Parks & Trails
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Trail Plan Unveiled April 7
Please Send Comments
I wanted to follow-up with you concerning the trail plans unveiled by the Path Foundation on April 7th. For those of you that attended the walk and/or the meeting that evening thank you for your participation. I have uploaded a PDF file of the plan for your review. There is also a 2nd PDF file that shows the path continuing through the Bitsy Grant tennis center to Northside Drive. It will be posted on the web site soon.
Everyone should review the plan and judge it for themselves. Below I have listed e-mail address for contacts within the Parks department, Atlanta Beltline Inc, and the Path foundation. Please feel free to send your comments to any or all of these contacts.However I feel compelled to send along some editorial comments with this plan. The vision I have always put forth as the neighborhoods desire for the design through the wooded area (Cathedral Woods) was one where you would cross Tanyard Creek from the Howard Property and you would take a direct route on a raised wide wooden platform (approx 2 feet above the ground) until you exited onto the golf course where it would again be a traditional multi-use trail (12 foot wide concrete). The trail would remain within the footprint of the golf course to provide a buffer and minimize encroachment on the residences of the neighborhood. (In the plan you will see that once the trail exits the wooded area they did follow these suggestions.)
The reasoning behind the raised wooden platform is the unique asset of the area is the wildlife habitat. This would allow us, the users of the trail the view of the hidden gem in the middle of the city. It would allow us to connect to our neighborhood parks and allow as much of the wildlife and bird populations to exist as they have for years.
In the plan you will see that instead of a single trail it splits right after the bridge so there are 2 concrete trails. In addition to make accommodations the American Golf (the corporation that runs Bobby Jones Golf Course for the city) the plan includes clear cutting much of the woods to accommodate 4 relocated tee boxes and a an additional golf cart turn around to access the new tee boxes. The trees marked with red "x"'s are to be removed.
Needless to say I found the proposal unacceptable. I have been told that this is only a first draft and a new plan will be presented at the next meeting May 5th.
This is a call to action - if you want to have meaningful neighborhood input on the design and implementation of trails through our neighborhood please voice your opinions to our city officials, listed below. All of the folks listed have personally walked this area (except Terri Montigue).
Parks Department
Dianne Harnell Cohen - Commission of Parks - DHarnellCohen@AtlantaGa.govPaul Taylor - Parks Department - ptaylor@AtlantaGa.gov
Ken Gillett - Park Department - KGillett@AtlantaGa.gov
Atlanta Beltline Inc.
Terri Montigue - tmontague@atlbeltline.orgTina Arbus - TArbes@ATLBeltline.org
Jonathan Lewis - jlewis@AtlantaGa.gov
Roland Young - ryoung@atlbeltline.org
Path Foundation
Ed McBrayer - edwin@pathfoundation.orgPete Pellegrinni - Pete@PathFoundation.org
Atlanta Memorial Trail Community Involvement Opportunities
We received the following email from Jonathan Lewis:
"I wanted to let you all know of some upcoming community engagement opportunities in our area of the BeltLine. These meetings are not part of our Northside Peachtree-Piedmont (Subarea 7) BeltLine Master Plan meetings schedule, but I know that many of you will be interested and want to attend. Please forward this email to anyone who you think may be interested in the design process for the Atlanta Memorial Trail section of the BeltLine Trail.
The Atlanta Memorial Trail¯ is part of the BeltLine trail system. The project was recently funded by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and is currently in the design phase. The trail project runs from Ardmore Park north to Bobby Jones Golf Course, where it forks west to Northside Drive and east to Dellwood Drive. The following three events provide vital community input opportunities into the trail design process. Please help spread the word."
Visit the Beltline Website for the latest updates on BeltLine community involvement opportunities.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Part I: 4:00 to 6:00 PM Meet at the Bitsy Grant Tennis Center sign on Northside Drive. We will walk the entire funded trail project. This is the first part of a two-part meeting where we will walk the entire trail alignment. Rain or shine.
Part II: 6:30 to 8:30 PM Meet at AGL Resources, 10 Peachtree Pl. NW, 30309. This is a Study Group meeting to discuss draft design drawings. This is the second part of a two-part meeting where we will discuss findings from the trail walk discussed above. The purpose of the meeting is to receive comments and suggestions related to:
- Placement of landscaping and trees
- Placement of benches, trash receptacles and other design elements
- Opportunities for interpretive material
- Opportunities for public art
- Minor adjustments in the trail alignment outside of Tanyard Creek Park (In response to community feedback, the alignment of the section of trail through Tanyard Creek Park is being addressed through a separate, more concentrated effort.)
Monday, May 5, 2008
6:30 to 8:30 PM
Meet at AGL Resources, 10 Peachtree Pl. NW, 30309. Atlanta Memorial Trail, 90% Design. The purpose of meeting is to respond to comments received in April and demonstrate how input was used to refine the trail design or why we could not incorporate feedback.
Monday, June 2, 2008
6:30 to 8:30 PM
Meet at AGL Resources, 10 Peachtree Pl. NW, 30309. Atlanta Memorial Trail, 100% Design. Open House format where the community can come and review the final design drawings. Note: The primary focus of this meeting will likely be BeltLine Master Plan Recommendations for the Northside-Peachtree Piedmont Subarea (Subarea 7).
Basic information about PATH
The PATH Foundation is an Atlanta organization dedicated to developing pedestrian and bicycle trails in and around Atlanta. The work it has done on Northside Drive, and what it wants to do in the vicinity of Collier Hills, is sometimes controversial. This page is neutral and its main objective is to present information; however, we will also try to present the points of view of major opponents and supporters of various proposals. Remember, there is a Forum where anyone can state their opinion, within the bounds of civility.
Detailed current information on trails in the neighborhood
Trails will be built in our neighborhood over the next 1-2, 5, and 10 years. This is coming to a crucial point as the Beltline Study/Early planning for our area is taking place now and will be concluding in early 08. Email Steven Hart to be added to his distribution list on all Beltline/Trail planning activites.
The "Critical Connection" is the heavily wooded section directly behind the western side of Golfview Road in the cul-de-sac. For several years now this section has been referred to as Cathedral Woods. With the Howard property now park land this section creates a 10 acre connection from Tanyard Creek Park to Bobby Jones Golf Course. First and foremost we want a world class design with neighborhood and citizen stakeholder groups with significant and meaningful input. The culmination of this process is a plan fully vetted in the neighborhood and approved within The NPU structure.
Current Status of trail development:
1. Ardmore Park to 28th Street: A section of concrete trail (12’ width) has been completed. It starts on Ardmore Road, runs through Ardmore Park (beside the playground), through a 7-acre tract, coming out into the apartment complexes that are currently under redevelopment at the end of 28th Street.
2. Tanyard Creek Park to Ardmore Park: A covered trail underneath the CSX RR trestle has been planned and approved but has not been built waiting the additional trail construction or the replacement of the trestle. CSX has decided to not upgrade the current wooden trestle and is not actively communicating with the neighborhoods about any plans for the railroad corridor. Where does the trail go from here?
3. Tanyard Creek Park: The Friends of Tanyard Creek Park, and other advocate groups such as the Georgia Battlefield Association, are taking an active role in trying to have meaningful input into the placement and construction of any trail in the boundaries of Tanyard Creek Park. If you are a homeowner on Collier Road or Dellwood (Extension toward Tanyard Creek Park), I urge you to engage with the active park users and make sure they are aware of your opinions of trail placement, materials etc. Contact Karen O'Brien to be included in any e-mail correspondence by this group.
4. Crossing Collier Road: Decisions such as how to cross Collier Road will not be determined until detailed plans are investigated and drawn. However there have been 3 options generally discussed when talking about how to safely intersect the trail and Collier Road.
- A crossing alongside the creek under the current Collier Road Bridge.
- A new tunnel (concrete box culvert) to be built somewhere under Collier Road with one entrance from the park and the other end onto the Howard Property.
- An "at grade" intersection on Collier Road. This could be a raised crosswalk (Speed Hump). This would have to be part of a larger traffic calming and streetscape initiative to address wider traffic concerns on Collier Road.
6. Cathedral Woods: The trail will leave the Howard Property as a bridge over Tanyard Creek Park; the other side of this bridge will touch down on a 5 acre tract of land that is the heavily wooded section directly behind the western side of Golfview Road in the cul-de-sac. For several years now this section has been referred to as Cathedral Woods. It is the hope and desire of the neighbors whose property directly abuts this land that the materials and construction of any trail through this section be a raised wooden platform. This would protect this sensitive low-lying area. The trail would exit this area directly onto Bobby Jones Golf Course.
7. Bobby Jones Golf Course: Once you emerge from Cathedral Woods you are on Bobby Jones Golf Course. I have always stated as the neighborhood opinion that the trail should stay within the active area of the golf course and should not, under any circumstances, intrude on any residences or the common neighborhood property that fronts the golf course. The trail should be designed fit within the footprint of the existing golf course. Other notes about trails around Bobby Jones Golf Course: The Peachtree Battle Alliance has stated as a neighborhood goal to promote a circular loop trail around Boby Jones Golf Course.
8. East of the Golf Course: Colonial Homes will be developed at some point in the future by its current owners, Pope & Land. The trail leaving the neighborhood to the east would possibly cross a redeveloped Colonial Homes and Bennett Street to emerge on Peachtree Street. I also strongly believe that the trail should continue along Peachtree Creek for a connection to our neighborhood elementary school (E. Rivers) – I currently have a 5th and 3rd graders at E. Rivers.
After many years of discussing these issues and alternatives I believe that these positions and guiding principles are in keeping with the majority of neighborhood opinions.
2005 Map of Current and Proposed PATH trails
Our area is identified as "Atlanta Memorial Park" and "Tanyard Creek Park". The Northside Drive trail is the thick red line just to the north of Atlanta Memorial Park. As I read it, the thick solid blue line just to the south is a proposal to extend the Northside Drive trail down Northside to the south side of Bobby Jones, route it through the existing public land south of Bitsy Grant (which is a city-owned right-of-way for a street connecting the cul de sac with Northside, which was never built) until it hits Tanyard Creek, then running down the property on the west side of the Creek (across the Creek from Redland Rd), underneath Collier Road into and through Tanyard Creek Park. This is a controversial proposal in our neck of the woods, especially the section that would run behind the houses on the "cul de sac" portion of Golfview Rd.
The hollow blue line ("Future Trails") running east (right) from Atlanta Memorial Park is actually several proposals. The representation on this map is an extension that would run along the south margin of Bobby Jones Golf Course, turn north, and run up Colonial Homes Drive to Peachtree. This specific proposal has gotten significant opposition.
A completed section, a wide concrete trail running from Ardmore Park (the children's playground) to the developments on 28th Street, is not evident on this map. A newer map of completed segments in the Peachtree Battle region can be found here.
