the purchase of more greenspace for our passive recreation needs into the future. We chose to fund the first phase in 2006. Now we have the chance to fund more parkland to address enriching and expanding the portfolio. It may be one of our last chances to make strategic balancing purchases so no member of our community is underserved.

Please pay attention to the last item on the ballot. Please vote "Yes" for greenspace on Tuesday. We may never get a better chance to preserve greenspace for our future.

Joni House is president of the Grayfen Group, a management consulting firm in Marietta, is co-chair of Friends of Hyde Farm and is vice chair of Parks Bond Citizens Advisory Committee.

Joni House: Cobb needs parks, not tantrums

2008-11-05T14:16:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday, October 26, 2008 by Joni House, guest columnist

There's a current dust-up over Cobb's greenspace priorities brought to a head by the possible purchase of the 9.95-acre Hamby tract in downtown Kennesaw. The property was part of the 2006 Greenspace Bond list of recommended possible purchases.

On the one hand, the city is reluctant to see the parcel go as greenspace. We can understand that the carrot of future tax roll revenues that development would bring is a powerful carrot indeed. On the other hand, the county is pursuing its due diligence in considering whether the parcel in fact merits purchase as public greenspace with a portion of the funds remaining from the 2006 bond issue.

External pressure on the county to purchase this tract is being articulated in some citizen circles in declarative, absolute statements extolling this parcel as "the best" of all uses for the funds remaining from the original 2006 $40 million bond issue.

But in the Citizen Advisory Committee's recommendations on spending the 2006 bond revenues, "what's best" took on many meanings. The Citizens Advisory Committee spent countless hours, some into the late nights over cold chicken fingers, in vigorous discussions about what Cobb citizens now and in the future would most value in greenspace tracts in a public portfolio of recreational lands. In many cases, parcels that were appealing to some of us were also-rans to others. Some members valued historical merit, others hydrology, others accessibility to non-mobile populations, others connectivity to existing parks.

The 15 minds met by building an objective rating system that identified multiple criteria for the "ideal" greenspace purchase, weighting each criterion as to how important it was, and then using a mathematical model to calculate a numeric score for each property.

The relative rankings of the properties were often "caveated" in our recommendations to the Board of Commissioners. One of the main cautions raised time and time again in our recommendations to the board was what the best use of citizen money would be in various combinations. Even though the committee was not charged with financial aspects of the transactions, as we had information on a parcel or could see disparities in relative possible pricing among competing parcels, we passed that information along as footnotes to our recommendations.

For example, we could observe that pricing over a certain amount per acre would have made one parcel seem overpriced relative to others, or, we could identify that a property was eligible for external matching funds to help stretch Cobb taxpayer dollars.

The committee had considerable heartburn about whether our "good only within certain dollar criteria" could actually be executed within the highly complex world of real estate transactions where the nuance of the recommendations is easily lost. We also worried about the influences of "buy it simply because it's cheap" would be the pitfall at the other end of the negotiation spectrum.

Yes, the committee members all had our favorite parcels. And yes, we were appointed by our respective commissioners who rightfully were concerned about their districts. Yet in fairness, we never felt pressure to allocate by voter population, relative taxes paid, city vs. unincorporated, or other divisive factors that could have been introduced to derail a portfolio approach.

And most amazing in the process, as a committee, when our advocacy speeches had been given (and re-given), we could come together for the good of the county as a whole. We honestly felt that the committee and the county staff had been given the statesman-like example of the board of commissioners to act in a non-partisan, non-polarizing way.

Where the purchases were made depended largely on where the land was nominated, whether it was available in a willing seller transaction and how it ranked based on the criteria the committee developed. Timing and negotiation processes, market forces and sheer tenacity on the part of county staff and dedicated sellers made what was purchased a very strong county-wide portfolio.

It's just plain wrong for anyone now to go on record and state unequivocally that any parcel remaining is "the best." Invariably all of our recommendations were qualified in some way. But just as the history-justifies-spending-greenspace-money advocates may want to lose their myopia, so should the cities think of their duty to support the county in which their residents live.

But really, the $3 million from the last bond issue shouldn't be burning a hole in anyone's pocket right now. Arbitrage rebate is not an issue. There are other properties on the list. $3 million could allow the county to option some land now. Or, the $3 million could just be rolled forward into what hopefully will be a new bond issue with an entirely new list of lands nominated and evaluated.

No matter how contentious our committee debates were, no matter how late we went, no matter how many packs of "Shut the Hell Up Gum" were passed around the room, nobody threatened to take their ball and go home. Nobody offered to sabotage the process because someone else said their land parcel was less than the best.

We'll be voting on Nov. 4 to add $40 million more bond funding to expand the remarkably successful greenspace portfolio to reach even more of our citizens. Threats to throw the future Cobb greenspace program under the bus for a single parcel of land or for any other divisive allocation scheme are tantrum-throwing, not advocacy. And Cobb citizens deserve better.

Joni House is president of the Grayfen Group, a management consulting firm in Marietta, is co-chair of Friends of Hyde Farm and is vice chair of Parks Bond Citizens Advisory Committee.

Posted comments:

Enter Your Name says - Yes! Our County leaders should not give in to the pressures of a few when a committee of 15 took careful consideration when selecting properties.

Editorial: The Parks Bond It's a 'buying opportunity' for Cobb residents

2008-11-02T13:28:00.001-05:00

An editorial from the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday, November 2, 2008

Even a crashing economy has its bright spots.

To stockbrokers, they're known as "buying opportunities" - those stocks that are so undervalued that they're suddenly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And as Cobb voters head to the polls this week, they have the chance to exercise just such a buying opportunity themselves - the opportunity to set aside $40 million with which to purchase additional parkland for the county.

Thanks to the sagging economy, the local real estate market is not just dead in the water, but under the waves. Development and redevelopment are at a standstill. That's not good, but the silver lining is that there are numerous undeveloped parcels that likely could be purchased for parks and at a much more taxpayer-friendly price than would normally be the case. Not only are more landowners than usual likely to lend a receptive ear to inquiries about selling their land for a park, it's also true that interest rates are at rock bottom, meaning county taxpayers would get even more for their money.

If approved on Tuesday, this would be the second such bond Cobb voters have passed via referendum in recent years. The first, also for $40 million, was passed two years ago. That referendum proved amazingly popular with the public, passing by a 70-30 percent margin.

The county has used that money wisely, following the recommendations of the Cobb Parks Bond Citizens Advisory Committee. Its showpiece purchases have been the 112-acre Bullard Farm on Dallas Highway in west Cobb, a pristine piece of farmland for $18.6 million; and the 137.4-acre Stana property on Brownsville Road in southwest Cobb for $5.76 million.

Other purchases include the 70-acre Mabry Centennial Farm in east Cobb, the 17.7-acre Price property on Stilesboro Road and a 16-acre tract in Mableton. In addition, the county officially designated $5 million of the bond proceeds to help purchase 95 pristine acres of the one-of-a-kind Hyde Farm property along the Chattahoochee River in east Cobb.

All told, the county has purchased just more than 300 acres for $37.67 million.

Now, with our nest egg nearly gone, it's time to replenish it.

After all, did the purchases of the past two years satisfy our need for parkland? They were a good start, but no.

Did they ensure that we have sufficient parkland not just for our current needs, but for future decades when our population will have grown past the 750,000 mark steadily toward 1 million? Not hardly.

And will Cobb be better served by waiting a couple decades to buy more parkland - if indeed, there is any left to buy by then? No. The better option than buying it at 2018 or 2028 prices is to buy it now, at 2008 prices, which, thanks to the economic collapse, are more like 1998 prices.

As to the economic impact on your wallet should the measure pass, it will be about $11 per year during the life of the 15-year bonds for the owner of a $200,000 house. In other words, your contribution toward assuring Cobb's parkland needs for years to come would be the equivalent of a couple cups of cappuccino, or several gallons of gas.

It's a bargain, in other words. Or, to use another expression, a "buying opportunity" we probably won't see the likes of again. And it's up to you to help make it happen when you go to the polls.

KENNESAW: City's dilemma: Condos or park?

2008-10-24T14:33:00.001-04:00

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday, October 24, 2008 by Dan Chapman, AJC staff writer

Park-starved Cobb County appears to have settled on a perfect spot for its next green space acquisition: a 9.85-acre forested idyll behind Kennesaw's City Hall.

A creek runs through the site popular with beavers and filled with tall pines and hickories. In the 1860s, Confederate soldiers drilled on the property that garnered National Register of Historic Places designation.

A Cobb park advisory committee lists the property among its top 10 priorities. More than enough money remains from the county's 2006 parks bond referendum to buy it. And the price, at roughly $1.3 million, is reasonable.

What's the hang-up?

Kennesaw wants to build condos and shops there. But the city doesn't have money to buy the land. Nor are developers clamoring to build upon it.

Still, Mayor Mark Mathews and other Kennesaw officials are beseeching the county, Commission Chairman Sam Olens in particular, not to buy the land. Olens said Thursday commissioners will discuss the acquisition in closed session Monday.

Green space advocates question the commissioners' role, especially since a countywide apolitical citizens group designated the land for purchase. Paul Paulson, a parks booster who led the push for $40 million bond referendums in 2006 and this year, said he might quit his considerable advocacy for the Nov. 4 parks referendum.

"I'd be hard-pressed to work knowing politics rule the day, " he said. "This is about buying what's best of what's left."

Olens denied politics plays any role in the decision to buy, or not, the property. Commissioners, he added, are taking the same informational steps with Kennesaw's Camp McDonald site as they have with other bond-backed land buys.

"I personally would be in support of the acquisition, " Olens said, hinting at a compromise between Kennesaw and the pro-parks coalition.

With 90 percent of Cobb's 220,000 acres developed, few residents dispute the need for more green space. Two years ago, 70 percent of voters approved the parks bond. A public winnowing process reduced the number of properties for purchase from 94 to 18.

Six of the top sites recommended by a citizens' advisory committee were bought. Roughly $3 million remains to be spent. A dozen of the initial 18 sites remain high on the county's wish list, including the Kennesaw forest.

"It should be saved. It's the last big piece of green space in Kennesaw, " said Martha Boyce, a city resident who has collected nearly 1,000 pro-park signatures. "It's very important to the residents of Kennesaw."

Mathews said developing downtown Kennesaw is equally important.

"We've targeted that site as a key piece of our redevelopment effort for the last five, six years, " he said. "It all ties into our downtown master plan. It's a key piece to the puzzle."

A developer wanted to build townhomes and shops on the site while preserving a slice of green along the creek. A lawsuit, though, stymied Madison Retail's efforts. The suit was dismissed in July 2007; Madison walked away from the project earlier this year as the economy soured.

Jim Hamby of Marietta, whose father, William Hamby, owns the property, said the county remains the only possible suitor.

"I'd prefer it be saved as green space, " Jim Hamby said. "It's another aspect of the history of Kennesaw. It's the center of what was Camp McDonald."

Commissioners may discuss a compromise Monday: the county buys maybe two-thirds of the property with Kennesaw buying the rest for a parking deck or retail.

dchapman@ajc.com

Q&A - Cobb County Residents

2008-10-24T12:21:00.000-04:00

From the northeastcobbmonitor.com, issue 41, on Thursday, October 23, 2008 by David Poteet, editor

As a Cobb County resident, what are your thoughts on the November 4 parks bond referendum that would provide taxpayer funds to purchase more park lands in Cobb County, if passed?

Susan Vickery – Owner of X-Static Pets; a pet sitting service
“I don’t use parks much. There may not be a raise in taxes, but the money has to come from somewhere. How do we determine how much land is enough, anyway? The other side is I like the idea of slowing development by buying park space. That is a better argument for it.”

Sarah Behlmer – Student at Kennesaw State University and works at Johnny’s Pizza in Merchants Walk Shopping Center
“I think it’s a great idea. Passing it would mean less development and create more peaceful environments.”

Dale Adkinson – Dentist at Kennestone Dental Associates
“With the hard economic times we are in now, I’m not sure that’s the best way to be spending our dollars. Open land is not a big deal to me. We’re looking far ahead for parks, but looking for roads that are needed is different.”

Jeremy Jimmney - Painter
“As long as I don’t see a tax increase from it, I’ll back it. My concern is how long the property will just sit without any improvements. Somewhere there has to be a line drawn between development and too much development. We need more development for the tax base, but we need less for our roads and quality of life.”

Shawn Parmly – Systems engineer for Sun Microsystems
“I’m for it. We need more parks for walking or pets.”

Tracy Parmly – Works in sales for School Announcements
“Parks build a sense of community. There has never been a real sense of community in this area (northeast Cobb). It’s all been implemented by the schools. The more parks that are built, the more the community can build a sense of support. I would vote for it.”

Tony Simmons – Director of telecom software for Hewlett-Packard
“If you move funds this year from the fire fund, there is a likely hood the fire fund will be under-funded next year or in the future. If so, we will have to raise taxes for that. I do think it would be awesome to buy the properties, but will any improvements have to be made to maintain them?”

Backers of Cobb parks land optimistic

2008-10-23T18:49:00.000-04:00

From the northeastcobbmonitor.com, issue 41, on Thursday, October 23, 2008 by David Poteet, editor

The primary organizer of a group hoping to see another $40 million Cobb County parks bond pass to buy more property in Cobb is confident the measure will be accepted by voters in the November 4 election.

His comments come on the heels of reports that mayors in three of Cobb’s cities had potential opposition to the bonds because it would raise taxes in the cities by .1 mill. That equates to $8 a year on a $200,000 home, according to county officials.

Paul Paulson, head of the Cobb Parks Coalition, said his optimism is based on how well the land buying process has gone with the $40 million parks bond voters approved in 2006.

“People trusted the process for the last bond because the Cobb Board of Commissioners had a public committee to do the work,” said Paulson, who also lead the charge for the bond two years ago. “That group had 94 properties committed for purchase consideration and it whittled the number down to 18. It was a grass roots effort that was properly executed. This bond should do well because of the success of the first”

The 2006 parks bond passed with 72% of the voters backing it. There are about $3 million left in that bond, and with the economic slowdown, county officials and members of the Cobb Parks Coalition are hoping passage of the 2008 parks bond will lead to the purchase of choice land that could have other wise been developed.

The county wants to finance the 2008 bond by moving .1 mill of county property taxes from the county fire fund to the debt fund. Taxpayers in unincorporated Cobb will see no change in their tax bills because the funding is implemented through a transfer of taxes from one fund to another.

However, taxpayers in Marietta, Smyrna and Austell will see the .1 mill rise in taxes because the three cities have their own fire departments. That means there is nowhere to offset the .1 mill tax.

Cobb County Commission Chairman Sam Olens said while mayors of those cities did have concerns about the potential raise in taxes for their residents, talks with Austell Mayor Joe Jerkins and Mayor Max Bacon of Smyrna have led to their support of the measure.

“Marietta, Smyrna and Austell had concerns about the situation, but since the reports about those concerns came out, Smyrna and Austell have gotten on board with the park plans,” said Olens.

Olens said the rise in taxes was unintentional and occurred because the Cobb Board of Commissioners rushed to place it on the election ballot before the Nov. 4 election. He also emphasized land appreciates twice as much as the interest rates paid on the bonds to purchase them.

Cobb County consists of 220,000 acres, of which 90% is already developed. Major purchases from the 2006 bond include the 135-acre Hyde Farm in East Cobb and Bullard Farm, which includes 112 acres off Dallas Highway in West Cobb.

Paulson said properties considered as a potential purchase for a park do not have to be nominated by the property owner or 15-member citizens’ advisory committee for the parks.

“Anyone can nominate properties for consideration in this process,” said Paulson. “It doesn’t matter how small or large the property is. The passage of this parks bond would help us continue to warehouse properties until the economy turns around.”

A total of about 300 acres has been designated as perpetual green space in Cobb County.

Cobb eyeing Kennesaw land

2008-10-22T11:43:00.000-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 by Ashley Hungerford, MDJ staff writer

KENNESAW - With a little more than $3 million left in the $40 million parks bond approved by voters in 2006, the county could be looking to purchase a tract of land directly behind Kennesaw City Hall with a portion of the remaining funds.

Located on Watts Drive in Kennesaw, the 9.85 acres owned by W.E. Hamby was listed as a tier 3 priority by the Cobb parks bond citizens advisory board.

Cobb Chairman Sam Olens said he has had discussions with Hamby, on behalf of the county, and he is working with the county's park department about a possible purchase.

"I am very interested in the Hamby property, based on history and the beauty of the property itself," he said.

Hamby's broker Dan Gentz with Re/Max said Hamby is looking at offers, and is "favorable" to the county purchasing the land for a park.

He said the county ordered an appraisal of the lot, and he's "confident that a sale could go through."

Although not revealing an exact dollar figure, Gentz said there has been a "meeting of the minds" between Hamby and the county concerning an offer, and "everything has been going along fine."

But the county's interest in the property isn't exactly in line with the city of Kennesaw's intention for the property.

"It's in the core of our downtown and a key piece to the planning we've done in the last five to six years," Kennesaw Mayor Mark Mathews said.

Mathews said if the county does purchase the property, then it causes the city to rethink a lot of their master plan for how what they want to accomplish with their downtown area.

To redevelop the downtown area, city officials have said they want to attract more commercial development.

The most recent commercial interest in the site came from Atlanta-based Madison Retail who wanted to build town homes, retail space and a three-story parking garage on the property. Plans also called for green space preservation and landscaping for public access and use.

Madison reportedly offered Hamby $1.5 million for the land.

The Madison project became tied up in lawsuits when Kennesaw resident Peter Popham sued, saying the rezoning of the property was illegal. Superior Court Judge Mary Staley dismissed the lawsuit in July 2007.

And when the real estate market began to slump, Madison Retail walked away from the project early this year.

The property has challenging topography for any development - with creeks flowing in the middle of the property. And to the property's south is the city of Kennesaw's cemetery.

If the property were ever developed, city officials said they would preserve the space along the creeks as green space. Mathews said the city has always pushed for preservation, even applying for a preservation grant for the property's creek beds.

Mathews said the city is supportive of the county's effort to acquire new park space, but said there are other options available.

Gentz said, currently, there are no contracts on the property with developers. Hamby has been trying to sell the land for about six years, he said.

Another factor that has stalled the sale of the property is the debate over its historical significance.

Some claim, including Popham in his lawsuit, that the Hamby property is the last remaining portion of the Confederate Civil War encampment, Camp McDonald.

Gentz said from everything he's seen and read; he doesn't doubt the property was part of Camp McDonald.

Mathews said most of downtown was probably a part of Camp McDonald - from where McCollum airport now sits all the way up to Kennesaw Due West Road.

But, he said, the Hamby property does not contain any historical significance from the Civil War, including structures or trenches left over from the camp.

In an attempt to settle the debate, the city hired New South Associations of Stone Mountain in the summer of 2006 to conduct an archeological study of the Hamby tract to determine the historical significance.

In the study's conclusion, principal investigator J.W. Joseph states that the area of the Hamby property was within the historic boundaries of Camp McDonald.

But the conclusion also states "historical and background research indicated that no historic structures or archaeological sites had been recorded in the project area."

The camp housed troops primarily in tents, and did not have permanent structures, the study states. It also found no clear evidence that any battles were fought in the area.

The study did look into a large trench that resembled a Civil War fortification. But the investigators did not find any artifacts or evidence to support that.

"No clear evidence was found for Civil War military activities in the project area and the single cultural feature identified during the survey cannot be conclusively attributed to the war period or assigned a clear function as a fortification," the conclusion states. "The survey determined that the project area is extensively eroded and did not result in the discovery of any significant cultural resources."

Mathews said the city of Kennesaw has given Cobb a copy of the archeological study.

The city's hesitation to support the county's move is not because they're against preserving a piece of history, Mathews said.

The core of Kennesaw's downtown contains an enormous amount of history, he said, especially Civil War. He said the city takes any opportunity available to talk about and memorialize their heritage.

The city's concern is how the purchase would affect their plans to redevelop the downtown area.

"We will work with them and make a viable project, whatever way they go," he said.

Gentz said he presumes the sale to the county would be approved, but said politics are getting in the way of the purchase.

"We've agreed in principle to the purchase," he said. "We have no issues with (Cobb's) parks commission. The only issue we have is that Kennesaw has thrown politics into this ... this will be nice green space for Cobb County. And Kennesaw gets it for no cost."

Olens said county staff is currently reviewing the history and development materials concerning the property that were provided by the city of Kennesaw, and he said he expects a decision on whether the county purchases the property no later than a month from now.

Mathews said he doesn't know what the city's next step would be if the county purchases the property.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it; we'll see," he said.

ahungerford@mdjonline.com

Smyrna city leaders back $40M park bond

2008-10-11T15:43:00.000-04:00

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday, October 9, 2008 by Kent A. Miles

Smyrna city leaders now say they will endorse a $40 million park bond issue on the Nov. 4 ballot in Cobb.

The mayors of Marietta, Austell and Smyrna had been critical of the financing formula, which would have resulted in property tax increases for the cities. They also wanted the county to ensure parks would be created in or near their communities.

Smyrna councilman Wade Lnenicka said county officials and advocates for the park met with city leaders this week and “expressed a willingness to work with us in part.”

Lnenicka said the council made no demands of the county. County Commission Chairman Sam Olens and Bob Ott, the Republican candidate for the county commission district covering east Cobb, met with council members and were sensitive to their concerns, he said.

“They encouraged us to nominate parcels to be considered, and to play a more active role,” Lnenicka said.

The funding formula would transfer one-tenth of 1 mill from the county fire district tax to the countywide debt service fund. If passed, county property owners won’t see an increase in taxes.

The measure will result in a small increase for property owners in the three cities, which run their own fire departments and do not pay into the county’s fire service district.

Marietta Mayor Bill Dunaway says he isn’t opposed to the bond, but questions its fairness on city taxpayers.

Some ballot initiatives deserve a YES vote

2008-10-09T17:43:00.000-04:00

An editorial from the Atlanta Journal Constitution on Thursday, October 9, 2008 by AJC editors Jay Bookman, Maureen Downey, Mike King, Jim Wooten

Metro Atlanta voters will not only choose elected leaders on Nov. 4, they will also be asked to vote on a wide array of initiatives, from increasing taxes for certain projects to changing a form of government. The following are recommendations on those ballot initiatives.

COBB COUNTY

Two years ago Cobb County voters approved a $40 million bond issue to buy park land. It was a smart move. A couple of real jewels, the Hyde and the Bullard farms, were acquired and are therefore protected for the enjoyment of future generations.

Another $40 million parks referendum is on the Nov. 4 ballot. The 2006 referendum passed with 70 percent voter support. This one should, too, so vote YES.

About 90 percent of Cobb’s 220,000 acres is already developed. The lull resulting from the collapse of the housing market is an opportunity to acquire recently threatened greenspace vital to the quality of life in Cobb. Forty million is a modest sum for a marvelous opportunity to buy treasures before they’re lost. Our grandchildren will be grateful.

(Note: This editorial also endorses ballot issues in counties other than Cobb.)

Development, crime top issues for Cobb commission candidates

2008-10-09T17:28:00.000-04:00

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution on Wednesday, October 8, 2008 by Kent A. Miles

Two of the five seats on the Cobb County Commission will be filled by new members next year. The four candidates have experience in civic involvement and a knowledge of local issues.

Crime prevention and the pace of development are common themes in their campaigns.

Republican Bob Ott, a candidate for the District 2 seat representing unincorporated east Cobb, defeated incumbent Commissioner Joe L. Thompson in August’s primary runoff. Ott is challenged by Democrat James Royal.

In the southwest, District 4 contenders are Republican Barbara Hickey and Democrat Woody Thompson. Thompson, a former Republican who served on the commission from 1997-2004, defeated incumbent Annette Kesting in the primary runoff; Kesting won the seat from Thompson four years ago.

Commission chairman Sam Olens, who has established himself as a regional leader, is unopposed for a second term.

“I am looking forward to a great board,” said Olens, who sees the county’s infrastructure needs as a major issue facing the board. The effects of the recession on the county’s recently adopted $756.4 million budget is another key issue.

“We will not agree on all issues, and that would be a good thing,” Olens said. “You gain much from listening to different opinions.”

Public disagreement among board members is rare.

“It’s been pretty amicable the past several years,” said Kerwin Swint, a professor of political science at Kennesaw State University who has lived in Cobb for nearly two decades.

“Under Bill Byrne, there was some contention, some personality conflicts. Sam Olens has been an inclusive leader, so there have been fewer personality clashes these days,” Swint said.

Here’s a closer look at each of the commission candidates:

JAMES ROYAL JR., Democrat, District 2
commissionerjamesroyal.com

Occupation: Kennesaw State University athletic department transportation manager.

Civic experience: Member, Transportation Advisory Board.

What do you consider the most pressing issue residents face?

In east Cobb, their concern is basically zoning. They want to make sure that their homes don’t depreciate, and they want to make sure when a county code goes into effect, nobody abuses it. I commend them. The other problem would be, in the south of the county, they don’t have that type of organization to make sure they [developers] are in compliance with the county codes.

Where do you stand on the $40 million park bonding referendum? How do you propose the county spend the funds?

I understand the reason why a certain group wants to buy up properties. They’re a buffer zone from these developers who build up all these houses, and it makes sense. Whether we’re overdoing it, paying taxpayer money to buy up all these properties, I’m not sure. I can only speculate on whether we’re getting a good deal on $40 million.

BOB OTT, Republican, District 2
http://www.bob4cobb.com/

Occupation: Pilot, Delta Air Lines; president, DBO Software

Prior public office: County planning commission and board of zoning appeals.

Civic experience: East Cobb Civic Association; Transportation SPLOST Oversight Committee.

What do you consider the most pressing issue county residents are facing?

We need to come up with a comprehensive plan to deal with the water and transportation issues. Sometimes we go about it backwards, and deal with it after the fact.

Where do you stand on the $40 million park bonding referendum?

I’m in support of it. But at the same time, there needs to be a more comprehensive plan on how we acquire green space. The parks bond is a good start.

WOODY THOMPSON, Democrat, District 4
http://www.woodythompson2008.com/

Occupation: Real estate broker, Thompson Realty Advisors LLC

Prior public offices: District 4 county commissioner, 1997-2004; county planning and zoning commission, 1984-88.

Civic experience: Current board member, Habitat for Humanity of Cobb County, Marietta Kiwanis Club; Cobb County Chamber of Commerce board of directors.

What do you consider the most pressing issue county residents are facing?

In my district, probably close to the top, is to make sure we get a handle on the crime, especially in the lower section, down near I-20, which is the Six Flags area. The other thing that is important as a priority to me, especially in my district, is economic development.

Where do you stand on the $40 million park bonding referendum?

I can support it completely. If the county had not gone ahead and acquired some of these large tracts, they would all have come under contract for something else. And, as you grow like we’re growing, you need to have quiet places where people can go. It helps our quality of life.

BARBARA HICKEY, Republican, District 4
barbarahickey08.com

Occupation: Owner, Etiquette School of Atlanta

Civic experience: Chairwoman, South Cobb Area Council; board member, Salvation Army; vice president, Cobb County Republican Women; board member, Cobb County Chamber of Commerce

What do you consider the most pressing issue district residents are facing?

We have two cities, but the unincorporated areas are pockets where safety is the number one issue. And safety transcends all my other issues that I consider important. If safety is an issue, you’ll probably not be involved in your community.

Where do you stand on the $40 million park bonding referendum?

I think the first time, in 2005, it passed. They have spent it so well. And we are blessed — we have two purchases for District 4, two of the six are in District 4. I’m so impressed with Paul Paulson and his committee. These people know that if we want our children to stay here, in Cobb County, we’d better have the green space, the parks and recreation spaces for them to raise they children and see their grandchildren.

Letter worries parks group

2008-09-22T16:37:00.000-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Monday, September 22, 2008 by Marcus E. Howard, MDJ staff writer

MARIETTA — Members of the grassroots Cobb Parks Coalition, which is pushing for passage of a second $40 million parks bond referendum on the ballot in November, met on Sunday and expressed concerns that potential opposition by three Cobb mayors may derail their efforts.

Paul Paulson, leader of the coalition, said he doesn’t believe most residents in Cobb are as concerned about a tax increase that Marietta, Smyrna and Austell residents would have if voters approve the parks bond.

“I don’t think this is an issue of the people,” Paulson said. “I think this is a political issue among the mayors and (Cobb Commission Chairman) Sam Olens.”

From his experience at the North Georgia State Fair, where the coalition has a booth promoting the parks bond, Paulson said residents of the three cities whom he has talked to about the tax increase, tell him that they’re not worried about it.

“They say, ‘How much?’” recalled Paulson. “And I say, ‘$4 a year for a $100,000 house, and they say, ‘Are you kidding, that’s nothing, I don’t care.’”

About 50 coalition members met last night at the Georgia Dance Conservatory on the Marietta Square to discuss ways to get residents to vote for the parks bond. But, the topic that seemed to have aroused the most interest was the three cities controversy.

Marietta Mayor Bill Dunaway, Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon and Austell Mayor Joe Jerkins sent a letter to Olens on Sept. 3, which expressed their concerns that their residents would “unfairly” get a tax increase if the parks bond is approved.

The Cobb Commission unanimously approved the measure in July and those in favor of it, including Olens, have said that the tax increase was an unintended consequence of rushing to place it before voters on Election Day.

To finance the 15-year, $40 million bond, the county plans to divert revenue raised by .1 mills of county property taxes from the county’s fire fund to the debt fund. For taxpayers in unincorporated Cobb and the cities of Acworth, Kennesaw and Powder Springs, the net effect on property taxes is zero because the increase to the debt fund is offset by the decrease in the fire fund.

But for residents in Austell, Marietta and Smyrna — who do not pay any taxes toward the fire fund because all three cities have their own fire department — the .1 mills increase in the debt fund is not offset by anything, leading to a slight property tax increase.

For a person with a $200,000 home in those three cities, it equates to about $8 more per year in property taxes.

“As a taxpayer, I can’t imagine that $8 a year — if I don’t get a park in my city — is going to make me change my vote,” said coalition member Denis Krusac of Acworth. “I mean, as a taxpayer, I would want you to be the most cost effective with the dollars.”

Roger Buerki of east Cobb sat on the citizen’s advisory committee for the first $40 parks bond that was passed by voters in 2006. The Commission-appointed members of the committee look at nominated parkland, and then make a recommendation to the county about which land it should purchase.

“When we set up the first citizen’s advisory committee, one of the thoughts behind it was that politics and real estate sometimes get mixed up,” Buerki said. “The idea of having this citizen’s committee back there is kind of a presence and it keeps things on the up and up and keeps them balanced.”

Members at the meeting agreed that they cannot simply ignore the potential damage the tax increase matter could create. In effect, they decided that getting residents of the three cities to contact their city council members and advocate for the parks bond would offer the best solution.
“If you know anyone in the cities, suggest that to these people,” Paulson advised members. “When they think of the rewards, the penalty to me is so minuscule that it’s almost laughable.”
The county has purchased more than 309 acres using $37.67 million of the first parks bond and still has more than $2 million left that they could use to purchase land.

mhoward@mdjonline.com

3 Cobb mayors put up fight against parks bond

2008-09-22T16:30:00.000-04:00

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution on Thursday, September 17, 2008 by Dan Chapman, AJC writer

Flush with $40 million in taxpayer-approved bonds, Cobb County officials set about two years ago buying up large tracts of land for much-needed parks. Green-space gems, like the Hyde and Bullard farms on each side of the county, were acquired to much public acclaim.

Cobb County commissioners figured that another $40 million bond, on the ballot Nov. 4, would be similarly welcomed.

But that was before it became clear this week that taxpayers in Marietta, Smyrna and Austell will see their taxes rise, albeit by a small amount, to finance the latest parks’ package. Those towns’ mayors have said they won’t endorse the financing formula unless they are guaranteed parks in or near their communities. Other county residents won’t pay more due to the bond’s unique financing method.

“I’m not opposed to the parks bond; I just want Marietta property owners to be treated fairly like the rest of the county,” said Mayor Bill Dunaway, adding that the upcoming bond could cost Marietta homeowners an additional $5 million in taxes over 15 years.

Sam Olens, who chairs the Cobb County Commission and strongly supports the bonds, said no deals will be made with Marietta, Smyrna and Austell.

Few Cobb residents dispute the need for more parks. Already, 90 percent of the county’s 220,000 acres are developed.

In 2006, more than 70 percent of voters approved the parks’ bond, which didn’t require any tax increase. A lengthy, and public, winnowing process reduced the number of properties for purchase to 18.

The county focused on plots that were large and/or historic. Eventually, five of the top six sites recommended by a citizens’ advisory committee were bought, including Hyde farm (135 acres along the Chattahoochee River in East Cobb) and Bullard farm (112 acres off Dallas Highway in West Cobb). In all, more than 300 acres have been placed into green perpetuity by the county.

“If you’re not thrilled by the last bond you’re an incorrigible cynic,” said Paul Paulson, who heads up a grass-roots organization that promotes the parks bonds. “Whether I live in Marietta or Austell, I’d be equally thrilled that the county bought property below Mableton.”

Only $3.5 million of the original $40 million remains uncommitted. It’s time, Paulson and Olens say, for another referendum.

A dozen of the initial 18 recommended sites remain high on the county’s wish list, including the 53-acre Tritt property on Roswell Road in Marietta. Bob Ash, director of the county’s Public Services Agency, said the souring economy should give the county more bang for its bond buck. The county owns or leases 5,439 acres of parkland.

Cobb’s recreational needs are shifting, Ash noted, with rugby, lacrosse, swimming and even water-polo aficionados looking for places to play. While big-acre plots remain a priority, park advocates and commissioners will also seek smaller, in-town properties if the November referendum passes.

Ash said so-called “pocket parks” – the county owns two of the traditional, city-styled parks with playgrounds and picnic tables – will likely be included. Oakdale Park, on Atlanta Road in Smyrna, fits the bill.

Koya Simpson, who played with daughter Sky at Oakdale earlier this week, said she’ll readily support another $40 million bond referendum.

“We need a place for kids to be happy and safe,” Simpson said. “And, it’s free.”

Maybe not. Simpson and fellow Mariettans, along with residents of Smyrna and Austell, would pay more. The owner of a $200,000 home would pay an additional $8 per year in taxes due to the complicated financing formula, which would transfer one-tenth of one mill from the county’s fire district tax to the county-wide debt service fund.

With fire departments of their own to support, the three towns don’t pay into the county’s fire service district.

On Sept. 3, the cities’ mayors wrote Olens to complain that the financing package would “unfairly impact” their taxpayers.

“I have asked Sam to either commit to buying some property within Marietta or give the Marietta parks department money for us to buy land,” Dunaway said via telephone Tuesday from Athens, Greece where he was vacationing. Olens said he wished Marietta, Smyrna and Austell wouldn’t have to pay additional taxes, but that it’s too late to rework the referendum in time for the Nov. 4 vote. He offered, instead, to appoint more Marietta-friendly members to the parks advisory committee.

“I made a good-faith attempt to assure (Dunaway) that we will look at the interests of the cities,” Olens said.

Parks bond concerns mayors

2008-09-22T16:12:00.001-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Friday, September 18, 2008 by Ashley Hungerford, MDJ staff writer

MARIETTA - Three of Cobb's mayors have some concerns with the county's effort to pass a second $40 million parks bond because they said their residents would "unfairly" get a tax increase.

Marietta Mayor Bill Dunaway, Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon and Austell Mayor Joe Jerkins sent a letter to Cobb Chairman Sam Olens on Sept. 3 expressing their concerns.

"It's a question of fairness," Dunaway said. "There is no reason why city residents should pay more."

Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon said he's not opposed another parks bond, but said he would like a better understanding of how the county plans to finance the bond and how it affects his residents.

"We've got a couple of issues and concerns about how they're financing it," Bacon said. "But I'm confident that we'll work out whatever disagreements."

Austell Mayor Joe Jerkins said he feels everyone should be treated fairly.

"I don't see how they can penalize our citizens because we have a fire department," he said.

The tax increase for property owners in the three cities is due to the complicated financing of the bond.

To finance the 15-year, $40 million bond, the county plans to divert revenue raised by .1 mills of county property taxes from the fire fund to the debt fund.

For taxpayers in unincorporated Cobb, Acworth, Kennesaw and Powder Springs, the net effect on property taxes is zero because the increase to the debt fund is offset by the decrease in the fire fund.

But for residents in Austell, Marietta and Smyrna, the .1 mills increase is the debt fund is not offset by anything, leading to a slight property tax increase.

All three of the cities have their own fire departments and do not pay any taxes toward the county's fire fund.

For a person with a $200,000 home in those three cities, it equates to about $8 more per year in property taxes.

Cobb Chairman Sam Olens said the property tax increase for the three cities was an "unintended consequence," due to the rush to get the resolution approved by the Cobb Commission in time to get the measure on the November ballot.

The grassroots effort, led by the Cobb Parks Coalition, began pushing for a second parks bond early in the summer. The Commission unanimously approved the measure in July.

"When (Dunaway) pointed that out to me, he was 100 percent correct," Olens said. "We just didn't think about it."

Although he agrees the parks bond would lead to a property tax increase for residents in the three cities, Olens does not agree that it means those taxpayers would be paying to fund the bonds.

"Everyone will be paying .22 mills for the parks bond," he said. "I'm sorry with the way it came out. We didn't catch it."

Paul Paulson, leader of the Cobb Parks Coalition, said the move to get another parks bond passed was not meant to hurt any particular jurisdiction.

"It's unfortunate the way this worked out," he said. "But I believe that they will see that the small amount of money won't discourage them from voting to approve the bond ... I've talked to many people who've said without equivocation it's still worth it."

The coalition has a booth at the North Georgia Fair to help draw support for the bond measure.

But Dunaway said he still has trouble supporting something that would unfairly affect his residents.

"I'm not opposed to the parks bond, but I cannot endorse something that is unfair to Marietta tax payers," he said. "Sam (Olens), quite frankly, has showed no interest in addressing the fairness. He calls it whining."

Dunaway said he would like for the county to either guarantee that the bond would be used to purchase parkland within the city of Marietta, or give money to Marietta's parks department to purchase parkland itself.

"The city of Marietta residents are county residents too," he said.

That point Olens and Dunaway agree on.

But Olens does not agree that the county should write a check to Marietta for them to purchase parks.

"Parks should not be viewed as a city and unincorporated fight," he said. "They should be enjoyed by all."

He also said such a move would be inconsistent with the resolution approved by the Commissioners to put the measure on the ballot.

As far as guaranteeing that parkland would be purchased in Marietta, Olens said that's the purpose the citizen's oversight committee.

The advisory committee, appointed by the Cobb Commissioners, looks at all the nominated parkland, and then makes a recommendation of which land the county should purchased.

"I encourage all the mayors and cities to nominate good property for the parks bond," he said.

With the first $40 million parks bond, Cobb secured five of the six top properties proposed by the advisory committee.

Olens said he would agree to have one of his nominations onto the advisory committee be a city resident.

Larry Ceminsky, a member of the first advisory committee, agrees the financing was just an "unintended consequence," but said it won't stop him from supporting the bond.

"I would hope people realized we don't just live and stay in Marietta," Ceminsky, a Marietta resident, said. "I would hope we would go to parks throughout the county ... I think it's just a small price to pay for the value and benefit preserving parkland brings. I'm excited about the opportunity to acquire more parks space."

The county has purchased more than 309 acres using $37.67 million of the $40 million parks bond approved by voters in 2006. The county still has more than $2 million left that they could still use to purchase land.

The purchases include the 137.45-acre Stana property on Brownsville Road in southwest Cobb, $5.76 million; 112 acres of the Bullard-Stockton tract along Dallas Highway in west Cobb, $18.6 million; 26.5 acres of the Mabry Centennial Farm at the corner of Wesley Chapel and Sandy Plains Roads, $4.2 million; 16 acres near Henderson Road off Veteran's Memorial Highway near the Chattahoochee River, $2.4 million; and 17.7 acres of the Price property at Stilesboro Road near Acworth-Due West Road, $1.4 million.

The county will also use $5 million of the parks bond money to help purchase the 95-acre Hyde Farm in east Cobb.

ahungerford@mdjonline.com

Parks Coalition picks up $ award

2008-07-26T13:26:00.001-04:00

From the "Around Town" column of the Marietta Daily Journal on Saturday, July 26, 2008 by Around Town columnists Bill Kinney, Otis Brumby, and Joe Kirby

THE PUSH for a second parks-bond referendum got two big shots in the arm this week. The first came on Tuesday, when the Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to add the $40 million proposal to the November General Election ballot.

The second came Friday with the news that the Cobb Parks Coalition is the recipient of one of six $7,500 Park Pride Community Awards handed out this year in conjunction with Turner Broadcasting's Peachtree TV (Channel 17). In addition, the Coalition's efforts will be profiled in a 30-second Public Service Announcement on Channel 17 that will air three to five times per day starting in October. The PSA will be filmed by Peachtree, probably at the Hyde Farm in east Cobb.

"This takes care of all our money concerns and then some," said Coalition spokesman Paul Paulson. "We won't need to pass the hat at any future Coalition meetings."

Board thanked for parks bond vote

2008-07-26T13:19:00.000-04:00

A letter to the editor by Jackie Belwood and Dennis Krusac of the Georgia Coalition for No Child Left Inside, published in the Marietta Daily Journal on Saturday, July 26, 2008

In the July 15 MDJ Letters to the Editor, writer Peggy Weymouth suggested there is no need for a new parks bond because parks would draw perverts to prey on our children.

She states, "Just look at the statistics and vote with your brain instead of your emotions." That is exactly what we plan to do and here are the statistics.

FBI statistics show all categories of crime are down. Between 1993 and 2003, sex offenses against children ages 12 - 17 decreased 79 percent. Assaults on children of all ages decreased by 39 percent. Kidnapping and sex crimes against children are 10 times more likely to be committed by parents, relatives or acquaintances then strangers. Sixty-four percent of violent crimes against children occur at home, while only 19 percent occur outside. GBI crime statistics for this time period show similar trends.

Health statistics indicate childhood obesity, diabetes, depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are all up. Last week the American Academy of Pediatrics suggested screening cholesterol levels of children as young as two. Evidence suggests unstructured play in natural settings improves children's physical and mental health. We suggest reading "Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder" by Richard Louv and viewing the PBS documentary "Where do the Children Play" for more information.

We thank the Cobb County Commissioners for placing another parks bond on the November ballot, and encourage the public to vote for it. Our children's future and our quality of life depend on it.

Jackie Belwood
Dennis Krusac
Georgia Coalition for No Child Left Inside
Acworth

Rousing applause for Cobb on parks

2008-07-25T14:44:00.000-04:00

A letter to the editor by Jimmy Gisi, published in the Marietta Daily Journal on Friday, July 25, 2008

With the Cobb County Board of Commissioners' unanimous vote to place a second bond issue for park land on the ballot this fall, I felt compelled to stand and give them a rousing round of applause for two reasons.

First of all is their commitment to leaving Cobb County a better place than they found it.

Park land, even if it is not developed for several years, ensures that future generations will have green space to enjoy their leisure time.

A movement has begun throughout the country to get our children from behind computer screens and off the couches and to get them outside again. These less-active children have caused an increase in childhood obesity at an alarming rate which in turn contributes to the rising cost of health care. With Cobb County's existing park land inventory and the land that could be purchased with another bond program, we would be well prepared to meet this demand for years to come.

The second reason for my applause is the fact that by their vote to place it on the ballot, they have afforded Cobb County residents the right to make the final decision. Many jurisdictions do not afford their residents this opportunity and that is a shame.

There are very few governments in our state that have shown this type of commitment to the acquisition of green space. Many of them will say that it is important, but they do nothing. Cobb County has a proven nomination/selection process that was used with the 2006 parks bond program and, if passed, I'm sure they will be just as successful with the 2008 parks bond program.

Jimmy Gisi, CPRP
Executive Director
Georgia Recreation and Park Association
Conyers

Voters to decide on parks bond

2008-07-23T18:46:00.000-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Wednesday, July 23, 2008 by Ashley Hungerford, MDJ staff writer

MARIETTA - The Cobb Board of Commissioners unanimously approved on Tuesday night to place a referendum for another $40 million parks bond on the Nov. 4 ballot.

After commissioners approved moving forward with the referendum, the green-clad crowd in the room erupted into applause. Cobb Parks Coalition, a grassroots group, had earlier encouraged supporters to attend wearing green.

Public Services Agency director Bob Ash called the grassroots campaign for a follow-up parks bond "a terrific example of democracy."

"As we've seen in recent weeks, and following on the successful 2006 program, there has been another ground swell of people supporting another parks bond," he said. "These people understand the needs and came forward to represent this effort."

Seven people addressed the Commission during the public comment section and four of them were related to the parks bond.

David Burn of Kennesaw said the Commission is leaving a good legacy by putting so much effort into preserving parkland.

"You did a good job two years ago and I would like to see it done again," he said. "There are just all sorts of places we don't want to be razed."

He said now is a great time to buy parkland, when major developers don't have the money.

The referendum comes on the heels of what county leaders consider "a successful program," where the county used more than $37 million from the original $40 million parks bond approved in 2006 to acquire more than 300 acres of parkland.

Some of the larger tracts included the 112-acre Bullard Stockton Tract on Dallas Highway in west Cobb for $18.6 million and the 137.45-acre Stana property on Brownsville Road in southwest Cobb for $5.76 million.

The county will also use $5 million from the original parks bond to help purchase the 95-acre Hyde Farm in east Cobb. The Trust for Public Land purchased the working farm off Lower Roswell Road for $14.19 million in June. The land will eventually be divided between Cobb County and the National Park Service.

The referendum before voters in November will follow the 2006 parks bond format, Ash said.

Each commissioner will appoint three citizens to a Citizen Committee that will advise the board of potential purchases. Monies will be used exclusively for acquiring land for public parks within the county from willing sellers. The parks bond will be issued without a tax increase.

The county would pay for the 15-year, $40 million parks bond by diverting revenue raised from .1 mills of property taxes from the fire fund to the debt fund. Cobb's total millage is 9.6 mills, meaning property owners pay $9.60 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Currently, 6.82 mills go to the county's general fund, 2.56 mills to the fire fund and 0.22 mills to debt-service. Officials said the fire fund has a surplus.

Since the Commission approved the referendum, Cobb Chairman Sam Olens said commissioners could no longer advocate for the ballot issue, but could "educate" residents on what the parks bond would do.

He said the advocating is now left up to the residents.

ahungerford@mdjonline.com

Board should do right tonight on parks bond

2008-07-22T15:07:00.000-04:00

An editorial published in the Marietta Daily Journal on Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Cobb County needs more parks. We're not growing quite as fast as we once were, but our population will continue to expand in the decades to come.

Moreover, we were late to the table in terms of parkland acquisition. Unlike many long-established communities, Cobb didn't focus on acquiring land for parks until the 1960s, and even then was unable to keep up with the population explosion of the 1970s, '80s and '90s. Up until the late 1960s, the prevailing thinking was that the presence of 3,000-acre Kennesaw National Battlefield Park here was sufficient to fulfill the county's need for parkland, even though it is a historic park, not a recreational one.

The county steadily bought parcels here and there in recent decades for parks, but there was no concerted push for parkland acquisition until 2006, when a grassroots group, the Cobb Parks Coalition, successfully masterminded passage of a $40 million bond for buying parkland.

The measure did not involve a tax increase and was supported by 70 percent of voters.

That $40 million has revitalized the county's park-purchase program, but the need still exists for more parks. Hence, tonight's expected vote by the Cobb Board of Commissioners for another $40 million parks bond. Like the first, it would not involve a tax increase. The measure before the board tonight would put the issue on the November general election ballot, giving county residents the final say on whether to approve it.

Also tonight, the board is expected to vote to authorize requests for proposals for a firm to draw up a master plan for the Bullard/Stockton property at the intersection of Dallas Highway and Old Hamilton Road in west Cobb, which was one of the flagship properties acquired with the help of the first bond.

All five of Cobb's commissioners have indicated their support for the bond proposal, as have the challengers for two of those seats in this fall's elections.

At this point, the second bond proposal is as close to non-controversial as such a measure could ever be.

With that in mind, and with the need for more parkland still obvious, it is clearly in the county's best interest that the board vote tonight to add it to the November ballot.

We're confident they will do so - and confident as well that November voters will do the right thing as well.

Coalition pushing for parks referendum

2008-07-22T15:03:00.001-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Tuesday, July 22, 2008 by Ashley Hungerford, MDJ staff writer

MARIETTA - The Cobb Parks Coalition wants to make sure the Cobb Board of Commissioners are thinking green today when the Commissioners vote on adding a $40 million parks bond referendum to the Nov. 4 general election ballot.

Coalition leader Paul Paulson said his group is encouraging all parks supporters to wear green to tonight's Commission meeting. It begins at 7 p.m. in the board meeting room, 100 Cherokee St. in Marietta.

"It's nice for the commissioners to see people come and show their support," Paulson said. "This is a grassroots effort, and we're willing to go to war to campaign for this to pass."

Paulson said he is confident that the commission will unanimously approve the parks bond referendum.

Chairman Sam Olens said he could not speak for the other commissioners, but that he has only heard "positive statements" about approving a parks bond.

County officials say the parks bond would not require a tax increase. The county would pay for the 15-year, $40 million parks bond by diverting revenue raised from .1 mills of property taxes from the fire fund to the debt fund. Cobb's total millage is 9.6 mills, meaning property owners pay $9.60 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Currently, 6.82 mills go to the county's general fund; 2.56 mills to the fire fund; and 0.22 mills to debt-service. Officials said the fire fund has a surplus.

The Commissioners would appoint a three-member [per Commissioner] citizens committee to suggest which properties to purchase.

The Commission is also expected to vote on seeking bids for a master plan to govern recreational developments on the Bullard/Stockton property.

Paulson said he is encouraged the Commission is moving to make that land, on Dallas Highway at Old Hamilton Road in west Cobb, a useable park.

The county purchased the 112-acre tract earlier this year, using $18.6 million of the original $40 million parks bond. About 70 percent of the voters approved that bond in 2006.

The parks bond was only used to acquire property, and there is not money in the bonds to develop the parks. If the second parks bond is approved, it will also be for acquisition.

Olens said the west Cobb property "seemed an appropriate place to start" when developing a master plan to take effect when money becomes available.

"The Bullard/Stockton property is clearly on people's mind in west Cobb," he said.

(The article goes on to other topics.)

ahungerford@mdjonline.com

Cobb's push to save greenspace commendable

2008-07-22T15:01:00.000-04:00

A letter to the editor by Sally Bethea, published in the Marietta Daily Journal on Wednesday, July 22, 2008

Cobb County's recent purchase of undeveloped land for protection and preservation, and its commitment to make more such investments, is indeed commendable.

One reason green space protection is important is underscored by the current drought in north Georgia - natural areas help conserve water.

Not only does undeveloped land not require additional water supplies, these areas allow rainwater to be absorbed into the soil where it can flow slowly through underground channels to sustain streams during droughts with what is called "base flow." Hard surfaces such as roads, parking lots and rooftops cause rainwater to move rapidly away, wasting it and often resulting in downstream flooding and pollution.

Of course, no county can afford to buy and protect all the land needed to restore the natural hydrologic functions lost to development; however, local governments such as Cobb are providing excellent examples to private landowners and developers to set aside permanent green space in their projects and to use pervious paving wherever possible.

Sally Bethea
Executive Director, Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper
Atlanta

Parks add to value, don't cause crime

2008-07-22T14:59:00.000-04:00

A letter to the editor by Johnny Plunkett, published in the Marietta Daily Journal on Wednesday, July 22, 2008

Re: Peggy Weymouth letter, "No 'parks for perverts,' vote no on bond," July 15 MDJ

I was appalled at the letter suggesting that voting for the parks bond issue would encourage crime and threaten children. Kids get into more dangerous situations wandering the streets with nothing to do than from having a neighborhood park. Common sense would say that children in an urban ghetto have a lower quality of life, with more access to drugs and gangs, than kids do out in the country where there is more open land. A community full of fat, lazy, hyperactive, little couch potatoes is worse than one where kids can go outside to play. If local parks are a bad thing, then can someone find a neighborhood in Cobb County that wants one replaced with another condominium or convenience store?

Parkland does not take money off the property tax rolls because house values go up in neighborhoods with parks. If you visit old parts of Atlanta you will find that in the olden days, when developers were less greedy, subdivisions with words like Park, Forest and Trail in the name actually had one.

Johnny Plunkett
Smyrna

Park opponent part of problem, not solution

2008-07-16T15:21:00.001-04:00

A letter to the editor by Rich Schick, published in the Marietta Daily Journal on Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Tuesday's letter to the editor by Peggy Weymouth urging people not to vote for the parks bond identified her as part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

She is willing to sacrifice her quality of life rather than fight for that right. Keeping our parks and neighborhoods safe and free of "perverts and drug dealers," as she put it, is not just the job of our law enforcement agencies, it is also our responsibility.

Simply dialing 911 on your cell phone and reporting suspicious activity will have a huge impact. Going to your local park or for a walk in your neighborhood with your cell phone will have a dual impact. The mere presence of respectable citizens will in itself deter the criminal element. This process is well proven and widely adopted in the Neighborhood Watch system.

Rich Schick
Marietta

No 'Parks for Perverts,' vote no on bond

2008-07-15T11:39:00.003-04:00

A letter to the editor by Peggy Weymouth, published in the Marietta Daily Journal on Tuesday, July 15, 2008

I would like to voice my opposition to the proposed parks bond. First let me say I used to love parks. I grew up playing in parks, but back then they were used as intended and we did not have a drug problem in America.

Today, parks became hangouts for drug dealers and perverts. We should call this project, "Parks for Perverts." It won't happen right away, but sooner or later it does happen, everywhere in America.

Just look at Atlanta. Even the pretty little pocket parks become unsafe and Chastain has had its share of rapes and murders.

There isn't enough money in local and state budgets to provide 24-hour security and even if they did, parks budget would be the first thing cut in lean times.

This parks acquisition seems to be a feel-good issue and all I've heard are syrupy letters from politicians and people with jobs tied to this issue. It's a very idealistic notion that these parks are going to stay pretty little places for children. Just look at statistics and vote with your brain instead of your emotions.

I will vote no on this issue.

Peggy Weymouth
East Cobb

Put parks bond on the ballot

2008-07-15T11:37:00.001-04:00

A letter to the editor by Allen Bogenschutz, published in the Marietta Daily Journal on Tuesday, July 15, 2008

I am a 35-year resident of District 1 in west Cobb and continue to quietly stay abreast of development efforts in our part of the county. As you know, we have seen many changes in the last 35 years.

I support "Land for Parks" by raising an additional $40 million to be paid for by transferring money from the fire fund to the debt fund.

This is our opportunity to continue to shape our county with forethought and planning. Please support putting this measure on the ballot for the voters to decide.

Allen Bogenschutz
Powder Springs

Bad economy's silver (and green) lining

2008-07-14T16:52:00.001-04:00

A opinion published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday, July 14, 2008 written by guest columnist Paul Paulson, founding member of the Cobb Parks Coalition

Two years ago in Cobb County and other metropolitan areas across the land, the good economic times were killing us.

With more than 90 percent of our heritage paved over, a handful of Cobb citizens spoke up when one of the last historic farms, Bullard, was put on the block, earmarked for sacrifice.

We called for salvation - buy the best of what's left before it's all gone. Land prices were appreciating at an annual 9 percent rate in the spring of 2006. The chairman of the Cobb County Commission, Sam Olens, listened and answered with a painless solution. An about-to-be-retired $40 million bond could be rolled over and spent for this higher purpose without a tax increase if the voters approved. On Nov. 7, 2006, the people answered, with 72 percent approving the Land for Parks Bond.

But that wasn't the end. We had to spend the money wisely, secure the best, politics be damned. The citizens were to assess the land available and rank the results. Then, deals must be struck. Not easy. There were no guarantees.

Bullard was chosen among the top two of the 18 selected out of the nearly 100 nominated properties as the most critical to save. The Cobb Parks Citizens Advisory Committee chose Bullard even though it was aware that a court challenge was still pending on the county's denial of a zoning request to allow a Florida mall developer to construct a massive mixed-use project on the 112-acre farm.

And now, who would have thought? We are on the verge of collapse; the real estate market, that is. It softened like a Dairy Queen sundae on a July afternoon.

So now Cobb County holds claim to those 112 Bullard acres, the fields, the forest, that 1840s farmhouse. Our heritage has been protected, purchased with the bond money granted by the electorate in 2006. The economy spoke, that fat Florida development company quickly saw the light and pulled the plug on its claim, leaving the Bullard clan with few options except to deal with Olens. The heirs settled on a price of $18 million, about half what big development was offering. Thank you, Bullards.

So, now, even though many cry the blues because the "good" times have gone, I feel better.

Without the downturn, we'd most likely be shopping somewhere near where that old house stands, or visiting the "Dinosaur Park" the developer promised. Instead, a future child will get to feel a bit of what drew his ancestors here in the first place.

Maybe we're just learning a lesson. Maybe we put too much faith in land and money and forgot about the intrinsic values home provides.

Thank you, down economy. You may be our salvation.

> Paul Paulson lives in Powder Springs.

Need exists for follow-up parks bond

2008-07-14T16:48:00.000-04:00

A letter to the editor by Keli Gambrill, published in the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday (and Monday), July 13, 2008

I was your typical west Cobb resident. I enjoyed the area. Then one day a yellow zoning sign appeared behind my home.

My home is located on a half-acre parcel (20,000 square feet) surrounded by property we thought would be developed in a similar manner. However, the application was for Residential Senior Living with homes spaced 10 feet apart on approximately 7,000 square foot lots.

How can this happen? I then became involved with an organization named People Looking After Neighborhoods (PLAN). Through the help of PLAN, we were able to present our concerns regarding density, storm water runoff and lack of green space. While the board of commissioners approved the zoning at a lower density, with enormous storm water detention ponds, very little green space remained for the residents.

In 2006 the voters of Cobb County approved a bond referendum for $40 million for the purchase of parks and green space. West Cobb will benefit greatly from the acquisition of the 18 acres off of Stilesboro Road and the 112-acre Bullard Property at the corner of Dallas Highway and Old Hamilton Road.

While quality of life will be enhanced throughout Cobb County with parks and green space that has been purchased for the residents through the 2006 Bond Referendum, residents of Cobb County need to remind the Board of Commissioners (Chairman Sam Olens, Helen Goreham, Tim Lee, Annette Kesting and Joe Lee Thompson) to place this same emphasis and enthusiasm on preserving green space and the character of an area when reviewing future zoning applications and development initiatives.

Preserving the little remaining suburban character of Cobb is critical and can be achieved through proper development and in the acquisition of additional passive parklands. The voters proved in 2006 that parks and green space were desirable and we are ready to support it once again in 2008.

Keli Gambrill
Marietta

When it comes to meeting Cobb's greenspace needs, We’re Not Done Yet

2008-07-07T09:34:00.003-04:00

A More Opinions contribution by Joni House, founding member of the Cobb Parks Coalition, published in the Marietta Daily Journal on Monday, July 7, 2008

The first thing we noticed was the sound. Or lack of sound. With the traffic noise gone, we could hear voices carrying across the pond, a few higher-pitched notes of children's laughter and the beginnings of an insect chorus.

It was 8:30 on a recent Friday night and I had persuaded a friend to come along to see what people "did" with greenspace.

What can I bring he asked. Nothing, I said. It's not wilderness, it's woods. And a pond, and frogs, and a bunch of kids with flashlights, some grownups like us who like burned marshmallows, and a well-known local naturalist with a passion for sharing the secrets of this little slice of heaven.

But what will we do, he insisted. Well, there's not really an agenda, I said. We couldn't have planned to find that Fowler's toad and carry it almost all the way back to the group before it did what toads do in human hands. (Screaming, I let it go). My friend hadn't planned on gallantly finding a replacement toad, popping it safely into a comfortable vented jar, and becoming the hero of several little children who could now get a really close look at the creature. A little boy about 5 took reluctant turns with a slightly older girl carrying the toad along on the group hike around the pond.

And after dark, the chorus of frogs started. We could hear what sounded like a sheep's "baa" from somewhere out on the pond. Miraculous that just after the glowing green eyes of a spider in the trees (flashlights were definitely handy), our guide found on our path a giant specimen of the baaa-ing toad. Amazing that all the moms and dads and children could stop in their tracks long enough for our guide to pick the frog up. Then all of us shined our flashlights on the enormous creature (it was a two-hander, even for the experienced).

"Make it baaa, make it baaa."

And it did. Everyone applauded: grandparents, moms, dads, and even the cranky toddler who was having too much fun to stay asleep on this dad's shoulder.

So we went to the woods on a Friday. For what? Greenspace invites us to just be in it. Funny how there's always plenty to do once you get there. Somewhere between the car and the pond I lost my to-do list and my headache on that Friday. I had a serious conversation about bats with an 8 year old. I enjoyed the company of people who, like me, seemed to arrive tired and leave refreshed. My ears and eyes got a vacation for a while.

Cobb has started a legacy investment to make sure that everyone in this county can have time in the woods. The land purchases under the 2006 greenspace bond were made with vigorous citizen input and careful analysis. The county commission paid serious attention to the citizens' group in giving staff direction and priorities for land purchases. County staff rose to the challenge of executing a daunting new program and diligently pursued the recommended properties.

Chairman Sam Olens took the bold and unusual step of maximizing the transparency of the process by appointing three citizens to monitor the county's negotiations and land purchase progress.

Throughout the entire greenspace land purchase process, the county has demonstrated good stewardship of public funds. They have earned our trust and thanks.

We now have the opportunity to issue another $40 million in greenspace bonds, again with no tax increase. There may be additional land parcels now available that were out of reach or not on the market during the first purchases. There are still parcels from the first land nominations that were highly desirable but could not be purchased due to limited funding.

Most important, there are still areas that need to be preserved to ensure that all Cobb citizens have access to greenspace, both now and in the future.

The bonds won't be issued without a referendum, which is conducted by ballot during the November election. The Board of Commissioners has to vote to put the issue on the ballot. The first step is to contact your commissioner and urge him or her to put the greenspace bond issue on the November ballot. It's a no-brainer that Cobb citizens should be able to vote on whether to buy more greenspace. Let your commissioner know that you agree.

Joni House is president of The Grayfen Group, a management consulting company based in Marietta. She is co-chair of the Friends of Hyde Farm, and served as Vice Chair of the Cobb Parks Bond Citizens Advisory Committee, the group charged with recommending the parcels to be purchased with the 2006 bond monies for greenspace acquisition. She has worked with the Cobb Parks Coalition and is a member of Leadership Cobb Class of 2006.

Stand up, speak up for Cobb parkland

2008-07-06T08:54:00.000-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday, July 6, 2008 by MDJ columnist Laura Armstrong

I'm an American who believes flag waving is patriotic.

I wear an Old Glory lapel pin when in the company of folks who appreciate the symbolism, and I believe in participating in my government when possible. For me, that means working on elections for people I believe in and getting involved in efforts to make my community better.

I try hard to respect my ideological counterparts, even when we disagree on everything. The greatness of this country has always been that the majority can agree to disagree, live in relative peace and even be best friends.

And when we have a chance to get together on things, we really shine. That's what America is all about.

Think of the cities, the innovations, the monuments, the freedom and opportunities that continue to draw people from around the world. America from the start was a dream, conceived by visionaries and built by pioneers. In so many cases, they created greatness out of absolutely nothing.

These thoughts crossed my mind last Sunday afternoon while perched on a folding chair in Paul Paulson's west Cobb workshop, one of about 50 folks who'd come together from around the county. Politics aside, we artfully arranged our chairs into a huge oval within Paulson's open, hangar-like workshop, introduced ourselves in turn, and hoped we would hear how the county could buy more parkland without raising taxes.

Commission Chairman Sam Olens, appropriately attired in Bermuda shorts, did not disappoint us.

Olens explained how Cobb's firefighter's fund has grown at a greater rate than projected and, if citizens were interested, could provide another $40 million to be used for parkland acquisition with absolutely no tax increase.

"The time to invest is in a down market," Olens suggested.

Within minutes, Paulson, who organized the popular 2006 parks bond campaign, announced the re-establishment of the all-volunteer Cobb Parks Coalition.

It was an amazing meeting. Many in attendance have already given multiple hours of their time and talents to help identify land parcels for future development, not into just another dry cleaner or tire store, but into parks, with all their various uses. And they want to do more.

The coalition seeks your immediate involvement in their grassroots mission, which includes contacting your commissioner ASAP and asking for this new initiative to be placed on the ballot in November.

Consider, as they do: How can all Cobb citizens be ensured access to a nearby park? In what new locations might future generations find sanctuary after the rush of the commute, or take a brisk morning walk as the sun rises over the treetops? Will every mother have a safe place to stroll or picnic, away from traffic, and watch her children discover the joys of nature or a well-planned playground?

As the holiday weekend winds down, remember the important role of our parks in making Cobb a great place to live and raise a family. Then visit http://cobbparks.blogspot.com/ and decide how you will make a difference.

This opportunity is here for all of us, together. Together we made it happen once, so let's do it again.

lbarmstrong3378@comcast.net

With commission aboard, parks bond looks like a go

2008-07-06T08:52:00.000-04:00

A editorial published in the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday, July 6, 2008

It looks like a foregone conclusion that the Nov. 4 election ballot in Cobb County, in addition to offering the choices for president of the United States, will also ask local voters whether they approve of spending $40 million to buy land for future county parks.

All five Cobb Commissioners are on board for the plan, which should make a formality of the July 22 vote at which they will decide whether to add it to the ballot.

The first $40 million parks bond was passed overwhelmingly by local voters in 2006, and nearly all of that money now has been spent, and without a hint of scandal or favoritism. In return, the public is now the proud owner of five sizeable tracts and a big part of another (the Hyde Farm), all of which will be turned into parks.

Now, with the real estate market in a deep slump and little price competition from developers, it makes perfect sense to build on the success of the first bond by following it with a second bond of comparable size. Like the first, the second bond would not cause an increase in local taxes.

The emphasis the first time around was on acquiring some of the few remaining undeveloped tracts large enough to be transformed into parks. This time around, the emphasis will probably be broader, that is, on acquiring a mix of sizes.

"I believe this time we need to look more closely at areas in the county that are not served by parks and make adding parks to those areas a top priority, no matter the size," said east Cobb Commissioner Tim Lee. "I would advocate for pocket parks, assemblage of property that may provide connectivity between existing parks and trails, and redevelopment sites as well that might make sense to convert to green space."

And while the first time around the push was for acquiring land for passive parks, as opposed to recreational parks, the emphasis this time may be more broad based, the thought being to go ahead and buy the land now while it's still comparatively cheap and then worry about its exact use later, based on needs and the desires of those nearby.

So we would encourage the commission to vote July 22 to put the measure on the fall ballot, and would encourage grassroots groups who were so successful in 2006 to pick back up where they left off. After that, it's up to the voters.

Supports push for parks bond

2008-07-05T09:48:00.000-04:00

A letter to the editor by Brian Bailey, published in the Marietta Daily Journal on Saturday, July 5, 2008

Feeling it was time to get personally involved in Cobb County's efforts to secure green space, I attended the most recent meeting of the Cobb Parks Coalition.

Also in attendance among the fifty-some people were Commissioners Sam Olens, Tim Lee and Helen Goreham. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the County's track record so far at purchasing the little remaining green space left in the County, and its hopes to rekindle public interest in purchasing more.

To achieve these efforts at protecting open space, the Commissioners need to hear the public's support for a new Cobb parks referendum for this November's General Election ballot. The commission will have to act at this month's meeting to get the measure on the ballot. They need hear how much support there is for parks before this meeting.

Cobb has spent most of the $40 million from the last parks bond and has done an admirable job at keeping the best interests of Cobb's taxpayers first and foremost. Not only in terms of protecting open space, but in doing so in the most economical ways possible. Through negotiation for the lowest cost and buying open lands in strategic parts of the County, they are weaving an ever-growing tapestry of parklands throughout our growing County.

Green spaces will become increasingly important to Cobb residents who opt to pursue outdoor activities closer to home as well as act as a balance to development throughout the county. Please support increasing the purchase of parkland in Cobb County.

Brian Bailey
Powder Springs

Second parks bond backed, but not if it means new taxes

2008-07-03T15:41:00.000-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Thursday, July 3, 2008 by Ashley Hungerford, staff writer

MARIETTA - Cobb voters will likely have one more thing to decide on Nov. 4 - whether to approve a second $40 million parks bond. No tax increase would be required, commissioners say.

All five commissioners told the Journal they support putting a second parks bond on the Nov. 4 ballot. In 2006, voters overwhelmingly supported the original $40 million parks bond.

"It certainly adds to the quality of life for everyone that takes advantage of the parks," said Commissioner Tim Lee. "I am in support of second parks bond, but recognize the importance of community support and approval of Cobb residents."

Commissioners are expected to decide by their July 22 meeting whether to seek the referendum on Nov. 4. At least three commissioners, a majority, must approve to make that happen.

But all five commissioners were also clear that they would not support raising taxes for parks.

Chairman Sam Olens said the county would pay for the 15-year, $40 million parks bond by diverting revenue raised by .1 mills of county property taxes from the fire fund to the debt fund. Cobb's total millage is 9.6 mills, meaning property owners pay $9.60 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Of the county's mills, 6.82 mills go to the county's general fund; 2.56 mills to the fire fund; and 0.22 mills to debt-service.

"The transfer will permit fire and emergency services to fully fund needed improvements," Olens said.

Commissioner Annette Kesting, who represents southwest Cobb, said: "As a tax payer of Cobb County, I will not support a tax increase for the purchase of additional park land, and I don't believe the voters of District 4 will support a tax increase to purchase parkland."

Most of the commissioners agree that purchasing properties, rather than developing the parks, should be the priority.

"Because of the scarcity of land, I would focus on just the acquisition of land," Commissioner Joe Lee Thompson said.

The county's Community Development Office reported this year that only 14 percent of the county remains un/underdeveloped.

Commissioner Helen Goreham, of northwest Cobb, and Kesting represent the areas with the most available acreage.

"Since Cobb County is nearly built-out, it is imperative that this bond be used for the acquisition of land," Goreham said. "However, the board needs to examine ways in which we can increase public usage of our properties without expending significant amounts of money."

Challengers for seats on the commission agree on the need to purchase parkland.

Bob Ott and Ron Sifen, Republicans challenging Thompson in the July 15 primary, both said they support the bond effort.

Ott said the bond should be part of a comprehensive plan to fund future parkland and green space.

"Because of the nature and location of the available land, the longer the county waits to purchase land in the more populated areas of the county, the less affordable and available it becomes," Ott said. More parks make the county a more desirable place to live, he said.

"The current real-estate market provides a unique opportunity to acquire needed green space at potentially affordable prices," Sifen said. "Green-space acquisition should be a priority now."

Candidates seeking Kesting's commission seat also favor the park plan.

Former Commissioner Woody Thompson said should purchase more parkland "while the prices are right."

Dr. Michael Rhett, a Democrat, said the Board of Commissioners "has a history of spending money wisely on parks and recreation."

Republican Barbara Hickey said, "The future will determine that Cobb County was not only fiscally responsible in its parkland purchases, but showed bold vision in planning for the sense of community it adds for its citizens."

Clarice Barber-Page and Elma Forest did not respond by press time, but both have previously expressed support for a second parks bond.

ahungerford@mdjonline.com

Wish list includes small tracts for pocket parks

2008-07-03T15:36:00.000-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Thursday, July 3, 2008 by Ashley Hungerford, staff writer

MARIETTA - Size doesn't matter, commissioners say.

As they consider whether to ask voters to approve a second $40 million bond to purchase parkland, members of the Board of Commissioners say the wish lists will include small tracts that could be used as pocket parks.

"The first bond emphasized large tracts of land that were in danger of being developed soon," Cobb Chairman Sam Olens said. "The second bond must consider both small and large tracts, choosing the best lands, to specifically consider parts of the county that did not receive new park land with the first bond."

Commissioner Tim Lee said adding parks to areas not already served should be top priority, "no matter what the size."

Lee noted that the cost per acre fluctuates dramatically through the county. Land in west Cobb, where large tracts of undeveloped land are more plentiful, cost less than similar tracts in east Cobb.

"I would advocate for pocket parks, assemblage of property that may provide connectivity between existing parks and trails, and redevelopment sites, as well, that might make sense to convertto green space," he said.

Commissioner Helen Goreham said the county should again allow a citizen oversight committee to prioritize properties, taking into consideration "price, historical significance and ecological features."

In 2006, an advisory committee prioritized potential properties into four tiers. That complete list can be found at http://prca.cobbcountyga.gov/parks-bond-info.htm

The county secured five of the six top properties proposed by the advisory committee. The sixth is a 54-acre tract owned by Wylene Tritt, on Roswell Road in northeast Cobb. The county is still negotiating that purchase.

Paul Paulson, leader of the Cobb Parks Coalition, said he also has others in mind that have potential to benefit the county, such as more than 20 acres owned by the Canup family on Villa Rica Road in west Cobb.

Although the county will likely pursue properties still on the list from 2006, Olens said new properties could be considered. But he encourages residents to contact the property owners before nominating a property to make sure they are interested.

Public input is key to the parks plan, leaders agree.

"Because the county is faced with runaway growth and mounting urban pressures, I believe the county should focus on a program that has unprecedented public support for the success of the program," Commissioner Annette Kesting said.

The county has purchased more than 309 acres using $37.67 million of the $40 million parks bond approved by voters in 2006. The county still has more than $2 million left that they could still use to purchase land.

The purchases include the 137.45-acre Stana property on Brownsville Road in southwest Cobb, $5.76 million; 112 acres of the Bullard-Stockton tract along Dallas Highway in west Cobb, $18.6 million; 26.5 acres of the Mabry Centennial Farm at the corner of Wesley Chapel and Sandy Plains Roads, $4.2 million; 16 acres near Henderson Road off Veteran's Memorial Highway near the Chattahoochee River, $2.4 million; and 17.7 acres of the Price property at Stilesboro Road near Acworth-Due West Road, $1.4 million.

The county will also use $5 million of the parks bond money to help purchase the 95-acre Hyde Farm in east Cobb.

The Trust for Public Land purchased that working farm off Lower Roswell Road for $14.19 million in June. The land will eventually be divided between Cobb County and the National Park Service.

ahungerford@mdjonline.com

Passage of parks bond would continue momentum

2008-07-03T15:31:00.001-04:00

A letter to the editor by Dave McDaniel, vice-president of the Mableton Improvement Coalition, published in the Marietta Daily Journal on Thursday, July 3, 2008

Last Sunday, June 29, a concerned group of Cobb County citizens met at Paul Paulson's home in Powder Springs. The 45-50 people in attendance were a cross section from all over the county and from many walks of life.

The purpose was to discuss the potential for getting a referendum on the November ballot to enable purchasing more parkland with another $40 million bond without a tax increase. It can happen. Greater emphasis this time needs to be placed on pocket parks to diversify recreational opportunities. We need to continue the momentum of a very successful acquisition effort following the 72 percent voter approval for the 2006 parks bond referendum. Soon the county will have acquired more than 400 acres of green space for the enjoyment of generations to come, landscape that Mother Nature would take more than a lifetime to replace.

Much needs to be done to bring the matter to a referendum vote. Cobb residents need to express their support to their commissioners by July 15 for the commissioners to discuss and vote on the matter by July 22. Join the Mableton Improvement Coalition board in joining the Cobb Parks Coalition.

Dave McDaniel
Vice President
Mableton Improvement Coalition

District 4 forum sparks debates

2008-07-02T20:42:00.000-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Wednesday, July 2, 2008 by Ashley Hungerford, staff writer

MABLETON - A last minute question about tax issues in Cobb during the Mableton Improvement Coalition forum for District 4 Commission candidates drew a strong response from incumbent Commissioner Annette Kesting.

"That's a great issue, but I didn't want to be the troublemaker talking about taxes because I had an issue with my taxes where mine were double paid," Kesting said. "Read your tax bill to see if they're the way they're suppose to be. If you feel they're not what they're suppose to be, call my office."

Previously, Kesting said the Cobb Tax Commissioner's office double taxed her for duplexes that she and her husband own in Powder Springs.

Despite Kesting's remarks, most of the candidates said the county is doing a great job with taxes, and praised the county government for keeping the county's millage rate one of the lowest in the area at 9.6 mills. That means property owners pay $9.60 for every $1,000 of assessed property values.

The Tuesday night forum included two prepared questions from the Mableton Improvement Coalition civic group and five questions from the audience. All five District 4 Democratic candidates and the lone Republican candidate, Barbara Hickey, attended the forum. Hickey will face the winner of the July 15 Democratic primary in the November General Election.

Green space was on the minds of the candidates, following word that the Cobb Parks Coalition is gearing up to campaign for a second parks bond to be on the November ballot. The county has a little more than $2 million left on the $40 million parks bond approved in 2006.

Candidate and former commissioner Woody Thompson encouraged people to support a referendum for another parks bond.

"It will be $40 million, without a tax increase," he said. "We still have a little bit of land here."

Dr. Michael Rhett echoed support of another parks bond, saying, "Cobb County, under the leadership of Chairman Sam Olens, has a history of spending money wisely on green space. We need to try to purchase as much land as possible."

Elma Forest also said she thinks the county needs to preserve as much green space as possible and supports another parks bond.

Candidates also discussed bringing more quality developments into southwest Cobb.

Hickey said enticing more development means proving that there's enough interest in the community to sustain the business.

"If we supply the customers, then they will come," she said.

Candidate Clarice Barber-Page said for the community to encourage more developers to come to District 4, the community should examine how the main corridors - like Veterans Memorial Highway, Austell Road, Six Flags Drive and Powder Spring Road - appear.

"Our primary economic areas look horrible," Barber-Page said. "Let's clean up the district so we can consider having someone come to our community."

Transportation was another issue the candidates touched on, including traffic relief and the possibility of bringing MARTA to Cobb.

Barber-Page said it could be good for Cobb if MARTA could extend into the Six Flags area, along I-20.

Other candidates weren't so optimistic about MARTA.

Hickey said she recalls Cobb residents said no to MARTA in the past, "because of what it would bring to Cobb."

Kesting and Thompson discussed the possibility of bringing light-rail to Cobb, different from the heavy-rail MARTA.

"Cobb Community transit is the backbone," Kesting said. "If we bring in development, it brings in traffic. I've been working with light-rail for the last four years … my constituents say they want to keep District 4 as rural as possible."

Thompson said MARTA isn't an option for Cobb because "it's to stinking expensive."

He assured the more than 100 person crowd that synchronization of traffic signals is something he's going to press on.

Forest said she couldn't answer whether she supported MARTA in Cobb without more research and response from the community. But she did say the traffic issue goes beyond Cobb's borders, and more transit is needed.

"I feel your pain when it comes to traffic," Forest said. "We need to work with other entities so that it will benefit us all."

Rhett said while the county's road improvement projects funded by the one-cent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax are beneficial; residents need to start looking at other options.

"Now is a good opportunity to get to know your neighbor and start carpooling," he said.

He said he wasn't in favor of a regional SPLOST funding traffic improvements, like expanding MARTA, because then the county doesn't have as much say in how the funds are dispensed.

"Cobb Community Transit is doing a good job addressing our needs, while leaving Cobb County with its unique character," he said. "Right now, I'll keep my money on CCT."

ahungerford@mdjonline.com

Parks bond vote now seen likely

2008-07-01T13:02:00.000-04:00

From the "Around Town" column of the Marietta Daily Journal on Tuesday, July 1, 2008 by Around Town columnists Bill Kinney, Otis Brumby and Joe Kirby

A FOLLOW-UP COBB PARKS REFERENDUM is looking more and more like a sure thing to go on the November General Election ballot.

Three of the five members of the Cobb Board of Commissioners - Chairman Sam Olens, West Cobb's Helen Goreham and east Cobb's Tim Lee - attended Sunday's informal meeting at the west Cobb home of Cobb Parks Coalition guru Paul Paulson at which groundwork for a bond push was laid. Three votes are all it would take to put the measure on the fall ballot.

The commission would have to act by July 22 in order to make the deadline for getting it on the ballot.

And as predicted in Saturday's Around Town, Olens unveiled a proposal at Sunday's meeting to achieve a $40 million parks bond without incurring a tax hike. It will be hard to argue against a proposal that calls for adding parkland and does so without asking for a tax increase.

The $40 million 2006 parks bond also was achieved without a tax increase by virtue of using the existing .22 mills of bond debt.

This time, Olens envisions reducing the millage for the fire department fund by .1 mills to 2.46 mills, which he said could be done without undermining the efficiency of the department. As it is, the county boasts one of the best fire departments in the state and an admirably low fire insurance rating of 3 on a scale of 1 to 10, which translates to lower insurance premiums for businesses and homeowners.

A possible fear is that the county might see the same sort of east vs. west squabbling that has marred the City of Marietta's abortive attempt to upgrade its aging park system. Much of the land purchased with the proceeds from the first parks bond in 2006 has been spent in west Cobb. But that has been a function primarily of the fact that there are more large undeveloped tracts available from which to choose in west Cobb than in east Cobb.

Yet passage of a second parks bond might well open the door for the county to pay more attention to the development of "pocket parks" - small 5 or 10 acre sites that primarily serve a radius of a few miles, rather than act as a "destination parks" for residents from around the county.

Activists revive support for bond to buy parkland

2008-06-30T16:55:00.000-04:00

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution on Monday, June 30, 2008 by Tom Opdyke

They came with notepads and camp chairs and folding metal chairs to sit in a building where classic cars are restored.

Amid drill presses and pneumatic tools, near where a rusting Red Racer children's wagon is perched on a display shelf, about 50 people sat in Paul Paulson's classic car shop in western Cobb County on Sunday to talk about preservation, instead of restoration.

They quickly heard what they came for: Cobb government officials think they can raise another $40 million to buy parkland without a tax increase if voters will OK it in November.

The people in the shop — homeowners, business operators and environmental activists — only needed that word to crank up a local lobbying effort that in 2006 produced an authorization for the first bonds by 72 percent of those who voted.

Paulson, who led the last effort, said he needed $81 to reactivate the group's Web site and e-mail list. Supporters passed a straw hat while county Commission Chairman Sam Olens talked. It soon had enough money for one man to get change for a $100 bill.

Olens asked Paulson to gather the group and re-energize the effort in support of a second bond issue for parks.

Coming off a huge success in the past year in which Cobb has bought or acquired control of more than 400 acres with about $37 million, Olens and the others knew it was the right time to put their case for a second wave of open space purchases.

The thought was ratified immediately by David Hong.

"I'm here to pledge the East Cobb Civic Association will support a second bond. They just don't know it yet," said Hong, the association's president.

Olens said the County Commission would vote July 21 on whether to put a request for another bond issue on the November ballot.

The mechanics for taking on the additional debt without a tax increase involve spreading out the bond over 15 years — instead of 10 for the current $40 million parks bond — and using one-tenth of one mill from the fire district tax. That amounts to about $8 a year in a tax shift for the owner of a $200,000 home.

Commissioner Tim Lee said the shift would not harm the county's fire and emergency operations because the fire district tax yield has grown more than projected.

Olens added, "Even at the lower [fire] rate, we're taking in a similar amount of money."

Cobb has obtained six of the seven priority parcels it identified for its first round of purchases.

If a second bond were approved, some of the lesser tracts identified in the first round might be sought.

Lee, whose northeast Cobb district saw only one greenspace purchase in the first round, said that "a higher, better network of pocket parks" could be part of the goal for the next round of buying.

WHAT'S BEEN BOUGHT

Cobb County has agreed to spend a little more than $37 million of its $40 million. Here is what it bought and what Cobb intends to do with the land:

• 15 acres on Henderson Road off Veteran's Memorial Highway. Price: $2.4 million. Contains Civil War earthworks, adds to other county property and will connect to the Nickajack Creek Greenway Walking Trail.

• 18 acres off Stilesboro Road in northwest Cobb. Price: $1.4 million. Addition to the 75-acre Leone Hall Price Memorial Park on the south side of Stilesboro. The county also owns 14 acres on the north side of Stilesboro.

• 112 acres off Dallas Highway at Old Hamilton Road. Price: $18.8 million. Will be combined with 44-acre Oregon Park.

• 26.5 acres off Wesley Chapel Road in northeast Cobb. Price: $4.3 million. Much of the land is pasture, with some wooded area surrounding a pond.

• 138 acres off Brownsville Road. Price: $5.2 million. Addition to 88-acre Stout Park gives Cobb 226 acres of open space, 40 acres more than Atlanta's historic Piedmont Park.

• 135 acres off Lower Roswell Road. Price: $5 million (Cobb's share). The Hyde farm, which borders the Chattahoochee River, will be operated jointly with the National Parks Service as a educational center with a working farm that shows agriculture in the early 1900s.

Coalition pushes for follow-up parks bond

2008-06-30T16:51:00.000-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Monday, June 30, 2008 by Ashley Hungerford, staff writer

MARIETTA - With more than $2 million remaining in Cobb's $40 million parks bond, a grassroots campaign is pushing for a follow-up parks bond for the county to continue purchasing more parkland.

The Cobb Parks Coalition is gearing back up for another campaign to ensure the measure is taken to the voters on Nov. 4.

The grassroots coalition is largely responsible for the passage of the parks bond in 2006 by over 70 percent of the vote.

Close to 50 civic and homeowners-associations leaders, representatives from the county and concerned county residents gathered at coalition leader Paul Paulson's house on Casteel Road on Sunday afternoon to discuss a follow-up parks bond.

Cobb Chairman Sam Olens and Commissioners Tim Lee and Helen Goreham were on hand to hear the discussion, although no official county action was taken.

"Hasn't the news just been fantastic about the first bond?" Paulson said. "We had good luck last time. Let's hope we have the same luck."

Paulson said the first goal is to get the parks bond on the November ballot.

To put a measure on the ballot, the Board of Commissioner would need to vote on the proposal by its July 22 meeting, Olens said.

"It's a tight time frame," Olens said.

Olens said he would support another $40 million parks bond, with a 15-year pay back period. The 2006 parks bond is on a 10-year pay back period.

"If you look at what we did with the first $40 million, you would say we did a lot," he said.

After talking with the county manager and finance department, Olens said this is what the county can do without a tax increase. He said he will not support anything that leads to a tax increase.

"It's important in this economy to stay at the same millage level we have now," Olens said. "When the economy is down, that's not when you hit your citizens."

With Olens' proposal, the county's millage rate would remain at 9.6 mills, meaning property owners would continue to pay $9.60 per $1,000 of assessed value.

The change would be in the distribution of the mills, he said.

Cobb's total millage rate, the measure the county uses to assess property taxes, is divided into three portions - 6.82 mills collected goes to the general fund, 2.56 mills goes to the fire fund and 0.22 mills goes to the debt service fund.

To prevent a tax increase with the second bond measure, Olens said there is the potential to reduce the millage rate of the fire fund by .1 mills to 2.46 mills, and move it over to the debt service fund.

Olens said in no way would this change affect the efficiency of Cobb's fire department.

If it appears on the ballot, Olens said the parks bond measure would be worded the same way it was in 2006, changing only the date and the 15-year pay back period.

This means the bond would be for parkland acquisition, not development.

"There isn't a rush on developing parkland, but there is a rush on preserving green space," he said.

Many at the meeting asked what needed to be done to make sure the commissioners vote at their July 22 meeting.

Community support was Olens' answer.

"The commissioners would like to hear from the citizens," Olens said. "The county commission is very responsive to what we hear from the community."

With the 2006 parks bond, the county secured five of the six top properties proposed by a citizens advisory committee. The sixth is a 54-acre tract, owned by Wylene Tritt, on Roswell Road in northeast Cobb.

The county has purchased more than 309 acres through the parks bond, using $37.67 million of the $40 million.

The tracts of property include 137.45-acre Stana property on Brownsville Road in southwest Cobb, $5.76 million; 112 acres of the Bullard-Stockton tract along Dallas Highway in west Cobb, $18.6 million; 26.5 acres of the Mabry Centennial Farm at the corner of Wesley Chapel and Sandy Plains Roads, $4.2 million; 16 acres near Henderson Road off Veteran's Memorial Highway near the Chattahoochee River, $2.4 million; and 17.7 acres of the Price property at Stilesboro Road near Acworth-Due West Road, $1.4 million.

The total acreage does not include the county's portion of 95-acre Hyde Farm is east Cobb.

Last month, the Trust for Public Land purchased the working farm off Lower Roswell Road for $14.19 million. The land will eventually be divided between Cobb County and the National Park Service. The county will use $5 million of the parks bond for their portion.

Lee, who represents northeast Cobb, said there is a "rumbling" from some residents in east Cobb who feel like they supported west Cobb's effort to get more parks.

Not to take away from anything that was accomplished, Lee said more attention needs to be paid to those areas where parkland wasn't acquired with the first bond.

Morning Washburn, an east Cobb resident and participant of Cobb Parks Coalition, said "pocket size parks," or small assemblages of parkland, would be good to consider this time around.

"I would love to know families in the future can walk to pocket size parks," she said. "This would help in areas that didn't have huge nominations."

With record voter turnout expected in November, Paulson said the county will get a true feeling of it if the residents want more parks.

"It's going to be a test," he said.

ahungerford@mdjonline.com

Follow-up parks bond doable, but clock ticking

2008-06-30T16:42:00.000-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday , June 11, 2008 by Joe Kirby, Editorial Page editor

Like Atlanta Braves star Chipper Jones, who has been hitting over .400 all season, the Cobb Board of Commissioners has been on a tear in recent weeks, announcing a string of parkland acquisitions. First the 95-acre Hyde Farm property in east Cobb, then last week the 137-acre Stana property in deep southwest Cobb.

Those buys followed three other purchases in recent months, all made possible by the $40 million parks bond approved by Cobb voters in a November 2006 referendum. All told, the county has acquired 309 acres for $37.67 million, and has just over $2 million of the bond money left.

Now, with the county's nest egg just about all used up, several questions naturally arise:

Have those buys satisfied the county's need for more parks?

Do we now have on hand sufficient parkland to see us through not just the time being, but coming decades as well? Decades during which the county's population is expected to continue to grow substantially?

If county leaders decide a decade or so hence that we need more parkland, will taxpayers be glad that we waited until then to buy it? Will they be glad leaders essentially decided to pay 2015 or 2020 or 2025 prices for ever-more-scarce land that could have been bought comparatively dirt cheap at 2008 or 2009 prices, had an earlier generation been more visionary?

Will they be glad those leaders waited until there was almost no desirable land left for parks before they decided it was time to buy more? Or will the public regret that the county didn't buy more in the late '00s, when there were still numerous choice tracts from which to choose?

Will they be glad their leaders decided to wait until the economy was "hot" in order to start looking for parkland to buy? Will they be glad that wait meant desirable land was much more expensive than it would have been had the leaders decided to take advantage of the stagnant economy of today, when the real estate market is deader than King Tut and landowners are more inclined to sell it to the public at a reasonable price?

The answers to those questions are obvious. Cobb tax dollars will someday be spent on additional parkland, without question. So it makes economic sense to get the most bang for the tax dollar by buying that land now, not later.

As for the "tax hit" from such a bond, keep in mind that the cost of the current $40 million bond worked out to just $13.60 per year for the owner of a $200,000 house -- the equivalent these days of about three gallons of gas. Which legacy would you prefer to leave your children? More parks, or three gallons of gas? The cost of a similar-sized bond today would be even less, just $11.20, thanks to lower interest rates.

The parks bond of 2006 was a masterpiece of grassroots planning and effort, and it paid off when 70 percent of voters cast ballots in favor of taxing themselves to buy more parkland. It proved to be one of the most politically popular measures ever presented to Cobb voters. And should there be a follow-up bond, there's a strong chance it would be met with the same welcome.

But time is running short. The "drop dead" date for the Cobb Commission to vote in order to put the measure on the November ballot is July 23, scarcely a month away. Commission Chairman Sam Olens is taking a measured approach, and with good reason. Tax increases are more palatable to the public if they are "bottom up," rather than "top down." That is, a tax proposed by a grassroots group is easier for the public to swallow than one decreed by elected officials.

As Olens told the MDJ late last week, "I would seriously consider another parks bond if there were significant grass roots support for it." Thus the future of a 2008 parks bond is where it beongs -- on the sturdy backs and shoulders of those who came together and worked their magic on the 2006 bond, and on those who have seen its results. A follow-up parks bond can still happen, but it's time to shift into a "hurry-up" offense.

Latest purchase could set stage for next parks bond

2008-06-30T16:34:00.001-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 by Joe Kirby, Editorial Page editor

Hot on the heels of Friday's acquisition of the remainder of the Hyde Farm property in east Cobb for parkland, the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday voted unanimously to acquire 137.45 more acres at the other end of the county for parkland as well.

"This is a beautiful property with creeks running all through it," Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens said of the Stana tract in southwest Cobb. "It's a property for generations to come and enjoy the vistas and quiet time that will occur there."

The property is tucked southwest of Powder Springs on Brownsville Road along Sweetwater Creek, hard by the Paulding County line. It adjoins the 88-acre Stout property, which the county has already acquired for a park. The goal is to merge the two properties into a single 225-acre park, which would be the county's largest. A 4,291-square-foot house on the Stana property will be purchased with hotel/motel tax money and converted into a senior center or community center, according to Olens.

The county will spend $5.1 million on the Stana property, money that is part of the $40 million bond overwhelmingly approved by Cobb voters in a 2006 referendum.

With the Stana purchase, the county will have purchased five of the top six properties proposed for acquisition by the county's parks bond advisory committee. The exception is the 54-acre Wylene Tritt property on Roswell Road in northeast Cobb.

Now, with most of the money from the bond spent, and having been done so without major controversy; and with the county's need for additional parkland still apparent, it is time for the commission and the community to consider whether to ask voters to approve a follow-up parks bond this fall. With the economy, and especially the real estate market, in a rut, there may never be a more opportune time for the county to have such a wide selection of properties from which to choose, and at prices that favor the buyer.

The commission, and the grassroots leaders who led the 2006 effort, would be well advised to put that ball back in play.

Is it time for Cobb to pass - Another Parks Bond?

2008-06-30T16:10:00.001-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday, May 18, 2008 by Joe Kirby, Editorial Page editor

Cobb residents voted by an absolutely overwhelming 70-to-30 percent margin in 2006 to tax themselves in order to buy land for future parks. The money has been put to good use too, with four choice pieces of undeveloped Cobb real estate now owned by the public and slated to become parks.

So now, why not play a doubleheader? That is, why not have another parks bond referendum -- maybe as early as this fall?

There are answers pro and con, and I'll tackle the "pros" first.

First of all, while the 2006 bond has brought the county four appealing tracts of land, there's no reason to think that they, combined with the parks we already have, will be enough to satisfy our future need for parkland. Cobb has about 5,160 acres of parkland at present, including the four new parcels, for its 660,000 people. That's about 2 percent of the 217,000 acres of land in the county. Meanwhile, our population is going to keep growing, to an estimated 763,000 in 2030, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission.

High-ranking county officials said two years ago the county optimally should have an additional 2,000 acres more of parks than it now has. One would assume that would still be true, because the four parks bond-financed purchases total only a fraction of that, some 161.7 acres.

Yes, Cobb is fortunate that it also is home to substantial federal parkland, the 2,920-acre Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' acreage along Lake Allatoona. But those parks are congested, too. KMNBP, for example, is visited by between 1.2 million and 1.4 million people per year, most of them recreationists, not the history-minded.

One of the pressing arguments for the bond last time is just as pressing now: The county is just about built out. Tracts big enough to be suitable for a park, even a passive park, are hard to come by. Half a decade from now there may be few left. A decade from now, there certainly will not be any.

And that brings us to perhaps the best argument for rushing another bond question onto the November ballot: the fact that with the real estate and home-building markets in low gear and interest rates still at rock bottom, we have an unexpected window of opportunity for buying land at affordable prices. That window won't stay open forever.
Plus, as a practical matter, the strikingly diverse coalition of advocates that were so effective in touting the parks bond last time around could easily be reactivated. With a successful template to follow, their work should be simpler this time. There's still adequate time to lay the groundwork for such an effort. The deadline for submitting a referendum question in time to make it onto the November ballot is not until Aug. 8, according to Cobb Elections Supervisor Sharon Dunn.

But as mentioned above, there also are reasons for holding off on another parks bond. For starters, there's the 1 percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax referendum for schools expected in September. School supporters are sure to argue that the parks bond might overshadow the SPLOST even though they would be two months apart, and there's no question that the parks question would be the more popular of the two.

One solution would be for the parks advocates to officially endorse the SPLOST as well and work just as hard for its passage as for their own measure. If we're buying parkland for our children, it makes just as much sense to make sure the cost of educating them is covered as well. And if voters are upset at how their school taxes have been spent, they should take it out against the school board members in November, not take it out against our children in the SPLOST referendum.

Anti-tax sentiment must always be taken into consideration, especially in a conservative community like Cobb. Yet the cost of another parks bond might be no more noticeable than that of the current one. The cost to taxpayers of the 2006 bond was just $13.60 per year for the owners of a $200,000 house. That's the equivalent of three fancy lattes in return for a gift that will keep on giving and giving to future generations of Cobb children and adults.

Some will say that buying attractive land takes it off the tax rolls and robs the tax digest of future growth. That's true; but it's also true that developing such land would bring tax costs of its own in terms of schools, roads, police, etc.

Still others will say the county should wait until the current bond money is all spent and the new land has been digested. But it will be years before the new parks are up and running. By then, there wouldn't be much left to choose from. The beauty of buying now is that the county can pick and choose what it wants and negotiate from a position of strength, rather than having to settle for whatever undeveloped land we can get.

Chicago Cubs star Ernie Banks' famous line was, "Let's play two!" And maybe those who united to pass the 2006 parks bond should be thinking along the same lines.

Cobb County purchases first parks bond property

2007-07-25T17:02:00.000-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 by Kelly Brooks, staff writer

MARIETTA - Dramatic slopes, heavy woods, seclusion and historical significance.

That's how Cobb parks bond committee member Roberta Cook describes a 15.45-acre tract in southeast Cobb that will be the county's first purchase with money from its $40 million parks bond voters approved last fall.

"It's really too good to be true," Ms. Cook said of the purchase. "All the hard work we did in resisting (development) paid off."

Cobb will buy the land for $2.43 million, or about $157,261 per acre, on or before July 31 from the Columns Group and CT Nickajack.

Commissioners voted 5-0 Tuesday night to approve the land buy in an add-on agenda item released earlier in the day and written by Bob Ash, Cobb public services agency director.

Ash said the land was appraised at $2.9 million, which means negotiations led by the Trust for Public Land and three parks committee members saved the county about $470,000 in bond money.

The site sits on the northwest corner of Veteran's Memorial Highway and Henderson Road in Mableton, just northwest of the intersection of Interstates 285 and 20.

"It's a very beautiful site," Ms. Cook said. "It's so well-preserved, it's just like going back in time."

In April, Cobb Chairman Sam Olens told the Columns Group to lower the flame on plans to develop the site due to Cobb's interest in the property.

"My neighbors and I were involved in the opposition for the rezoning of that property because it affected not only the historical site on the property but also the property the county owned as green space directly downhill," said Ms. Cook, who lives on Nickajack Creek, just north of the tract.

Ash recommended the buy because the property was a top-tier choice of the 15-member committee and because it's adjacent to a six-acre site Cobb bought in 2004 with green space money from the state.

Other reasons for the buy include the Civil War trenchline that traverses the property, which contributes to the story of the nearby 88-acre Johnston's River Line, another Civil War site Cobb owns.

"The purchase expands the county holdings along Nickajack Creek, making the green space and passive use a more desirable destination for family use," Ash wrote. "It can contribute to the proposed trail along the creek."

Development, Ms. Cook added, also could have had an adverse impact on Nickajack Creek.

After the purchase, Cobb will have $37.57 million in parks bond money.

kbrooks@mdjonline.com

Get that parkland while it's still hot

2007-07-02T10:01:00.000-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Monday, July 2, 2007 by MDJ columnist Don McKee

Kudos to Cobb's citizen advisory committee on its recommendations for future parklands.

The 15 members of the group showed their priorities were right with the list of their top 18 properties announced last week by the Cobb Board of Commissioners.

Leading the list in the first tier was the 95-acre Hyde Farm on Lower Roswell Road in northeast Cobb, followed by the 106-acre Bullard Farm on Dallas Highway in west Cobb and the 53-acre Tritt tract on Roswell Road in the northeastern section of the county. Those were ranked in the top tier by all the committee members, according to Chairman John Pape.

Three other properties were in the first tier: the 140-acre Stout property in southwest Cobb adjacent to Stout Park, 26.5 acres of the northeast Cobb Mabry Centennial Farm on Wesley Chapel Road and the 16-acre Nickajack tract with its Civil War earthworks on Veterans Memorial Highway in southeast Cobb.

The question is: how many of these prime tracts can be acquired with the $40 million from the bonds approved overwhelmingly by Cobb voters last year?

Apparently, three of the most desirable properties on your columnist's top priority list - the Bullard Farm, the Tritt land and the Civil War site - would take up most or all the bond money, assuming they can all be acquired. Another combination from the top tier that included the Hyde Farm would be a good one, but I'm partial to the Bullard Farm because parkland of that size is badly needed in west Cobb.

To reiterate my view, it is more important to purchase as many large, prime tracts as possible now because they obviously won't be available for long, given the rate of development in this county.

That point was driven home by the recent Atlanta Regional Commission report estimating that Cobb has only 10 years before developable land is used up at a rate of more than 3,500 acres per year, as this newspaper reported Saturday.

Smaller tracts and even some larger properties may be added in the future for parkland with the help of private sources and state and federal funds.

So our county commissioners have their work cut out for them.

They don't plan to sit at their desks, look at the maps and rely solely on the recommendations of the citizens committee. Commission Chairman Sam Olens and his colleagues will take first-hand looks at properties. That's a good idea, although it probably will make the commissioners' job even harder when they see the desirable features of many different properties.

However, the commissioners would do well to stick with the criteria used by the citizens committee in analyzing the potential parkland. Those include first, the size of the parcel, then its historical value, environmental quality, linkage to existing parks or trails, future usability, whether it's in an under-served area, presence of water, accessibility, topography and the development threat level.

That list starts with size. So should the commissioners.

dmckee9613@aol.com

Few surprises in Cobb park buy recommendations

2007-06-30T13:54:00.000-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Saturday, June 30, 2007 by Kelly Brooks, staff writer

MARIETTA - Cobb officials Friday announced the top 18 recommendations of the citizen advisory committee for the Cobb $40 million parks bond.

Few surprises topped the list. Four well-known properties - the 112-acre Bullard Farm on Dallas Highway in west Cobb, a 16-acre tract of hardwood trees with Civil War earthworks on Veterans Memorial Highway in southeast Cobb; the 95-acre Hyde Farm on Lower Roswell Road in northeast Cobb; and the 54-acre Tritt property on Roswell Road in northeast Cobb - all placed in the first of four tiers.

The other two properties in the first tier consist of a 140-acre southwest Cobb property adjacent to Stout Park and 26.5 acres of the 70-acre northeast Cobb Mabry Centennial Farm on Wesley Chapel Road.

Though the first tier represents properties the committee, after analyzing and visiting, decided were the most important to preserve, properties within each tier are not ranked.

Cobb Chairman Sam Olens said commissioners will visit the properties during upcoming weekends, starting today, because it's one thing to read about the tracts on paper and view the maps, but it's another to see and walk the land, he said.

According to Committee Chairman John Pape, the first tier was a consensus among the 15-member committee. The Hyde, Bullard and Tritt properties were in everyone's top tier, he said.

Property owner Wylene Tritt this spring collaborated with the county to establish a permanent easement in the form of a bridge across her property, allowing for the connection of East Cobb Park to Fullers Park.

Now, she said she is ready to sell her land to Cobb so that the public can enjoy the property.

"I feel like it's one of the best properties for the county since it's connected to two parks already and there are no other greenspaces around here for them to get," Mrs. Tritt said.

Based on average prices per acre in east Cobb, Mrs. Tritt's land is estimated to be worth between $5.2 million and $8.2 million, though she said contractors consistently have sought and "upped the price" on her property.

George Hart, one of the founders of the Friends of Hyde Farm, said that the Hyde recommendation "demonstrates the importance of the property and the community support behind the property."

"From our perspective, we're waiting, and hopefully that land will be put up for sale," he said on the property for which his organization has raised about $250,000.

According to the county recommendation list, the Hyde property currently is listed under the ownership of the estate of the late J.C. Hyde, a longtime Cobb farmer who signed an agreement in 1992 giving the California-based Trust for Public Land (members of which also will help Cobb to strike deals for the parks bond properties) first right to buy 95 acres of his original 134-acre farm.

Forty adjacent acres previously were deeded to the trust and ultimately turned over to the National Park Service, which reserved the land as part of the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area.

Members of the Hyde family began receiving offers from developers in 2005 ranging from $13 million to $18 million, but Hart said that to his knowledge, the family still has not listed the property with a broker.

But the real surprise in the top tier, Pape said, was the property next to Stout Park, an interesting mix of field and woods.

Pape said one committee member qualified the land by saying, "It's like when you're coming around a corner, you're walking from room to room."

Stephen Stana, property owner and Cobb's biggest hay producer, said there is "no question" he's willing to work with the county for a good deal.

"It would enhance Stout substantially," Stana said, noting he has been offered contracts on the property but favors greenspace over development.

"This area is about ready to blow out," he said. "They're surveying for sewer."

According to a recent report issued by the Atlanta Regional Commission, Cobb has 10 years until its land is exhausted. The figure is based on data that show developable land was cleared at a rate of 3,540 acres per year from 2003 to 2005.

The recommended east Cobb properties, too, exist in an area rife with development.

Pape said the committee received a petition with more than 300 signatures to support acquisition of the 26.5 acres of Mabry Farm on Wesley Chapel Road.

The property consists of woods, open fields, a pond and stream and of course, cows.

"It's been a farm for over 100 years," Pape said, noting that greenspace in that area of Cobb also is a rarity.

At a June 18 parks committee meeting, Mabry Farm resident and Mabry Middle School eighth-grade social studies teacher Julie Mabry Stephens presented a supporting iMovie composed by her students.

Before showing the movie, Mrs. Stephens noted that she still remembers her great-grandfather "on his knees picking shucks out of the corn."

In 2004, Gov. Sonny Perdue awarded the Mabry family a Centennial Farm Award from the State of Georgia.

"It's a very integral part of east Cobb," Mrs. Stephens said. "My family has farmed this land and still farms this land."

Following the movie, in a standout part of which a young student said "No cost is too high to save our past," committee members issued formal thanks to the students.

"Tell them their message was heard," Pape said at the meeting.

Now that the recommendations are public, the committee members will be on the receiving end of thanks, at least from west Cobb resident and founder of the Cobb Parks Coalition, Paul Paulson.

Paulson has advocated for the Cobb acquisition of Bullard farm since before the bond vote passed overwhelmingly in November.

The Bullard property, located in west Cobb on Dallas Highway between Old Hamilton and Bob Fleming roads, became contentious when Florida-based Goodman Co. filed a lawsuit against the county following Cobb Commissioners' February 2006 denial of a plan for an extensive mixed-use development on the site.

Though litigation is pending on the Bullard property, its estimated value is $18 million to $23 million, based on average prices per acre in west Cobb.

Paulson said he was thrilled the committee placed the property in its first tier.

"I thank the committee for all their hard work and for their choice there, for sure," he said. "I really respect the committee for working hard for six months and doing the job that I didn't feel I was qualified to do."

Paulson noted that the committee recommendation, although "a big hurdle to get over" also was just one step in the process and said he hopes Cobb commissioners, who have the ultimate say on which properties to buy, will respect the public's choices.

For now, Pape said he thinks the recent public disclosure will precipitate more public involvement.

"I think the county made the right decision," he said.

kbrooks@mdjonline.com

Commission will reveal park plans

2007-06-29T16:49:00.000-04:00

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

New Cobb parks deal with Trust...Should speed up land buys

2007-05-29T18:02:00.000-04:00

From Bill Kinney’s column in the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday, May 6, 2007. Bill Kinney is associate editor of the MDJ.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday is expected to approve a deal that should speed up the process of acquiring future parkland with money from the $40 million parks bond referendum approved by county voters in November.

The board is expected to OK an arrangement with the Trust for Public Land to act as an independent buyer and principal in land transactions.

Here's how it would work: The TPL will contact and work with willing sellers whose properties have been nominated by the Parks Bond Citizens Advisory Committee and approved by the board of commissioners. The landowner would sell his land to the TPL, which at a "simultaneous closing" would then convey the property to the county, according to Bob Ash, director of Cobb's Public Services Department.

That arrangement would allow the not-for-profit Trust to offer certain tax advantages to the seller that the county would not be able to offer, and also makes it easier for the Trust to "leverage" charitable contributions from big foundations.

"The Trust for Public Land is a good organization. We're very pleased with what has been presented to us," Ash said. "I think it will help us acquire the land more quickly than we would be able to do so otherwise."

Although the county has land-buyers on staff with expertise in buying right of way for road widenings, that's a different animal than this. The TPL works all over the country. Close to home, in the past decade it has helped create eight new Georgia state parks, doubled the size of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and conserved land for multiple county and city parks around the state.

In addition, the Trust has worked with the county in the past toward the conservation of the Hyde Farm and Power Cabin in east Cobb. It was instrumental in the arrangement that resulted in the National Park Service's purchase of 20 acres to add to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, and provided expertise and support that were helpful in last year's passage of the bond referendum.

What else would the deal involve? The TPL - at no cost to the county - would:

Assist the county with its highest-priority land transactions by acting as an independent buyer and principal.
Assist if requested in identifying the priority parcels for purchase.
Cover the usually significant operational, project and other costs of its participation through confidential charitable donations from individuals, foundations and other philanthropic sources, and from the landowners with whom it works.
Absorb the costs associated with negotiating for and purchasing the land selected for purchase by the county.
Negotiate option contracts with landowners of parcels selected by the commissioners.
Sell the land it acquires on behalf of the county to the county at the same price, with no markup.
Perform all required due diligence on behalf of the county. That is, it will do the title searches, etc.

A "Memorandum of Agreement" to that effect is expected to be approved by Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens and the rest of the board at Tuesday's commission meeting.

"The (Trust) brings to the table an established track record of success in negotiating complex real estate deals; a professional and streamlined approach with sufficient staff to expedite the land-purchase process; and ability to assist in leveraging funds with private monies; and the potential to save money in the transaction process," Ash wrote in a memo to County Manager David Hankerson.

The county already has announced that it will not be condemning any land in order to convert to use as parks. It also will not pay higher than the assessed value for any land purchased.

A 15-member committee was appointed by the commission to examine and make recommendations to the commission about which properties should be acquired.

It had received 77 nominations at last count, Ash said, and has focused in on 34 of them that it has identified as candidates for "site visits." They range in size from one acre up to 122 acres. Those 34 will be prioritized as land to be purchased "immediately," "not so immediately," and "later," Ash said.

In addition, all committee members have ranked all the nominated tracts based on a 10-criteria system that includes size, historical significance, threat level and environmental factors. Ash told the MDJ's Joe Kirby on Thursday that four of the nominated properties have significant historical associations, either due to factors such as remaining Civil War trenches or to the fact that something of historic significance happened on the property.

The committee has kept the exact locations and descriptions of the sites under wraps, contending that making them public might cause their price to go up.

The deal with the Trust for Public Land sounds like a wise one, and a good step for the county. And if it results in land becoming parkland a little sooner, that's even better.

Park backers hope renewed for Bullard tract

2007-04-08T18:31:00.000-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday, April 8, 2007 by Joe Kirby, Editorial Page editor

The soft real estate market isn't so good for homebuilders, but it may have a silver lining for Cobb lovers of the great outdoors.

Well-placed sources last week reported that the years-long zoning battle over the future of the 112-acre Bullard Farm on Dallas Highway in west Cobb is likely within weeks of a happy ending - happy, anyway, for those who have been eyeing it as the perfect site for a new county park.

The Florida-based Goodman Co. has been trying since 2004 to gain approval for a mixed-use development there, but was denied by the county commission and then sued the county.

Now, members of the Citizens Advisory Committee (the group that is to recommend how Cobb will spend proceeds from a $40 million bond approved by local voters in November) are optimistic the land could be sold to the county for a park.

Word from Advisory Committee insiders last week was that Goodman's sales contract with the Bullard descendants is about to expire and, due to the failure to get the requested zoning and to the snails-pace home-sales market, will not be renewed.

"So the family has to find a new buyer or else turn it back into a working farm in order to lower the tax rate on it," one committee member said.

There likely would not have been a parks bond referendum last year had not the Bullard rezoning become such a high-profile issue in west Cobb.

The commission voted in February 2006 to reject Goodman's proposal, which would have been called "Whisper at the River." (River? There's no river within a dozen miles of the site). Goodman was planning a 262,000-square-foot mix of housing, restaurants, retail and office space, including 400 houses. That's not all.

There also would have been an amphitheatre, an observatory, a nature trail and a dinosaur relic park.
(An observatory? In west Cobb? With all the growth out that way in recent years, the nighttime sky is now so bright you have a hard time picking out the Big Dipper. Goodman might as well have tried to place its big telescope in Midtown Atlanta.)

Neighboring subdivisions were opposed to Goodman from day one, arguing correctly that a development of that magnitude would absolutely inundate Dallas Highway, which at just two lanes in each direction is already saturated and then narrows to just one lane each way at the entrance to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. And that's where the economy comes in.

Cobb is feeling its share of the national downturn in the home sales market. New home sales fell 3.9 percent in February nationwide - the slowest pace in seven years. And that followed a 15.8 percent drop in January, a 13-year low. Meanwhile, home foreclosures in Cobb hit a six-year high in December with 4,567 on the books.

The Advisory Committee is quietly investigating some 20 or so properties for possible purchase - but only if the landowners want to sell. And at least some of its members are especially interested in trying to acquire three sizable tracts from local developers whose projects have hit the shoals at least in part because of the downturn. They include the Bullard Farm project; a townhouse project once planned by Madison Retail for a 12-acre site in downtown Kennesaw that during the Civil War was the site of Camp McDonald, (a basic-training camp for the Confederate army); and 16 acres on Henderson Road just north of Veterans' Memorial Parkway in Mableton. The latter property consists of a series of heavily forested ridgelines and ravines, as well as the remains of an earthen fort built to shield Union artillery. The fort faced the nearby "Johnston's River Line," built by Confederate Gen. Joe Johnston in 1864 to block Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman from the Chattahoochee River. The Henderson site borders a six-acre park the county bought with money from Gov. Roy Barnes' "greenspace" program several years ago, a site that also contains extensive Civil War trenches.

The elaborate and expensive grading needed to make such a hilly tract suitable for houses, the difficulty of mitigating stormwater concerns and the fact that the housing market is in such a slump reportedly has the owner of the Henderson site eager to sell it to the county for use as a park.

"Because of the slowdown, developers are now starting to walk away from some of the deals they had planned on," said a source close to the Advisory Committee's leadership. "It's not a coincidence. We're in a real good position to bargain."

OK. Let the bargaining begin.

Broadened Ethics Code sure to play well with public

2007-02-12T14:11:00.000-05:00

An editorial from the Marietta Daily Journal on Monday, February 11, 2007

After a year in which much of the media's coverage of Congress focused on ethics issues- i.e., Jack Abramoff and the congressional page scandal - it is hoped the public has a sharper understanding of the role ethics should play in public life.

And with that in mind, it was refreshing to learn last week that the Cobb County Board of Commissioners are in the process of broadening the sweep of the county's Ethics Code.

At present, that code affects only the five-person commission itself. But Chairman Sam Olens is behind a move to draft a new ordinance that would also take in members of the county's planning and zoning commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals and the newly appointed parks bond advisory committee, the body set up to make recommendations about which tracts the county should buy with proceeds from the $40 million parks bond passed by voters last summer.

The code prohibits officials from revealing confidential information, from receiving gifts worth more than $101 and from doing anything else that would be considered unethical.

"I was alerted a couple of months ago that the planning commission wasn't subject to the ethics code, and I felt strongly that wasn't appropriate," Olens said. "Due to the emphasis put on the parks board and the (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) advisory committee, they should be subject to the same regimen as well as maybe one or two of our other boards."

The commission is expected to take up the matter at its Feb. 27 meeting, although for now the expanded code would include only the planning commission. But once the code provision is approved, it could easily be amended via agenda item to provide for the code to cover additional boards, such as the SPLOST and transit authorities, Olens said.

It's a good move, one we're sure the public will approve of and one that we hope will be copied by other political jurisdictions in the county.

Cobb parks committee chooses leadership

2007-02-10T18:11:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Saturday, February 10, 2007, by MDJ staff writer Amanda Casciaro

MARIETTA - Kolb Farm Coalition member John A. Pape Jr. and Joni House Cope - each an integral part of the effort to save east Cobb's Hyde Farm - were chosen to lead Cobb's parks advisory committee in expending $40 million to buy land for future parks.

Pape, who served on the Cobb Parks Coalition to gain voter support for the bond, will serve as chairman of the 15-member body while Ms. Cope, president and owner of The Grayfen Group, will serve as vice chairwoman.

"We talked about it, and I wanted someone who had been involved in the campaign to serve as chairman," Pape said. "On that basis, I was willing to do it; if anyone else had stepped forward with a burning desire, that would have been fine with me. You're speaking to a man who has no burning political ambitions, but I am excited about the committee."

Pape, an attorney with Allstate Insurance, is an avid hiker and spends at least one vacation each summer camping at his favorite spots in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming or Montana.

He also was a key participant in the Kolb Farm Coalition, which bought 4.3 acres on Powder Springs Street using private donations and government funding to save the historic tract from development. The land was deeded to the National Parks Service and turned over to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in 2002 after a two-year battle.

"I have professional experience with John," Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens said. "I litigated against John, and he used to regularly beat me. He's an excellent trial lawyer and trial lawyers have excellent skills with regard to negotiations, so I think his legal skills will serve the committee very well.

"He's got the tools to be a great chairman as well with regard to experience with greenspace issues," Olens said.
Ms. Cope, who continues to work on Hyde Farm, provides technology, project management and business consulting services for major corporations through her company, The Grayfen Group.

"I was really honored to be appointed to the committee by Commissioner Joe Lee Thompson and I'm also honored that my very honorable peers have elected me to support their work on the committee through the vice chair position," Ms. Cope said.

"The Hyde Farm project taught me a lot about working to fulfill community needs through greenspace and parks, and I hope to bring that to serve the county on this committee."

According to Olens, "she has excellent organizational skills and a drive to be result-oriented. She's just not interested in the process; she's interested in the result.

"The leadership she's shown to save Hyde Farm shows us she has a needed attribute with the process."

acasciaro@mdjonline.com

Parks committee member resigns from post

2007-02-08T09:54:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Thursday, February 8, 2007, by MDJ staff writer Amanda Casciaro

MARIETTA - Cobb commissioners are drafting a new ordinance that would bring planning commissioners, members of the Board of Zoning Appeals and the newly appointed parks bond advisory committee under the County Ethics Code, officials said Wednesday.

The commission now is the only body subject to the code, which prohibits officials from receiving gifts worth more than $101, revealing confidential information or any other unethical behavior.
Across the metro area in Gwinnett County, "any member of any county board or authority" is subject to the code of ethics.

Marietta's Code of Ethics applies only to elected officials, not boards or appointed committees.

"I was alerted a couple months ago that the planning commission wasn't subject to the ethics code, and I felt strongly that wasn't appropriate," Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens said. "Due to the emphasis put on the parks board and the (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) advisory committee, they should be subject to that same regiment as well as maybe one or two of our other boards."

Commissioners are scheduled to approve the new ordinance, which includes only the planning commission, as part of their annual code amendments Feb. 27.

Other boards such as the SPLOST and transit authorities could be added after that with a simple agenda item, Olens said. Once that occurs, elected officials still would be the only Cobb board members required to file financial disclosures.

When commissioners first appointed the parks advisory committee Nov. 28, commissioners said it would be subject to the County Ethics Code and conduct business in accordance with Georgia's Sunshine Laws.

That stipulation has resulted in the resignation of one parks committee member, who is serving as a homeowner representative on the Cobb Board of Ethics.

Carol Brown, an appointee of Olens, has elected to give up her seat on the parks committee to complete a four-year term on the ethics board.

"I don't really think it was an issue of me choosing because I was elected back in 2005 by homeowner leadership to serve a four-year term. I wasn't appointed; I was elected, and I felt I should honor that commitment, Ms. Brown said.

"It had been suggested that if an allegation or complaint was filed with the parks committee, I could have recused myself and stayed on, but I don't think that would have sent the right message. We felt this was the best thing to do."

Olens is scheduled to replace Ms. Brown with Larry Ceminsky, a member of the Cobb Parks Coalition and employee of Marietta-based Bomber Battery. He will make the appointment at Tuesday's 9 a.m. commission meeting.

"The first (parks committee) meeting I went to Larry was there just as an interested observer," Olens said. "By appointing Larry, I'm not only appointing someone who's interested in the process, but I'm appointing someone who didn't have any down time."

acasciaro@mdjonline.com

Talking it over

2007-01-26T18:09:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Friday, January 26, 2007, by MDJ staff writer Amanda Casciaro

MARIETTA - A 15-member appointed parks bond residents advisory committee met for the first time Wednesday to define its role and decide how parkland will be purchased using a $40 million bond voters approved in November.

The county will receive the money in two installments - $25 million in the first year and $15 million in 2008 - and committee members will serve about 12 months or until all of the funding is spent.

Regardless of what buys the members recommend to the Board of Commissioners, officials said Wednesday the most important facet is how they serve the public.

"If you understand the importance of the work we're doing, you understand we have a great responsibility," said Bob Ash, director of Cobb Public Services Agency. "We have a great committee here representative of residents from across the county, and that in itself is a good thing."

Trust for Public Land officials and Cobb Parks Coalition members who were instrumental in the bond's passage also attended the meeting.

"We all know the $40 million isn't going to solve all the green space issues in the county," Olens said. "But you're here to see we do the best with that $40 million."

The committee, formed using three appointments from each Cobb commissioner, will start from scratch using more than 50 land nominations that have been submitted by residents and property owners.

The nominations, which are still being collected by the Cobb parks department, are used as a basis for potential purchases with criteria such as lot size, proximity to existing green space, cost, accessibility, topography and historical significance coming into play, said Jimmy Gisi, director of the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department.

"We know some property we'd like to buy, but whether we buy them is another decision. - You're not a rubber stamp and we haven't made up our minds," Olens said. "Clearly we want to provide park land throughout the county, but we're not going to make decisions based on political boundaries. We're not going to take that $40 million and divide it into four."

The size and cost of lots will be dependent on location, with larger tracts possible in west Cobb and small pocket parks in areas such as Vinings.

Because a small tract in Vinings will most likely cost more than a larger parcel in south Cobb, "it's going to be a dollars and sense issue of what's a good deal," Olens said.

The $40 million will be used only to purchase land, related environmental studies and legal services. Development of tracts is not included.

"If you buy a piece of land and the county doesn't improve that piece of land for five years or 10 years, I'm perfectly fine with that," Olens said. "The real issue wasn't how fast you can develop park land; the issue was let's buy as much as we can and preserve it for future generations."

Committee member Roger Buerki suggested members attach a report stating the intended use once they provide commissioners with recommendations.

"The public needs to know our intentions," said Buerki, a Cobb Parks Coalition member who formerly helped with passage of the Metropolitan River Protection Act.

No purchases will be pursued without cooperation from property owners and the surrounding community, Ash said.

Members are scheduled to meet again at 7:15 p.m. Feb. 8 at 100 Cherokee St., Marietta.

acasciaro@mdjonline.com

Cobb to begin park buys in spring

2007-01-20T11:16:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Friday, January 19, 2007, by MDJ staff writer Amanda Casciaro

PINE MOUNTAIN - Cobb County will begin spending money from a $40 million bond to buy land for future parks in March or April, Cobb officials said Thursday.

The bond garnered hefty voter support in November at the polls.

About $25 million will be received from bonds this year and another $15 million will be available in 2008 to buy green space throughout the county.

Hundreds of purchase nominations already have been submitted through the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, but the challenge has come in finding out if owners are willing to sell, parks director Jimmy Gisi said.

"I was literally getting 25 to 30 calls a day from people about potential land purchases," Gisi said. "And a lot of them were from property owners who had no idea their land had been nominated."

Requests now must come through completion of a nomination form, which officials will use to determine where residents want green space and what tracts are available.

Pocket parks, which will be built in neighborhoods with little vacant land, will range in size from a third to a half acre.

Five to 20-acre neighborhood parks, 20 to 75-acre community parks, and 50 to 250-acre regional parks are all targets, as well as special-use tracts for recreation purposes such as the newly opened Sweat Mountain Dog Park.

The county will also look for natural resource areas where development is not possible and greenways to serve as links between cities, parks, schools, commercial areas and neighborhoods.

"I would hope we'd be ready to do agenda items in April for the first buys," Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens said.

To help identify tracts in each district, commissioners appointed a 15-member advisory committee in November made up of several members from the Cobb Parks Coalition, a group that formed to campaign for the bond's passage.

Olens said the role of the parks committee would be made clearer when they meet next Wednesday.

acasciaro@mdjonline.com

Olens, MDJ thanked for parks bond support

2007-01-02T10:20:00.000-05:00

A letter to the editor from the Marietta Daily Journal on Thursday, December 28, 2006, by CPC founding-member Paul Paulson

DEAR EDITOR:

Much credit has been given to the efforts of the Cobb Parks Coalition in encouraging the successful vote on November's Land for Parks $40 million bond referendum. But, lest we forget, the idea for this measure came not from the grassroots. That vision of spending public funds to preserve our rapidly disappearing natural landscape was the brainchild of one elected official alone, Sam Olens, chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners. Without his will there would have been no way to accomplish it. We are lucky to have had the likes of him at the helm at this crucial juncture in the course of our checkered developmental history.

And, had it not been for the careful reporting and editorial support of the Marietta Daily Journal, our hometown newspaper, it's unlikely that his idea could have reached the 72 percent of voters who chose to put permanence over the temporal rewards of a few dollars saved today.

What the Cobb Parks Coalition did more than anything was to engage those professional journalists to tell Chairman Olens' story. Let it be a lesson to all citizens with a dream, or an issue about justice or the lack of it. Ours began with a simple letter to the editor last March and culminated in a community endorsement of saving what we all feel to be important; the character of our community. The MDJ is the voice of that community; without it, the people would never have known.

On behalf of the 300-plus members of the Cobb Parks Coalition, I extend heartfelt gratitude for helping make the future a better place for the children of tomorrow.

Paul Paulson
West Cobb

Sierra Club lauds activist Paulson

2007-01-02T10:19:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Thursday, December 28, 2006, by MDJ staff writer Ashley Hungerford

Marietta - The Sierra Club's Centennial Group has named Cobb Parks Coalition leader Paul Paulson Activist of the Year and honored the group with its 2006 Award for Outstanding Achievement.

Paulson and the coalition, a grassroots group, campaigned to pass Cobb's $40 million park bond. Cobb voters overwhelmingly approved the bond by 72 percent in November. The bond will be used to buy new land for future park use.

Sierra Club chairwoman Kathryn Hutton said the coalition and Paulson each deserved the awards.

"We look at people who have contributed not only to the group, but also what the Sierra Club stands for," she said. "Paul really took on this project of informing the public of the parks bond."

The Centennial Group of the Sierra Club promotes conservation and follows issues that impact the environment. The group includes Cobb, Cherokee and north Fulton counties.

Ms. Hutton said when the club sees an effort like the Cobb Parks Coalition and Paulson's then they feel it should be recognized.

"I think the Sierra Club is out there to protect the environment, and there have been very few displays of our local government that have gone to protecting our local environment," Paulson said. "Finally something was done in Cobb that was right up their (Sierra Club's) alley."

Paulson said the coalition is a group of regular residents who came together without a lot of money to promote green space preservation in Cobb.

"A lot of people worked hard, and without the group effort it would not have happened," he said.

Joni Cope, a member of Cobb Parks Coalition, said the coalition's effort to pass the bond got the attention of many activist clubs.

"(The parks bond) brought home the message that green space is important to everyone in the community," Ms. Cope said. "And the green space issue crosses political lines."

Cobb commissioners this month appointed a 15-member committee to help determine which properties to buy with the bond money. Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens has said the committee will start meeting in January, and land purchases could begin in March or April.

ahungerford@mdjonline.com

Historic land spurs interest for new park

2006-12-22T09:48:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Thursday, December 21, 2006, by MDJ staff writer Amanda Casciaro

EAST COBB - An $1.8 million parcel in east Cobb that recently landed on the market has sparked the attention of county commissioners, including one who says the historic property could be a welcome addition to the Cobb park system.

Commissioner Tim Lee, who represents northeast Cobb, said 4.2 acres off Sewell Mill Road near East Cobb Park now up for sale by Bob and Dale Mehlhouse has been added to a long list for the parks citizens committee members to consider when expending a $40 million bond next year.

The property, which was put on the market for the last time this summer, contains some remains of the historic Sewell Mill, a corn and sawmill built in the 1840s.
Mrs. Mehlhouse "approached Bob Ash, (director of Cobb County Public Services), and he came and talked to me about the property," Lee said. "Bob and I went out and looked at it, and it's a beautiful piece of property she wants to sell to the county."
The couple, who have lived on the property for more than nine years, live in a two-story home among the mill remnants.

They decided to sell when a degenerative muscle disease Bob Mehlhouse suffers from progressed, making stairs difficult to ascend.

Despite their desire to sell, finding the perfect buyer is more important, Mrs. Mehlhouse said.

"We had it put on the historic register," she said. "When we moved here nothing had been done as far as preserving it, and that was one of my husband's goals, to make sure we did our part to try and protect the property."

It's a mission they want to continue, even after they move.

"We've had a lot of interest, but obviously, we're trying to get the right person," Mrs. Mehlhouse said. "It takes a little more work than if it was just a piece of property you didn't care anything about."

Jimmy Gisi, director for the Cobb Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, said he is keeping a running list of nominated properties for the parks committee to consider.

Although about 20 tracts have been identified, "we don't intend to share the list," Gisi said.

"The nominated properties are for preliminary consideration and we have not yet verified that they are from willing sellers. Also, these properties need to be presented to the citizens committee in advance of any public release," he said.

The 4.2-acre tract on Sewell Mill Road, just off Old Canton Road, is it's own wooded hideaway.

Apart from being beautiful, it could provide connectivity with East Cobb Park through another piece of county property nearby, Lee said.

The 15-member citizens advisory committee, appointed by commissioners last month, will meet beginning in January.

Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens has said the first tracts of land, which the county hopes to distribute evenly throughout Cobb, probably will be purchased in March or April.

acasciaro@mdjonline.com

Op ed: Cobb voters chose right on parks bond

2006-12-17T17:23:00.000-05:00

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.

Future looking bright for park preservation in Cobb

2006-12-06T09:10:00.001-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Wednesday, December 6, 2006, by MDJ columnist Don McKee

The push to preserve more parkland in Cobb County is part of a highly successful nationwide effort that bodes well for the future.

A report last week by the Land Trust Alliance showed that land held by state and local trusts doubled from 6 million acres to almost 12 million acres in the five years from 2000 to 2005.

Adding the land preserved by national conservation groups raises to 37 million acres the total now under protective trusts and easements - a whopping 54 percent increase over the 24 million acres set aside in 2000. The alliance pointed out the land now preserved is 16Â½ times the size of Yellowstone National Park.

"Little known just two decades ago, land trusts are now one of the fastest-growing and most successful conservation movements in American history," the alliance said.

That good news gets even better when you consider the conservation of private land averages 2.6 million acres a year, exceeding the estimated 2.2 million plus acres being developed, according to the Agriculture Department.

Credit goes to the growing number of local volunteer groups, says Rand Wentworth, president of the Land Trust Alliance. It is these groups - of which the Cobb Parks Coalition is a prime example - that drive the conservation efforts across the country.

The number of state and local land trusts increased 32 percent to 1,667 over the past five years. Georgia beat the average with a 41 percent increase as the numbers of trusts grew from 17 to 24. That tied Georgia with South Carolina for third place in trusts in the Southeast behind the leader, Florida, with 36, and North Carolina, second with 32.

The fastest-growing trend is conservation easements that landowners grant in exchange for tax incentives. In 2005 such voluntary agreements resulted in conserving 6.2 million acres versus 2.5 million acres in 2000.

On the heels of the good news from the Land Trust Alliance, Gov. Sonny Perdue of Georgia announced grants and loans totaling $1.5 million for four counties and a city under the state Land Conservation Act passed last year to encourage conservation and protection of natural, cultural and historic resources.

The projects include a 190-acre conservation easement "to help preserve the rapidly disappearing agricultural heritage of Oconee County" with a $467,000 grant. There's a $66,000 grant for Bartow County to obtain a conservation easement for 100 acres of farmland and stream buffers along Sugar Hill Creek. DeKalb County received $75,000 for acquisition of 140 acres of flood plain and wetlands along the South River.

Georgia also has the benefit of the land conservation tax credit law passed in 2006 to provide new incentive for private landowners to help preserve our state's beautiful natural resources, wildlife habitats, cultural and historic sites.

Donors of conservation easements are allowed a state income tax credit of 25 percent of the fair market value of the property up to a maximum $250,000 per individual and $500,000 per corporation.

Bottom line: conservation really is gaining ground.

dmckee9613@aol.com

Future looking bright for park preservation in Cobb

2006-12-06T09:10:00.000-05:00

MDJ: Board chose well with parks panel picks

2006-11-30T11:48:00.000-05:00

An editorial from the Marietta Daily Journal on Thursday, November 30, 2006

It's hard to recall a public issue in Cobb that has proven more popular than the $40 million referendum for local parkland acquisition. Not only was there no organized opposition to it and not only did it pass by landslide proportions Nov. 7, applicants came out of the proverbial woodwork when it came time for the Cobb Board of Commissioners to appoint members to a panel that will advise the commission on which pieces of land to acquire. Some 25 people filled out formal applications just for the three positions that were filled by Northwestern District Commissioner Helen Goreham, for example.

The commission ultimately chose 15 people for the panel, three by each of the five commissioners. And an impressive panel it is.

Commission Chairman Sam Olens selected Carol Brown, chairwoman of Canton Road Neighbors Inc.; All-State Insurance Co. attorney John Pape Jr., who is treasurer of the Cobb Parks Coalition (the grassroots group that successfully pushed the referendum); and attorney Gary Wolovick, an Emory Law School classmate of Olens and a leader of the Kolb Farm Coalition, which helped save four acres to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park that had been slated for development.

Northeastern District Commissioner Tim Lee selected east Cobb homeowner Debbie D'Aurelio, Cobb NAACP president Deanne Bonner and retired accountant Doug Reed, who was recommended by the Northeast Cobb Homeowners Association.

Commissioner Annette Kesting of southwest Cobb appointed attorney LaRonda Barnes, who also will serve on the Cobb Board of Tax Assessors; Shoupade savior Rhonda Cook of the Johnston's River Line Historic Area; and Connie Taylor a loan-processing manager and real estate broker for the City of Atlanta.

Commissioner Joe Lee Thompson of southeast Cobb appointed Roger Buerki of the Cobb Parks Coalition, who has spent 35 years working to save greenspace along the Chattahoochee River; Joni Cope, who has been instrumental in trying to save the historic Hyde Farm in east Cobb; and Chris Dusack, a Bank of America employee and member of the Cobb Parks Coalition.

And Commissioner Goreham selected Heidelberg USA manager Jim Dugan, banker Jimmy Durham and Wendy Friberg of the Cobb Parks Coalition, who also was active in the Kolb Farm effort a few years back.

As noted above, the panel will make recommendations to the commission about which tracts to focus on for acquisition, as the referendum question did not specify which land might be bought. Although much speculation has centered on the huge Bullard Farm on Dallas Highway in west Cobb, that tract is tied up in a lawsuit regarding the county's refusal to allow it to be rezoned for a massive development that would play havoc with roads and schools in that area.

And while that site certainly has not been ruled out as a potential park, word has it the county may have as its initial focus the acquisition of a small Civil War-related parcel in south Cobb, not only in order to preserve it but in order to quickly be able to show results to the public. Indeed, it makes sense for the panel to cut its teeth on the acquisition of smaller, simpler-to-obtain properties rather than trying to tackle large, complicated purchases right off the bat.

At any rate, the commissioners appear to have chosen well as they selected their panel members. Now, it's time for them to get to work, and we hope their enthusiasm for their task remains unabated.

Commissioners appoint parks advisory panel

2006-11-30T11:39:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Wednesday, November 29, 2006, by MDJ staff writer Amanda Casciaro

MARIETTA - Cobb commissioners on Tuesday announced appointments to a 15-member committee to advise the board on land buys using a $40 million parks bond voters approved in November.

The appointments, which include three at-large members from Chairman Sam Olens, reflect a diverse pool of residents that vary in race, gender, occupation and community involvement.

As promised when commissioners agreed to send the referendum to voters in April, Olens chose members of the Cobb Parks Coalition, which has been credited for the bond's success in garnering more than 70 percent of the vote.

Carol Brown, chairwoman of the Canton Road Neighbors Inc.; Gary Wolovick, a former vice president of west Cobb's People Looking After Neighborhoods and a classmate of Olens' from Emory School of Law; and John Pape, Jr., staff counsel for Allstate Insurance Company and a leader in the Kolb Farm Coalition, will serve as at-large committee members.

After receiving several e-mail requests from residents, Commissioner Tim Lee decided to appoint Deanne Bonner, president of the Cobb NAACP; Debbie D'Aurelio, an east Cobb homemaker who came recommended from "at least a dozen" other community activists; and Doug Reed, a retired accountant the Northeast Cobb Homeowners Association recommended.

Commissioner Annette Kesting, who represents south Cobb, chose Georgia Supreme Court attorney LaRonda Barnes, who also serves as her appointment to the Cobb County Board of Tax Assessors; Roberta Cook, a well-known community activist who helped the Cobb Parks Coalition drum up support for the bond early on; and Connie Taylor, a loan processing manager and real estate broker for the City of Atlanta.

Commissioner Joe Lee Thompson appointed Joni Cope, an east Cobb activist who has worked "for years" to preserve the Hyatt farm; Roger Buerki, a member of the Cobb Parks Coalition and the West Vinings Civic Association who has worked for the past 35 years to preserve greenspace including property along the Chattahoochee River; and Chris Dusack, a Bank of America employee and member of the Cobb Parks Coalition.

Commissioner Helen Goreham, who did not attend Tuesday's meeting because she was out of town, is expected to appoint Jim Dugan, a west Cobb activist employed with Heidelberg; Wendy Friberg, who worked with the Kolb Farm Coalition; and Jimmy Durham, an employee with Northwest Bank and Trust.

Although Olens announced Ms. Goreham's appointments Tuesday, the board will not approve members until its Dec. 12 commission meeting when she is present.

The 15-member committee will serve for about 18 months or until the bond expires and will not be paid for its service.

Paul Paulson, leader of the Cobb Parks Coalition and an integral part of the Five Families Farm battle in west Cobb, declined to participate on the committee, citing his busy schedule.

Although he won't serve as a permanent member, Paulson has said he will advise the board if members need help choosing tracts of land for park use.

The committee will follow Georgia's Sunshine Laws.

"We want to give it transparency so that people can see what's going on with it," Paulson said in a recent interview.

Members will begin meeting in January to discuss future purchases. Olens said the group would elect its own chairman soon after.

"This has been a great experiment, a successful experiment in grassroots organization," Olens said. "We look forward to the next step."

acasciaro@mdjonline.com

Sunshine laws apply to citizen committee

2006-11-21T08:54:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal's Around Town column on Tuesday, November 21, 2006, by MDJ associate editor Bill Kinney

WITH PASSAGE of the $40 million referendum for parkland acquisition safely in the rear view mirror as of Nov. 7, its backers now have moved to the next phase of the process, which is selecting the 15 members of the committee that will recommend various tracts for acquisition.

Parks proponents met at the Ruth Ellis Dance Studio on Marietta Square on Sunday afternoon to discuss the next steps. And with the way the Atlanta Falcons have been playing as of late, it was no big deal for them to give up an afternoon of watching the NFL to do so.

It was the same location at which Parks Coalition members had met throughout the summer to discuss strategy, but Sunday's meeting turned out to be the biggest yet, with 50 attendees, 20 of them first-timers.

"That reminds me of the old expression, 'Success has a thousand fathers, but failure only one,'" said Coalition head Paul Paulson afterward with a smile.

Among those on hand - all of whom were big backers of the referendum from the outset - were Cobb Board of Commissioners Chairman Sam Olens and Commissioners Helen Goreham and Tim Lee. Others included county Properties Manager Bob Ash and county Planning Commissioner Bob Ott.

The advisory board will have 15 members, but Paulson will not be one of them, by his choice, citing his busy schedule.

Each commissioner will appoint three members to the body, which then will look at properties available, at the county's needs, and then make recommendations to the board of commissioners, which will have final say on what land to try to buy.

Two likely members as Olens' appointees to the advisory board have already surfaced. They are local attorney John Pape, treasurer of the Coalition, and attorney Gary Wolovick, an Emory Law School classmate of Olens' who also was active in the successful effort to add four acres to the Kolb's Farm portion of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park a few years ago.

Paulson stressed that the advisory committee will fall under the state's Sunshine Laws.

"We want to give it transparency so that people can see what's going on with it," he told the MDJ's Joe Kirby on Monday.

Meanwhile, Paulson is consulting with representatives from the national Trust for Public Land and the Georgia Conservancy to see what processes those not-for-profits use to determine how specific tracts of land are worth saving. The group may also look to see what steps were followed in DeKalb and Carroll counties, which passed park-acquisition referendums in recent years.

"There's no need for us to try and reinvent the wheel if we don't have to," Paulson said.

There's also the possibility that the Trust could hold an educational seminar for board members, he added.

Paulson said that the Cobb Parks Coalition, the loose-knit group he assembled to lobby voters to back the referendum, will stay in existence for the time being and have its next meeting sometime after Christmas. Other major figures in that group are retired Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Superintendent John Cissell, communications director Diane Quammen, Joni Cope, and Marietta businessman Larry Ceminsky.

Parkland advisory panel formed

2006-11-15T20:06:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Wednesday, November 15, 2006, by MDJ staff writer Amanda Casciaro

MARIETTA - Cobb commissioners Tuesday took the first step to implement a plan to buy more parkland in the county, creating an advisory committee that will examine how to spend $40 million.

Voters last week approved the general obligation bond package by a nearly 3-1 margin.

Each county commissioner will appoint three people to the committee, which will be named at the board's Nov. 28 meeting.

The 15-member voluntary committee will offer input to the board on potential land buys before Cobb buys land for future parks, Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens said.

Olens estimates Cobb will secure the bond money after Jan. 1.

Public input will be considered on potential tracts from January to February and the commission will begin land buys in March or April at the earliest, Olens said.

Cobb residents who want to participate can contact their commissioner or attend a question-and-answer session from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Georgia Dance Conservatory on the Marietta Square.

Cobb Parks Coalition, which led an effort to educate voters before the election, has organized the forum so residents can share their opinions and come forward to participate.

Paul Paulson, leader of the grassroots effort, has said he does not want to serve on the committee because of his demanding schedule.

The buying price of land in Cobb County is between $100,000 and $300,000 an acre, which totals about 133 to 400 acres eligible for purchase.

Although the 112-acre Bullard Farm property in west Cobb has been tied up in litigation between the county and Florida-based Goodman Co. since March, other tracts have been discussed as potential sites for "pocket parks."

"We referenced some other tracts such as Wylene Tritt's property, 54 acres right next to East Cobb Park, and the Hyde Farm property," Olens said in a recent interview. "I'd love to be able to buy a pocket park in Vinings and maybe a property in the Oakdale area that contains the (Civil Ware) Shoupades. I'd like to buy properties throughout the county, and it's important we do a thorough search so we're in a position to make the best decisions with that money."

The bond issue avoids a tax increase by using debt now occupied by a 1993 bond to build the Cobb County Jail.

In other business....

This article continues with other business conducted during the meeting by the Commissioners.

acasciaro@mdjonline.com

Pro-parks vote got needed attention

2006-11-15T19:57:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Wednesday, November 15, 2006, by MDJ columnist Don McKee

The leadership of the Cobb Parks Coalition represents a formidable force in local politics and is a factor to be reckoned with in future elections.

Thanks to the hard work of the coalition, the ballot proposal for a $40 million bond issue to buy parklands won an overwhelming 72 percent of the vote in last week's referendum.

Credit coalition leaders Paul Paulson, John Cissell and their colleagues. They made it happen with unrelenting efforts, enlisting volunteers to contact and inform voters in various ways from yard signs to telephone calls and drumming up solid support from conservation organizations to the chamber of commerce.

The core issue, Paulson pointed out in answer to my question, was the rapid, wholesale development of the county.

"I think we had such a significant showing because people are sick and tired of seeing the trees, the fields, the farms, the beauty of Cobb County being consumed by unimaginative development," he said.

"This bond referendum was as much anti-development as it was pro-parks," he said, citing comments by many of the more than 1,000 people who signed the coalition's online petition in support of the bonds.

"It is a wake-up call," he added. "There was an undercurrent of frustration out there" over what in the past was a "develop-at-all-costs mentality." Now, he said, "We are living with the results of that shortsightedness."

The political support of the pro-bond issue group can prove decisive for candidates to political offices, and the current members of the Cobb Board of Commissioners helped their standing by getting behind the parkland bond proposal.

Now that the people have spoken, the commissioners will have to deliver as promised.

They have agreed that citizens will have a leading part in selecting properties to be purchased by the bond money. You can be sure they will honor the commitment.

The BOC's first order of business is to appoint a citizens committee that will find potential parkland and work with commissioners in acquiring suitable, available tracts.

Each commissioner will appoint three members of the committee to serve for about 18 months. This will be volunteer, unpaid duty by people willing to invest in preserving a little more of the natural resources of Cobb County.

The Cobb Parks Coalition is calling for candidates for the committee to contact their commissioners.

Answers to questions about what's involved will be provided by Commission Chairman Sam Olens at a coalition meeting, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. next Sunday, Nov. 19, at the Georgia Dance Conservatory, 49 West Park Square (upstairs) on the Square downtown.

It is expected that the citizens committee members will be appointed by Nov. 28. They will search out the best available, affordable parkland to help preserve more of Cobb's natural beauty.

"There is still much beauty," Paul Paulson said, "much of the character that drew all of us who call Cobb home here in the first place."

Now it's a question of how much can be preserved.

dmckee9613@aol.com

CNN.com features our victory

2006-11-15T19:42:00.000-05:00

Posted on CNN online at 7:57 a.m. EST on Sunday, November 12, 2006 by Jeff Green of CNN.com

Voters OK greenbacks for green space

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The leaders of any political party would envy the success rate land conservation measures have found in elections across the United States, and this year was no exception.

Voters approved 77 percent of the tax or bond initiatives on the ballot in 23 states in the midterm elections, according to research by the Trust for Public Land, a California-based nonprofit group. Ninety-nine of 128 measures passed.

Those votes will place $5.73 billion in the hands of local and state leaders to help fund land conservation, including $2.25 billion from one California bond resolution alone.

The total was the highest in any election since 1988, the earliest voting analyzed by the trust.

Of the 1,862 initiatives tracked from 1988 to 2005, 1,422 -- or 76 percent -- were approved. In 2002, voters backed 143 of 192 measures, worth about $5.5 billion.

With the nation's population recently surpassing 300 million and land consumption growing, communities are using such initiatives to help cope with sprawling development, said Ernest Cook, director of the trust's conservation finance program.

"It's an investment that pays dividends over and over and over again for future generations," Cook said. "There are community-wide benefits that mean a lot to everyone."

And while the largest sums up for votes this year were in so-called blue states, support for government spending on land conservation isn't unique to Democratic Party strongholds, he said.

In Cobb County, Georgia, a $40 million bond for land conservation passed with 72 percent of the vote. The suburban county is solidly Republican, with GOP Gov. Sonny Perdue taking 66 percent of the vote this year.

"It's a nonpartisan issue," said Cobb County Commission Chairman Sam Olens, a Republican.

"For years, I would go to Cobb Republican Party breakfasts where conservative Republicans were telling me, 'Look, you gotta get this park space before it doesn't exist any more, before the potential doesn't exist any more.'"

In neighboring Paulding County, a $15.2 million parks bond got the same strong support as Perdue -- 71 percent.

Elsewhere, Republican Sen. Conrad Burns' failed re-election effort won 57 percent of the vote in Ravalli County, Montana. The county's first-ever bond to preserve open space, a $10 million initiative, fared slightly better, winning approval with 58 percent of the vote.

In President Bush's home state of Texas, all six city and county measures for parks and land conservation were approved, each of them with more than 61 percent of the vote, according to the trust.

In Dallas, where incumbent GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson took 54 percent of the vote, more than $36 million for land acquisition was approved as part of a bond that had support from 81 percent of voters.

And in Salt Lake County, Utah, a $48 million open space bond passed with 71 percent of the vote. Fifty-four percent of voters there supported incumbent GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch.

Bond pumps up Schwarzenegger
While voters in blue-state California have traditionally been supportive of such initiatives, this year's Proposition 84 was considered a tough call by the trust because it was on the ballot with a separate bond package totaling $37 billion.

With the support of Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, all of the bond measures passed. Among them was a $5.4 million bond for water-quality protection and flood control that also included $2.25 billion dedicated to land conservation.

"The reason I think they were successful was because Democrats and Republicans worked together," Schwarzenegger said of the bond measures.

In Nassau County, New York, voters in 2004 approved a $50 million bond to purchase open space and protect water quality. But the Long Island community "found that $50 million in a large urban county didn't go very far," Cook said.

So they doubled it this year, asking voters to support a $100 million initiative.

Before the election, County Executive Thomas Suozzi stressed the urgency of preserving what little open land remains in the area.

"Forty percent of the county's open land has been developed since 1980, and that leaves less than 10 percent of remaining land that we can enjoy," Suozzi said in a written statement.

Voters were receptive to the message, approving the bond with 77 percent support. The effort followed advice that the trust frequently gives to local officials to build confidence among voters.

"We often recommend to towns and counties that are setting up new programs that they start small ... and then let the voters evaluate the kind of job that their government is doing," Cook said. "And if they like it, they can vote to extend the program."

Of the 29 measures that failed in the midterm elections, the largest was in Seminole County, Florida.

By a margin of 51 percent, voters in the suburban Orlando community narrowly rejected a property tax increase that would have provided $70 million over a 10-year period for the purchase of environmentally sensitive land.

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/12/parks.votes/index.html

On Tuesday's parks bond vote, five numbers ... Tell the Story

2006-11-05T10:25:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday, November 5, 2006 by MDJ guest columnist Chuck Kaste.

On Tuesday, the last item on Cobb County's ballot will request approval for the county to issue bonds for the purpose of buying parkland. This ballot initiative presents a unique opportunity. We can have county funds earmarked toward something that will have a material and tangible benefit on the quality of life and property values for all Cobb residents. And the news gets even better; no new taxes will be needed to fund this initiative.

Somewhat surprisingly, there's debate about it. But this debate is not about the idea of parks. I have not run into anyone who thinks having more parks in Cobb County would be a bad thing. No one questions the financial, environment and community-building virtues of having more parkland for all of us to enjoy. Instead, this debate is about how we should pay for them.

Some say we should wait until funds can be pulled out of the operating budget or until the county has identified each parcel of land it wants to acquire. I disagree, and I have five numbers that tell me this bond initiative is exactly the right way to go:

* FORTY - as in $40 million is the amount that this initiative sets to be spent on parkland acquisition over the next two years. By law, these funds can only be used to acquire property and the land acquired must be parkland forever. No sidewalks. No right of way. No easements. Only parkland and always parkland.

* TEN - as in 10 years, will not appear on the ballot, but it's an important part of this acquisition plan. It's the term of the bonds that will fund this parkland acquisition. The county government wants to make sure it is being fiscally responsible and will pay these bonds off in just 10 years.

If 10 years seems like a long time, consider that most private sector loans for land acquisition are for 20 to 30 years, not just 10. These parks will not be a liability on future generations. No, they will be purely an asset.

* FOUR AND A QUARTER - as in 4Â¼ percent, is the interest rate at which Cobb County currently borrows. This rate is important because it is very close to the recent growth rate of real estate prices in the county. Since these rates are so close, this proposed bond initiative will not cost the county any more than if we waited to acquire the parkland over the next 10 years.

At the same time, waiting to buy is fraught with risk. First, if we do wait, the property is not likely to be appropriate or even available for purchase because it will have already been turned into a shopping center or subdivision. Second, many experts are predicting that the metro area's real estate market is going to exceed historic growth rates because of the continued influx of people and corporations into the area. If that happens, waiting to buy the land (if it is still available and undeveloped) will actually cost more than issuing a bond, buying it now and paying interest.

Bottom line, the so-called "pay as you go" approach is not likely to provide any cost benefit, may actually put us at a cost disadvantage, and may prevent us from being able to purchase the land in the first place. As such, buying the land now with the proceeds of a bond issue is the best approach to avoid these risks.

* THREE - as in the three members from each commission district that commissioners will appoint to the advisory committee for the bond. This committee will be composed purely of private citizens. No government officials or staff will serve on it. This committee will oversee the dispersal of funds and the acquisition of properties that they, as a group, select. Your district's three committee members will represent you as properties are nominated, discussed and prioritized. The balance of this committee will ensure that all properties brought into the process receive fair consideration, regardless of where they are in the county.

* ONE - as in how not voting for this initiative is the one way to guarantee that the county will not have the funds to acquire this much parkland over the next two years at today's prices.

We have one opportunity to make sure these funds are earmarked for parkland - and we can do it without raising taxes. The land is out there now at today's prices. But if we wait, it will either be gone or it will cost much more than it does today. Now is the time to act.

What can you do to help?

The first thing is easy. Spread the word. Let your friends, neighbors and family know about the importance of this item on the ballot. Tell them that you will be voting "Yes" and ask them to vote "Yes" too.

The second thing is even easier. On Tuesday, vote "Yes" for the initiative.

With this bond initiative, we have a unique opportunity to leave our county a legacy - a legacy of parks and greenspace. These will be parks that my two boys and your kids can enjoy in their childhood. When they grow up and the parks are paid for, our grandchildren will enjoy them as will our great grandchildren. If we all support this initiative, it can be our gift to them and all future generations - and we can do this without raising taxes.

I hope you will join me.

Chuck Kaste is a management consultant who has made east Cobb his home for the last 15 years. A lifelong Atlantan, he is active in local several parkland and greenspace "Friends" groups and serves as president of his homeowners association.

Let's not add to list of past mistakes on Tuesday

2006-11-05T10:21:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday, November 5, 2006, by MDJ editorial page editor Joe Kirby.

Cobb County's leaders and people have made some really big blunders through the years that we're still paying the price for today, both economic and psychic. And we may be on the verge of making another this week that will be regretted for generations.

Sure, our past leaders also showed more foresight than most of their Georgia counterparts, doing things like paving the way on the eve of World War II for what is now the Dobbins/Lockheed/NAS complex; pushing for the construction of the Allatoona reservoir in the late 1940s, thus assuring us a reliable source of drinking water; embarking on an ambitious road-paving program in the early 1950s; constructing sewer lines into then-empty east Cobb in the late 1960s; and pouring plenty of money into the two local school systems all along.

But let's also look at some of the gaffs of the past, and think about how much different life here would be today - and at how much more cheaply we could have accomplished various goals. What if:

* The county years ago had bought enough cheap right of way along its major thoroughfares that when the time finally came to widen them, it wouldn't have cost taxpayers so much?

* The feds, state and county had done the same thing in the Interstate 75 corridor through Cobb, so that more lanes and interchanges could be added without having to buy and demolish businesses and houses that now are in the way? And what if they had bought enough land to save room to add a light rail line paralleling the highway, instead of having to shoehorn such a line over the road or in between the lanes - or not build it at all?

* The county had hooked up with MARTA in the 1960s, and that it had gotten popular enough to relieve the need for so much costly road building?

* The county or state had bought Sweat Mountain in east Cobb, Blackjack Mountain in east Marietta and/or Lost Mountain in west Cobb, and turned them into recreational parks, rather than letting them become studded with homes for the rich and richer?

* We had not torn down the beautiful old courthouse on Marietta Square and replaced it with one of the ugliest buildings in Georgia?

* Local leaders, needing no crystal ball to see Cobb's population on the verge of exploding in the 1960s, had planned and built another bridge or two or three across the Chattahoochee River? It's now unlikely another bridge will ever be built.

* After seeing how east Cobb's population boomed in the 1960s and '70s, we had assumed the same would eventually happen in west Cobb, and had decided to be proactive and build additional, wider and more direct roads around (and possibly even through) Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park?

* The federal government in the 1930s and '40s had been more aggressive in purchasing land for the battlefield park? As it was, most of what was purchased was old trench lines, not the land in between that was fought on.

* The feds, state or the county had been more visionary, even as late as the 1980s, in buying the miles and miles of remaining Civil War trenchworks and forts in west Cobb? The county could easily, easily, have wound up with a network of linear parks and trails along the high ground from Lost Mountain in west Cobb, eastward to the battlefield park and then on to Brushy Mountain, just south of Town Center mall. But unfortunately, most of those entrenchments are now history - if you get my drift.

* The county had bought plenty of land for use as future parkland, while it was still empty, plentiful and cheap?

All of the "mistakes" listed above - except the last one - are irreversible? There's no way to reverse those past oversights and failure to use our collective imagination. But there is a step we can take on Tuesday to ensure that we don't let down the next generation of county residents. I'm talking, of course, about the referendum on whether the county should spend $40 million to buy undeveloped land to be converted into county parks.

If you think Cobb needs more parks - and not just more ballfields, but more open land for passive recreational uses like walking and kite-flying - then it's now or never to get it. You've probably noticed that there isn't much empty land left in the county, and that it's going fast. If we drop the ball on Tuesday, another five or 10 years will probably roll around before enough momentum could be built up for another push for parks. And by then, there likely would be no undeveloped tracts left in Cobb large enough to serve as parks. So it's now or never.

Do we want to act now? Or do we want to go down in county history as the generation that ducked when it came our turn to do what's right?

I know how I'm going to vote.

OK for parks bond faces uphill battle

2006-11-05T10:18:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on November 5, 2006, by MDJ staff writer Amanda Casciaro

COBB COUNTY - Supporters and opposition groups of a proposed $40 million parks bond set for the election ballot Tuesday agree the most important task in the next two days will be educating the public before they cast their vote.

Before the measure was approved for the ballot by the Cobb Board of Commissioners in July, residents from across the county united in a grassroots effort called the Cobb Parks Coalition. Led by Paul Paulson, members have teamed with the Cobb Chamber of Commerce to educate voters through signs, push cards and meetings with the local business community.

"People have to make a decision; there's very little of our landscape left," Paulson said. "Most all of us living in Cobb County have benefited in some way from the tremendous growth and development. Now we're getting down to the end run of our available land."

Because the county will be using existing debt, the general obligation bond will not lead to an increase of what residents are already paying.

Rejecting it, however, could save owners of a $200,000 home about $13.60 each year after 2010, said Cobb Communications Director Robert Quigley.

Cobb commissioners can buy parcels using debt now occupied by a $39 million bond approved in 1993 to pay for the existing jail. That bond will expire in 2010, at which time - if voters approve the plan Tuesday - a 10-year parks bond will take effect.

"There is no hidden agenda here," said Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens in a recent interview. "I just reduced the millage (rate) last year. There is no tax (or) fee that's more despised by local governments than millage, and this bond gives us the opportunity for a significant increase in parkland without any additional millage. It's an existing tax."

Opponents of the park bond say officials' insistence that the bond will not increase taxes is misleading, and giving the commission control of parkland purchases institutes an unnecessary, extra layer of government.

"If people want more parks, let them pay for them," said Gary Marcus, a member of the Libertarian-backed Cobb Taxpayers Association. "I'm not opposed to parks, but I don't think I have the right to go up to you or anyone else for that matter and tell them to give me their money so I can build one."

Specific tracts of land have not been identified for purchase, but Olens said he envisions small "pocket parks" in each district. Because land across the county is going for about $100,000 to $300,000 an acre, Olens said the bond would allow commissioners to purchase between 133 to 400 acres of parkland.

Before any land is bought, a committee of residents will be appointed by commissioners to advise them on potential land acquisitions.

"At this point, we can't do too much more except have confidence people will respond positively to it," Paulson said. "I see more good in people than selfishness, so I'm trusting people in Cobb County will do the right thing and vote 'yes' on this."

Cobb owns and leases from the Army Corps of Engineers about 5,075 acres of parkland, of which about 4,251 has been developed into youth sports fields and recreation areas. The undeveloped 823 acres is either floodplain or land reserved for events such as the North Georgia State Fair, Olens said.

“Land. They ain’t makin’ it anymore.”

2006-11-04T17:35:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Friday, November 3, 2006, by MDJ guest columnist Patricia Lane.

Park bond’s economics explained

There are people who say we cannot afford to spend $40 million to purchase greenspace in Cobb County. The financing of the parks bond referendum Cobb will vote on Tuesday would involve the reissuing of bonds that are due to be retired, which means that there would be no change in our taxes because of this referendum. Cobb’s credit rating is so good that we are authorized to issue $200 million in bonds if it were necessary, and because we are such a low risk, our interest rate will be low. We will be able to retire these bonds in a mere 10 years. Including interest, that will cost the average household about $4 per year, approximately the cost of one good cup of coffee.

There are people who argue that we should wait until we can finance the purchase of green space with tax revenues alone to avoid paying interest. The price of land in Cobb has not gone down since the Great Depression. Assuming that there would still be land available to purchase, if we wait only one or two more years, the escalating cost of that land would more than negate any savings associated with the lack of interest payments.

There are people who maintain setting aside land for public parks will remove valuable property from the tax tolls, thus decreasing the amount of taxes coming into county coffers. The Trust for Public Land has documented repeatedly that the increased value of property surrounding green space more than offsets pulling forests and agricultural land out of production. Just look at the cost of lots in Anderson Farm and Parkside at Old Mountain adjacent to Kennesaw Mountain battlefield park. The most expensive land on ear4th surrounds Central Park in New York City. Do you think that NYC officials wish they had a Super Wal-Mart there instead?
Some think county government has no business buying land, competing with private developers who want to bulldoze every remaining spot of green in the name of growth. That might play well in North Dakota, but our county commissioners know that in metropolitan areas good schools and an educated work force are no longer enough to attract new people. Parks and walking trails are ranked more important than retail shopping in surveys of homebuyers. Families and businesses seeking to relocate look for green space as an indicator of quality of life and commitment to environmental concerns. Unless significant parkland is set aside, suburbs turn into the gridlock from which people relocate. And in 2000 Cobb had less green space per capita than the city of Atlanta.

We can’t afford to wait to protect what little green space remains in Cobb. It is right for the environment, it is good for the health and well-being of our citizens and it has clear economic benefits. This is our last chance. As Will Rogers said, “Land. They ain’t makin’ it anymore.” And if we do not act responsibly to save our remaining open land, our grandchildren will ask us why.
Vote Tuesday for more greenspacein Cobb. Vote “Yes” on the last item on the ballot.

Veterinarian Patricia Lane is a 20-year resident of Cobb.

MDJ's Bill Kinney asks if bond will pass

2006-11-04T09:58:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal's Around Town column on Saturday, November 4, 2006, by MDJ associate editor Bill Kinney

Will parks bond pass Tuesday?

WHAT'S THE PROGNOSIS for Tuesday's referendum vote on a $40 million bond issue to finance the purchase of land for future Cobb parks? The measure should pass. It's a proposal that will have next to no impact on taxpayers' wallets and will meet a need for more parkland. Spearheading the parks push has been Paul Paulson, head of the Cobb Parks Coalition.

"No one working for our group sees passage of this bond referendum as a given, said Paulson, adding "We know that our message has failed to reach many people."

Backers of the bond say that if the county fails to act and pass the referendum, there will be no vacant land left to buy for parks if the county has to wait another five or 10 years. There seems to be no organized opposition. Passage would relieve overcrowding at existing parks and at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, which drew more than 1.5 million visitors last year, primarily for recreational uses.

The measure could wind up a victim of its timing, of being held in conjunction with a general election rather than as a one-item special election. Special elections usually draw far fewer voters and are easier to manipulate by generating high turnout among selected constituencies. But they're also costly to run, one reason the county commission scheduled the parks vote for a general election, and the fact that a parks bond would seem to be a no-brainer regardless of when it takes place.

Last year's referendum on a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for transportation/jail/courthouse improvements was a standalone election and passed by only 114 votes of 39,771 cast, and was far more controversial than the parks bond has been.

This year's bond question also is unfortunate in that it is the last one on the ballot, when many voters aren't paying much attention.

Cobb voters have been fickle about parks-and-rec referendums. They turned down a $148 million SPLOST for parks on Nov. 7, 2000. The measure would have included $45 million for parkland acquisition. Just think how much parkland could have been acquired with $45 million at 2000 prices.

Voters also turned thumbs down on a $12.8 million general obligation bond in 1993 that would have financed improvements to the county's softball complex in west Cobb in order to host the women's softball competition in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Voters in 1989 rejected a $25 million G.O. bond for recreation.

The county has passed five parks/recreation bonds. The first was in 1965 for $900,000. Next was a $5.25 million bond in 1972, followed by a $3 million bond in 1977. Voters got more generous after that, approving a $21.6 million bond in 1986 and a $30 million bond in 1996. In addition, the county recreation authority passed revenue bonds on three occasions: $1 million in 1958, $1.12 million in 1989 and $7.12 million in 1992.

This year's bond proposal has the full support of all five commissioners and its proceeds will be spent across the county, not just in less-developed west Cobb where there are more and bigger open tracts available.

"Forty million dollars is really not enough at this most urgent juncture," Paulson said. "The Cobb Parks Coalition has been encouraged by national conservation groups that once a local community makes a statement about saving some greenspace through its taxing ability, there is increased opportunity for private foundations and even federal funds to come available. That $40 million could be boosted.

"It may be close, but, I'm betting the farm it will fly," Paulson said. "What's more important? Saving an average $11 a year for 10 years in taxes or permanently protecting maybe 400 acres for your children and theirs? With less than 10 percent of Cobb left unused and development proceeding at a rate of seven acres a day, says a University of Georgia study, we are the last generation privileged to have this choice."

Should Cobb issue bonds to buy parkland?

2006-11-02T09:22:00.000-05:00

Two op-ed pieces appeared in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on Thursday, November 2, 2006, one on each side of the parkland issue.

Cobb voters will decide Tuesday if the county should issue bonds to generate $40 million to buy parkland.

Commission Chairman Sam Olens said the commission has not decided what property the county might buy, but he said the land predominantly would hold passive parks for nature walks, not ball fields.

Olens said open land ranges in price from $100,000 an acre to more than $300,000. That means the money could buy anywhere from 133 to 400 acres. Olens said he also envisions "pocket parks" in areas that might include east Cobb, Vinings and Oakdale. Today, two Cobb residents, one who supports borrowing the money and one who doesn't, weigh in with guest columns.

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PAUL PAULSON: YES
Bond would be fiscally smart move for Cobb

There is little undeveloped land in Cobb County.

Of our 217,000 acres of once pristine southern landscape, less than 10 percent remains untouched by the hand of man.

Each day, as the University of Georgia's Department of Ecology's NARSAL group reports, 7 acres of nature's handiwork meets the bulldozer's blade in Cobb County.

Four acres are paved over and 3 acres of tree cover is cut to the quick. That's about 2,400 acres each year. And, as the available land gets scarcer, the prices get scarier.

The amount of parkland has not kept pace with the development across the land.

Sam Olens, chairman of the Cobb County Commission, had an awakening one day this past spring.

The longtime Cobb resident saw an opportunity to secure more land for parks. He knew that if Cobb hesitated, the land could be gone or too costly. So, he asked the county's Finance Department how we could pay for more parkland right now. There was a bond about to be retired which could simply be "rolled over" and reissued. So, the $40 million to buy land for parks would not change the debt millage. There'd be no new taxes.

Who'd oppose that? Well, some, and in a democracy such as ours all sides need be heard before the citizenry can make an informed choice.

Money is an important issue in all our lives. Lately, all taxes have gotten a bad name.

Yet, sometimes it is only government, through reasonable use of its taxing authority, that can accomplish things that would otherwise go undone.

Cobb County has a bond rating that would allow us to borrow the $40 million at a rate of 4 percent for a period of 10 years. The Cobb finance department reports that undeveloped land in Cobb appreciates annually by about 8 percent.

Enough said.

And, our personal contribution would remain the same as today; that's about $11 per year in property taxes on a house valued at $200,000.

It's been said that it is only taxes that separate the people from chaos.

In a democracy such as ours, chaos is a legitimate choice. Or, we can opt for a small personal sacrifice today promising to reap great rewards tomorrow.

Paulson, a small-business owner, lives in Marietta.

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GARY MARCUS: NO
Parkland bond idea is blatant money grab

Cobb voters will decide Tuesday if the county should issue bonds to generate $40 million to buy parkland.

Commission Chairman Sam Olens said the commission has not decided what property the county might buy, but he said the land predominantly would hold passive parks for nature walks, not ball fields.

Olens said open land ranges in price from $100,000 an acre to more than $300,000. That means the money could buy anywhere from 133 to 400 acres. Olens said he also envisions "pocket parks" in areas that might include east Cobb, Vinings and Oakdale. Today, two Cobb residents, one who supports borrowing the money and one who doesn't, weigh in with guest columns.

Never let it be said that the current crop of Cobb County commissioners would ever miss an opportunity to raise taxes, increase spending or deny Cobb taxpayers any form of tax relief.

A little over a year ago, the County Commission pushed through a massive billion-dollar tax increase (SPLOST).

Then last month the commissioners unanimously voted in a whopping 19 percent increase in the county's annual budget. And now they are asking voters to approve a bond referendum to buy parkland.

There are many troubling aspects to this proposal. First, if the proposal was not on the ballot, the taxpayers would automatically receive some much needed tax relief. The amount of the measure is not predicated upon needing a specific amount of acreage in specific locations for specific purposes. Olens has said the commission has not decided what property the county might buy.

The amount of the bond measure is in line with the old debt soon to be retired. Therefore, its amount is designed to deny taxpayers any tax relief whatsoever; but since it is equal to the amount of debt to be retired, politicians can smugly claim that there will be no tax increase. If the commissioners were to be honest with the taxpayers, they would call this scheme for what it really is: a money grab. Read: We'll grab the money now, and figure out later how to spend it. This measure represents the height of arrogance and fiscal irresponsibility.

Can you imagine the private sector ever trying to foist something like this on its shareholders?

There are other problems with this so-called parks proposal. There is nothing to prevent the commissioners from using eminent domain to purchase parkland, other than Olens' verbal assurance.

If we knew beforehand where exactly the county plans to purchase the land, then we could make an informed decision as to whether eminent domain could or could not be a threat. Otherwise, it's just another case of politicians saying to taxpayers, "Trust me."

It's time at long last to send this profligate County Commission a message that is long overdue, and that is a NO vote on this parks measure. It's the only language they understand.

Marcus is vice president of the Cobb County Taxpayers Association and the president and founder of the Marcus Consulting Group Inc.

Thank our grandparents for their foresight in 1935; we have similar choice

2006-11-01T13:57:00.000-05:00

This op-ed piece by Dan Brown, superintendent of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, appeared in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on October 31, 2006. It was accompanied by telling pictures of the mountain in the 1930s and the view from the top toward 41 at Old 41 today.

Look to the past on parks vote

Cobb County's $40 million bond referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot to buy land for county parks is reminiscent of the efforts to create Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.

In 1926, congressional legislation was introduced to create a national memorial military park at Kennesaw Mountain. But support for passage took time, and the clock was ticking. The slopes of Kennesaw Mountain had already been laid out in building lots and 130 of those lots had been sold. Investors had plans to build a hotel on the mountain and develop the surrounding real estate. They had even built a rough road up the mountain. When Congress finally authorized the park in 1935, land acquisition generated considerable controversy.

In anticipation of the government's land purchase, some set high valuations on the land, hoping to make good profit. Others expressed concern about spending money for a park so far from Atlanta that few would ever visit. But local citizens urged cooperation because of the potential long-range benefits they saw from the creation of the park. The concerns and the foresight were both true —- only 4,648 visitors came to the park in 1939. But annual visitation today totals nearly 1.5 million, and few could imagine living in Cobb County without Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.

For the past two years, Kennesaw Mountain has been listed as one of our country's 10 most endangered battlefields by the Civil War Preservation Trust. More than 1,200 homes have been built around the park in the past 10 years, 160,000 cars a day traverse park roads, and more than 1 million people use the 21-mile trail system each year (by comparison, the Appalachian Trail has only 2 million hikers on its 2,100 miles of trail).

The "Second Battle of Kennesaw Mountain" occurs nearly every weekend —- the battle of trying to find a parking space.

Back in 1935, few could have imagined this. Today this rapid development and ever increasing visitation threatens the integrity of these unique resources at Kennesaw Mountain. Stephen T. Mather, the first director for the National Park Service, consistently urged the creation of state and local parks with natural recreational areas that would act as safety valves to the national parks.

We were in the depth of a Depression in 1935, and Congress was only able to appropriate $125,000 for the 2,884 acres of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. That sounds like a meager sum to us now, but it represented a real sacrifice in 1935.

At today's land prices, that same Kennesaw Mountain acreage would cost more than $500 million. But if the land had been developed, it would not have been available at any price. We thank our grandparents for their foresight back in 1935. Our generation now has a similar choice.

Cobb Opinions: $40 million for parkland?

2006-11-01T13:43:00.000-05:00

By David Lariscy, David Musser, Patty Mulholley, Larry Ceminsky, Shirley Devries, Chris Dusack, D.A. King, Tom Crawford, Carolyn Debavadi
For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/26/06

Cobb voters will decide in November if the county should issue bonds to generate $40 million to purchase parkland. Commission Chairman Sam Olens said the commission has not decided what property the county might buy, but he said the land predominantly would hold passive parks for nature walks, not ball fields.

Olens said open land ranges in price from $100,000 an acre to more than $300,000. That means the money could buy anywhere from 133 to 400 acres. Olens said he also envisions "pocket parks" in areas that might include east Cobb, Vinings and Oakdale. Do you plan to vote yes or no?

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A vote yes will ensure parkland for Cobb's future generations.

It is imperative that the county preserve a portion of the remaining green space for parkland. It is estimated that only 10 percent, or 220,000 acres, of Cobb County are undeveloped.

With so little green space left, it would be a great benefit to future generations to have more parkland.

Shall we allow developers to cut down the trees, build mega-houses and increase demands on the infrastructure?

I say forbid it by voting for the proposed bond issue.

DAVID LARISCY, Marietta

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Added green space will help current residents' quality of life.

I will vote yes for the bond issue to purchase parkland in Cobb County.

The added green space would be good for residents' quality of life, would help property values and would help alleviate flooding. Property is only going to get more expensive, so this should be done as soon as possible.

If land is not set aside for parks, it will be developed, which would most likely add to traffic problems, crowded schools and environmental problems such as flooding.

DAVID MUSSER, East Cobb

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Lack of information on land to be bought could be scary.

How in the world can you vote on whether to allow the county to issue bonds for $40 million when they are not telling you what and where the land is?

This could be a scary.

Yikes!

PATTY MULHOLLEY, Acworth

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Not specifying land keeps costs low; parks lure employers.

When we consider the trade-offs between quality of life and our governmental taxation and spending, there is very strong incentive to vote yes on the bond referendum.

Recent studies indicate that undeveloped property is being developed at the rate of 6-plus acres every day in metro Atlanta. That is more than 2,200 acres of green space developed into residential and commercial developments. That is 2,200 acres that would not be a walking trail, a wildlife preserve, a place for grandchildren to play, or a passive park for our golden years.

Approving the ballot question means that we would give the county the authority to issue 10-year bonded debt of $40 million to acquire land for public parks. These new bonds would be paid for from tax dollars currently being used to retire previous debt and from growth of the Cobb County tax base, NOT from a new additional tax.

Because advance expressed interest in acquiring specific property can inflate asking prices, it is not prudent to identify specific land tracts beforehand. It is part of the plan to acquire property for passive use and for land banking. This plan does not require structures and development for sports activities.

Yes, as land is acquired by the county, it is taken off the tax rolls. But those tax collections are quickly replaced by adjacent rising property values and other developments. Top-of-the-line-employers choose to relocate to Cobb County for the quality of life that our community offers for families. These companies create jobs, new homeowners and taxpayers.

We must protect green space now for the future enjoyment by our grandchildren and their children. A small, wise investment today keeps from becoming a major expense tomorrow.

Please join me in voting YES.

LARRY CEMINSKY, Marietta

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The more green space, the less pavement to cause flooding.

The more land we dedicate to building parks, the less construction and paving will be done.

Areas are being flooded because there is no place for the rain to go. Destroying forests destroys natural habitat for wildlife.

SHIRLEY DeVRIES, Mableton

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Bonds a cheap way to buy land that will only appreciate.

Cobb County voters should vote in favor of the park bonds. Price appreciation rates for Cobb land is higher than prevailing bond rates. In other words, we can borrow money cheap to buy assets that appreciate.

There are not many large pockets of land left in Cobb.

The medium-sized pockets are being assembled and turned into high-density communities. If the county does not do this now, it might not have the chance in the future.

I see more and more residential and retail [development], but few, if any, new parks. As Cobb continues to grow, residents will require more park space.

Smaller "pocket parks" would increase property values, reduce traffic to larger parks, and promote a better sense of community.

Oh, and this [the bond issue] won't increase taxes. Sounds like a win-win to me.

CHRIS DUSACK, Smyrna

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Time is running out to ensure luxury of having parks in future.

There are still a few areas that do not have strip malls, divided highways and traffic jams. If we don't buy some of these green areas, our children will never see what we do today.

With the U.S at 300 million people and going on half a billion at mid-century, $40 million for park land today will provide the ultimate luxury 20 years from now.

Yes to more parks and nature walks in Cobb.

While we still can.

D.A. KING, Marietta

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A no vote is appealing because ballot resembles a blank check.

I am leaning towards a NO vote for the park bond, not because I'm against parks but for the following reasons:

1. County does not specify on the ballot the type of park (More soccer fields?).

2. County does not indicate where the parks would be or how many.

3. County does not say how park development from raw land would be paid for (Afraid to tell us?).

4. County states park bonds are free because other bonds are being paid off (not so, a loss of a tax cut is the same as a tax hike).

Blank checks to politicians should not be an option, re: laptop computers.

TOM CRAWFORD, East Cobb

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Increasing land values support argument for buying it now.

I plan to vote YES. I am 72 years old and have lived in west Marietta since 1966. I have witnessed accelerated growth and development which have taken so much of our green space.

I am for intelligent growth. There is a lot of unnecessary clear cutting that takes too many trees. Unfortunately, the wording on the ballot does not make clear that the passage of this issue would not result in more taxes.

Land values are increasing rapidly. Now is the time to provide money to save green space.

CAROLYN DeBAVADI, Marietta

Bond will only be used for park land

2006-10-30T12:59:00.000-05:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Monday, October 30, 2006, by MDJ columnist Don McKee

Let's clear up any misconceptions about the proposed $40 million bond issue for buying more land for parks in Cobb County.

Some citizens have told me of concerns that not all the money would be spent on greenspace or that somehow Commission Chairman Sam Olens could ignore or circumvent the wishes of the voters - which he couldn't do legally at any rate.

No way, my friends. Check the language on the ballot, Page 10B of Sunday's MDJ:

"Shall Cobb County, Georgia, for the purpose of providing funds to acquire land located in Cobb County for use as public parks in perpetuity, issue bonded debt in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed $40,000,000?"

For the record:

Sam Olens has no desire, intention or inclination to do anything other than what is proposed - to buy more land for parks.

He made it crystal clear when I asked specifically if all the bond proceeds would go to purchasing land for parks.

"All goes to acquire park land," Sam Olens informed me Saturday.

And get this, if you don't trust our government even with a clear mandate, as the Cobb Parks Coalition points out:

"The money will be allocated for appropriate land identified first by a citizens committee. Each commissioner will appoint three citizens who will step forward to find the land, assess relative park land value and help negotiate price before presenting its findings to the BOC (Board of Commissioners) for a final decision.

"The citizens committee will add a layer of 'checks and balances' to the process otherwise lacking in most county government decisions. People have trouble trusting their government in today's political climate. It's too easy for a politically connected land owner to 'work a deal' and pass off some undevelopable parcel as a potential park. That won't happen. The Cobb Parks Coalition has worked from day one to address this issue."

The coalition is led by blue-ribbon conservationists, including Paul Paulson and John Cissell, whose credentials and commitment are unquestionable. They and others working with them in the coalition would not think about supporting this initiative if it were not being done right in the best interests of the people of Cobb County.

This is the same kind of proposal that Smyrna voters approved 4-1 last year with a $22 million bond issue for park land, park redevelopment and recreation centers.

Mayor Max Bacon of Smyrna said the city made an extensive study of its financial condition and determined the bond issue could be supported without a tax increase, same as can be done in Cobb.

Sam Olens recently told the MDJ:

"There is no hidden agenda here. - This bond gives us the opportunity for a significant increase in park land without any additional millage.
"The agenda here is to acquire park land before it's too late. God's not making more land. We've got to get it before it's developed because then it will cost that much more."

Clearly, Cobb voters should approve this bond issue.

CNN.com features OUR bond referendum!

2006-10-26T21:45:00.000-04:00

Posted on CNN online at 8:30 p.m. edt on Wednesday, October 25, 2006 by Jeff Green of CNN.com

Red and blue states weigh billions worth of green space

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Suburban Cobb County faces what officials say is an urgent problem, and as with scores of other communities nationwide, voters are being asked to help fix it in November.

The problem is expanding development and too little parkland for a growing population. A measure on the ballot in Cobb will test a national trend over the last two decades for bipartisan support on government-funded land conservation.

The county just northwest of Atlanta is solidly Republican, and county voters have shown skepticism on government spending, rejecting a proposed sales tax increase in 2000 that would have earmarked $45 million for green space.

But officials say the county is almost 90 percent developed and that existing parkland has been trampled by overuse. That includes the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park and parts of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

So, the County Commission voted unanimously to try again this year, asking residents to support a $40 million bond to buy land for parks. This year's measure would not require a tax increase.

"It was felt that if property was not acquired in the short term for green space, we frankly would have lost that opportunity forever," said County Commission Chairman Sam Olens, a Republican.

The Cobb measure is one of at least 123 tax or bond initiatives on ballots nationwide in November at the state level or lower, according to research compiled by the Trust for Public Land, a California-based nonprofit group.

Nearly $6 billion for land conservation is at stake. And unlike other questions facing voters, partisanship plays only a minimal role in the voting, according to the trust, which has analyzed such votes going back to 1988.

That's about when local and state funding for land conservation began to overtake federal funding, said Ernest Cook, director of the trust's conservation finance program.

Of the 1,862 initiatives tracked since then, 1,422 -- or 76 percent -- have passed. In 2004, voters approved about 75 percent of the 219 measures, worth a total of $4.1 billion.

"Many communities are trying to cope with the impact of sprawling development," Cook said. "They're concerned about losing their farms and forests and quality of life."

"People across the political spectrum care equally about quality of life in their communities," he said.

While the 123 measures are spread across 23 states this year, the largest sums are up for grabs in California, New Jersey, New York, Florida and Oregon. Of those, only Florida voted majority Republican in 2004.

Time running out

With the U.S. population continuing to expand -- reaching the 300 million milestone this month -- the clock is ticking for some parts of the country.

"There is quite a bit of interest in protecting land in the faster-growing areas," Cook said.

But for many communities, he said, "the response is often too little, too late." The trust urges communities to plan "to make sure that development is guided to the right place."

The longer communities wait to buy parkland, the more expensive it gets, Cook said. And that's only in the cases where it remains available.

"You pay for it once and you've saved it forever," he said.

Additional development can often cost local governments more money than it generates, he said.

"Often, communities will use protection of open spaces as a means to avoid having to extend sewer lines, and build new schools and infrastructure," Cook said.

With land conservation, he said, "generally a whole community benefits because it gives people access to nature. It helps to keep energy costs down; it can improve the air quality and it can avoid or at least minimize traffic congestion."

But that might not be enough to convince voters in California to support the largest measure at stake in November, which Cook said is "a difficult one to call."

About $2.3 billion of a $5.4 billion bond would be dedicated to land conservation. But voters will also be presented with a separate bond package of about $37 billion for various uses. That, Cook said, "is asking a lot of the voters of California."

Despite the historically high rate of approval, Cook said, "I have never seen any indication that people feel the job is done."

"On the contrary, I've seen counties and towns that have gone back repeatedly to get voter approval for additional funding because the job wasn't finished the first time around," he said.

That includes Nassau County, New York. Voters in the Long Island community approved a $50 million bond in 2004 to purchase open space and protect water quality.

"Nassau County found that $50 million in a large urban county didn't go very far and are going to go back to the voters this year for $100 million," he said.

'Culture of conservation'

In the trust's opinion polls, the top reason people give for opposing the ballot measures is concern that governments won't spend wisely or in the manner promised, Cook said.

That's the primary reason that David Chastain, co-founder of the Cobb County Taxpayers Association, said he plans to vote against the county's measure.

"The same people who want the $40 million to buy green space are the same people who are asphalting and providing zoning variances for all this development that takes away the green space and the trees to begin with," he said.

Chastain, the chairman of the Cobb County Libertarian Party, said he would prefer to see property tax rates rolled back further than the commission has already done.

"I'm just concerned this thing is going to backfire and that it's going to end up that the general fund is going to be squeezed," he said.

"What bothers me is the majority of Cobb County voters will not be fully informed."

But Olens said support has come from both ends of the political spectrum.

"It definitely transcends partisan politics," he said. "I think there's a common feeling that the environment is important, that it's too important to not lose too much of the tree canopy, and that we need places to relax, to enjoy."

Cobb has been at the heart of the growth that made the Atlanta region one of the poster children for the national anti-sprawl movement, exploding in population from 196,793 in 1970 to 654,900 in 2006.

The county of 340 square miles, or more than 217,000 acres, has about 5,000 acres of park space. That means just over 2 percent of the land is set aside for green space, and Olens said half of that is leased and not guaranteed forever.

Olens said he would like to see Cobb acquire 2,000 more acres of park space for a total of 7,000. But $40 million will likely buy less than 500 acres.

Like Nassau County, Cobb is following the trust's advice by starting relatively small. "It's considered a great first step," Olens said.

Cook said the next step could be easier. He sees "a real culture of conservation growing," one that is gaining support again at the federal level.

"It's a ball that really is rolling, and I expect it to be gathering steam," he said.

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/23/greenspace.measures

MDJ endorses parks bond!

2006-10-23T07:09:00.000-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Sunday, October 22, 2006

Support for Cobb parks bond a no-brainer

What little open space there is left in Cobb County is going fast - and it will disappear even faster if county voters fail to pass the $40 million bond referendum for parkland acquisition that will be on the Nov. 7 General Election ballot.

Years ago, consensus opinion in the county was that we had little need to acquire parkland because of the presence here of federally owned Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park and its 3,000-plus acres. Yet even though it is not primarily a recreation park, it is bursting at the seams these days, as are the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and nearly all of the county's other parks. Of course, the reason for that is that the county's population has trebled and quadrupled in recent decades, and is still growing.

Now, county voters are looking at what likely is their last, best chance to save significant open space to turn into parks, courtesy of the aforementioned bond referendum.

And the timing of the referendum is not the only good thing about it. It also makes plenty of economic sense as well.

First of all, the $40 million in question will be paid off in just 10 years. That's nothing in terms of bonds, and a much shorter time than most of us will spend paying off our mortgage debt.
Second, thanks to its gleaming bond rating (one of only 20 counties in the country with a "AAA" rating), Cobb can borrow the money at close to 4 percent interest.

The combination of short bond-term and low interest rate translates to a better bargain for taxpayers than a "pay-as-you-go" approach that a few critics are advocating. Of course, with a pay-as-you-go-approach, by the time you had saved the money to buy that piece of Cobb real estate you had been coveting, it probably would have been snapped up by someone else. Using the "pay-go" approach to buy parkland makes no more sense than using it to try to buy a house. Who in his right mind would try to save enough money to pay up front for the entire purchase price of a house?

Here are some other reasons to vote for the parks referendum:

The $40 million can only be used to acquire land for parks - not for right of way or for easements or for roads
It will not be a liability on future generations
Any land purchased will have to remain parkland forever, not be converted for some other use down the road
The money Cobb voters approve may be matched by federal, state or private dollars
No land will be condemned for parks, and it will be purchased only from willing sellers
The county will have to publicize an annual audit of how the money is spent.

If the bond is approved, the county will set up a citizens' advisory committee, made up of three people from each commission district, which will recommend potential sites for acquisition. The county plans to ensure that a fair share of the bond proceeds are used to acquire parkland in Cobb's six cities as well.

There's also no question that having adequate - or more than adequate - parkland is crucial when it comes to considering a community's quality-of-life issues.

We've all heard of bond referendums through the years that were less than clear-cut in their ambitions and funding methods, but the upcoming Cobb parks referendum is as close to a no-brainer as you'll ever see. And we would encourage you to vote in favor of it on Nov. 7.

Choose Cobb parks, not more McMansions

2006-10-23T07:08:00.000-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal, on Tuesday, October 17, 2006, Letters to the Editor

DEAR EDITOR:

I remember just a few years ago when east Cobb residents were so desperate for some park space that they raised the money and bought 15 acres on Roswell Road themselves. It was only after the land had been purchased that the county stepped in and created the park. Nowadays there are so many people using the Friends of East Cobb Park you can hardly find a space to leave your car.

If you drive anywhere near Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park on the weekends, you know cars fill every parking lot and are lined up for miles on Burnt Hickory Road and Stilesboro Road. As more and more people move into Cobb County, more and more people use the park, and park officials are concerned for its well being.

Using the financing that is already in place is a painless way for the county to acquire some land for parks. By voting "Yes," the county will be able to compete with the development community when properties become available.

McMansions or parks? Which do you choose?

Andrea Coleman

Marietta

AJC's Mike King endorses parks bond referendum

2006-10-19T16:27:00.000-04:00

An excerpt from Mike King's opinion column in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Thursday, October 19, 2006

Don't make me do the math

If Cobb County voters pass the $40 million bond referendum to acquire new land for parks, will they be increasing their tax burden? Not really.

Here's why: The county's current bonded indebtedness for parks is inconsequential, but if the bond referendum is rejected, the property taxes going toward the old bonds would eventually go down a tiny bit. That would happen in 2017, when a 1996 bond issue expires. But taxes would only decrease by about $4 a year on a $200,000 home. Because of the timing, homeowners wouldn't feel much of a difference if they voted for a new bond issue.

Bottom line: It makes all the sense in the world to pass this modest bond issue.

Cobb boasts low debt, high credit score

2006-10-19T14:51:00.000-04:00

From the Marietta Daily Journal on Thursday, October 19, 2006, by MDJ staff writer Amanda Casciaro

County's rating places it in Georgia's top three

Despite road improvements throughout Cobb and expensive priorities such as the arts, public safety and parks, Cobb has maintained an outstanding debt of less than $40 million - one of the lowest in the state.

Taxpayers are subject to a lower millage rate than any other urban county in metro Atlanta, and Cobb is only one of 20 counties in the country with a Triple AAA credit rating, given by independent credit agencies.

As of fiscal year 2006-07, Gwinnett County and the State of Georgia are the only other governments in the state with a Triple AAA, and Cobb's millage rate is about 15 percent lower than Gwinnett's.

"It speaks to the quality of our employees and the fact that the leadership, to expressly include elected officials and the county manager, have made those tough decisions in the past that have served our taxpayers very well," Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens said.

Cobb owes about $19.6 million on a 1996 parks bond and about $19.5 million on a 1993 bond to build the Cobb County Jail on County Services Parkway in Marietta.

The outstanding bonds only account for about 1.35 percent of an eligible debt of $2.88 billion, Cobb Finance Director Brad Bowers said.

"Throughout the history of Cobb County, we have not issued a whole lot of debt," Bowers said. "One of the reasons for that is back in the 1970s, a lot of infrastructure put in for the water and sewer systems for treatment plants used grant money. While we did borrow a portion of it, we did receive a lot of funding from the federal government to build that. I think probably 75 percent came from that."

State and federal grant money, which Cobb actively seeks, along with four Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax issues have allowed Cobb commissioners to "have a practice of constantly keeping up with our needs rather than letting them get out of hand," Olens said.

The SPLOSTs, approved by voters in 1985, 1990, 1994 and 2005, have predominantly helped finance road improvements. The most recent also earmarks money for 800 MHz radio upgrades for public safety officers and construction of a new courthouse annex.

Because of voter approval and surpluses the past couple years, "we are fully up-to-date on maintenance of our existing buildings," Olens said. "For example, our elevators, our roofs, our (heating and air-conditioning units) are on a current schedule whereas in other governments that's the last thing that's budgeted. We're in a good financial state."

Public-private partnerships such as what helped fund the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre also have helped maintain a low level of debt while providing services residents want and need, Olens said.

Debt limits are determined by the total of real and personal property values throughout the county, more commonly known as the tax digest. Those values usually increase each year based on home reassessments and new construction, Bowers said.

In 2005, Cobb was eligible for about $2.6 billion in debt and only used about $45 million of it. This year, the debt limit increased to about $2.88 billion.

Because Cobb uses such a small amount of its limit and has never defaulted on a payment, independent credit agencies such as Moody's have awarded the county a Triple AAA credit rating. The rating helps Cobb borrow money at low interest rates.

Only 19 other county governments in the United States have earned that distinction including Gwinnett County, Palm Beach County, Fla.; Mecklenburg County, N.C.; Greenville County, S.C.; Monmouth County, N.J.; Fairfax County, Va.; and Arlington County, Va.

A top credit ratingCobb was awarded Triple AAA for its general obligation bonds in 1997, and its water and sewer system, which is paid using fees, in 2001.

"We were the first county in the state of Georgia with a Triple AAA," Bowers said. "You get the best interest rate, and therefore it saves you money whenever you do borrow.

"Plus, because these ratings are given by outside agencies, it's an outside confirmation that you're doing what you're supposed to be doing. We were the first water and sewer system in the nation with the Triple AAA, and we're one of three in the nation with Triple AAA for our water and sewer system now."

On a 20-year bond issue, which typically is what governments obtain, a good interest rate could "easily" save several million dollars, Bowers said.

Of the outstanding debt Cobb maintains, its jail bond will expire in 2010 and the park bond, used to buy land and develop parks, will expire in another 10 years.

Because the county's fiscal year ends before property taxes are collected, Tax Anticipation Notes are implemented, but it's paid off in less than a year, Bowers said.

"We collect our property taxes at the end of the fiscal year (in October), so there's a cash flow need in the middle of our year," Bowers said. "We borrow money for less than one year, generally in the beginning of April, and it has to be paid back by the end of December that same year."

If voters approve a new park bond that appears on the Nov. 7 ballot, the debt percentage would essentially double, given the plan calls for $40 million to purchase land for future parks throughout Cobb.

The measure is a general obligation bond, which is paid back using property taxes as opposed to revenue generated through a particular system.

But, according to Olens, that's the only area where Cobb isn't on top.

"Where we haven't kept up is, frankly, more park land," he said. "With the passage of the SPLOSTs, that was the one glaring concern."