SCAPE GRESHAM SMITH BIOHABITATS GOOD THINKING ATLANTA NEW SOUTH ASSOCIATES DR. NA'TAKI OSBORNE JELKS DR. RICHARD MILLIGAN EDWARDS-PITMAN CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER GREENWAY STUDY FOR THE CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVERLANDS TASK 2 MEMO APPENDIX B: DRIVING TOUR SUMMARY SUBMITTED ON 05/03/2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS DRIVING TOUR SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4 DAY 1........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 : ’ , + 12 DAY 2 .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................14 # # # # 28 DAY 3.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................30 ­ ­ 36 DAY 4 .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................38 ( ) # # # # 50 DAY 5.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................52 #­ #­ #­ #­ #­ 62 DRIVING TOUR SUMMARY For five days, the Chattahoochee River Greenway project at the Chattahoochee Nature Center on Willeo WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12 Study Project Team became immersed in river history, Road in Roswell with more than 40 in attendance. high-water views, aquatic and riparian ecology, The following day, the Project Team walked the past and present industry, parks and recreation The meeting format that night would be repeated Proctor Creek Greenway from the Bankhead MARTA sites, and the enormous effort many citizens, at each of the public meetings: a quick overview station at Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway toward Boyd officials, and naturalist groups have made to restore, that explained the purpose and intent of the Elementary School on Johnson Road. According to preserve, and protect the Chattahoochee River. Chattahoochee River Greenway Study followed by the PATH Foundation, the trail opened May 7, 2018, two simultaneous map and story-sharing exercises and follows the creek along the future 280-acre Along the long course of this tour, the Chattahoochee designed to spark dialogue, personal insight, and Atlanta Westside Park. Later that day, the Project Team River Greenway Study Project Team visited riverside fresh ideas on how to tackle pervasive challenges gathered at Atlanta-Fulton Public Library – Northwest communities and towns in North and South Fulton, and encourage exciting, ongoing progress. Branch at Scotts Crossing where they listened and Forsyth, Cobb, Gwinnett, Carroll, Douglas, and Coweta learned about the unique challenges and aspirations counties. They visited river sites near or in Cumming, Byron Rushing of the Atlanta Regional Commission of Westside citizen and neighborhood organizations. Sugar Hill, Suwanee, Duluth, Johns Creek, Roswell, Sandy kicked off the meeting with a brief presentation on Springs, Vinings, the Cumberland area, Bankhead, Proctor the Chattahoochee River Greenway Study. Attendees Creek, Riverside, Cascade Heights, Mableton, Palmetto, next divided into two groups to participate in two THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13 and Chattahoochee Hills. Along the way, the tour stopped 30-minute exercises, after which comments were The day began in Cobb County and the Cumberland- at numerous units of the Chattahoochee River National recorded on a whiteboard for consideration and Galleria area and continued with a visit to Cochran Recreation Area as well as the Cobb County pilot park incorporation into project team planning and design. Shoals and Powers Island, two of 15 units of the site on Discovery Boulevard, Sweetwater Creek State Chattahoochee National Recreation Area stretching Group A participants gathered around an 8’ map Park in Douglas County, Chattahoochee Bend State Park 48 miles from (approximately) Buford Dam to West of the 100-mile Chattahoochee River Greenway in Coweta, and McIntosh Reserve Park in Carroll County. Palisades along Cumberland Parkway. After a short Study corridor. They exchanged stories about how Below are the highlights of the five day discovery tour. journey south, the Project Team crossed over the Cobb they or their organizations engaged with and were County riverfront to see Riverview Landing near Smyrna, inspired by the river. They also were asked about a riverside mixed-use development owned by Ardent MONDAY, DECEMBER 10 their priorities for the Chattahoochee River’s future, Companies. Later that day, Roberta Cook, founder including which aspects of the river mattered The Project Team started at the foot of Buford Dam. and executive director of the River Line Historic Area most to them (e.g. ecology, access, recreation, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper took participants on a boat nonprofit, led a hike into the 103-acre Cobb pilot site history, resilience, flooding, safety, and economic tour of the upper Chattahoochee below Buford Dam. (currently known to most as Johnston’s River Line Park) development) and which community groups needed to The Design Team saw a historic Cherokee fish weir that is on the National Register of Historic Places. Cobb be included in the planning of the Greenway Study. (an underwater V-shaped stone trap) and the Buford County rescued the site from development in 1990. Hatchery near Cumming as well as the McGinnis Ferry Group B participants gathered around a 10’ long unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation three-dimensional topographic model of the 100-mile Area and Settles Bridge Park in Gwinnett County. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14 Chattahoochee River Greenway Study corridor. Design The Project Team began the day meeting up with “We need to work hard to make sure the mistakes team members asked participants to identify areas of priority or concern. SCAPE hammered small, color- Chattahoochee Hills resident Steve Nygren at Sweetwater made along the river north of the city are not Creek State Park. Mr. Nygren then led the group on a repeated in the rural areas south of the city. We flagged nails to mark locations of interest or concern: teal flag nails marked ecological points; red-brown tour of east Douglas County and northwest Coweta cannot prevent what has already happened— County, then southwest to the City of Chattahoochee but we can certainly protect what has not been flag nails identified places of historic interest, former industrial sites, trails and transportation lines, vacant Hills in South Fulton County. Over the course of the lost.” — Jerry Hightower, environmental education day, the Project Team saw sweeping countryside and coordinator for CRNRA at Island Ford near Roswell. land, questionable land use near the river, and, finally, businesses, churches, community groups, libraries, broad riverside vistas along the Chattahoochee. The and river-focused nonprofit groups; yellow flag nails tour members stopped often to talk to neighbors TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11 marked existing, potential, and proposed access points and take photos, including stops at state and county parks and reserves, historic buildings, horse farms, After an early morning walk along Roswell's Riverwalk for pedestrians, cyclists, boats, and kayakers. The constant hammering was enthusiasm made audible. Redwine Plantation in South Fulton County and Foxhall Boardwalk with town officials, the Project Team Resort in Douglas County. The day ended at a well- travelled a few miles down river to enjoy Sandy attended public stakeholder meeting at Serenbe. Springs’ Morgan Falls Overlook Park and a tour by the Sandy Springs Conservancy. That evening, the Project Team hosted its first public meeting of the 4 SCAPE Proctor Creek Riverlands Model at Community Meeting 5 DAY 1 FROM LAKE LANIER TO DROWNING ROCK 1. Buford Dam Park 2. Buford Dam Park: Lower Pools 3. Bowmans’s Island Shoals 4. Drowning Rock 5. Fish Weir