The Cobb Board of Commissioners put the seal of approval on the Cobb County Greenways and Trails Master Plan. At the regular BOC meeting Tuesday evening, with two members absent, the trails plan was approved 3-0. JoAnn Birrell was absent for a family commitment, and Lisa Cupid due to illness.
The Trails Plan Resolution
The resolution approving the plan was addressed from Erica Parish, the Cobb DOT’s interim director, to County Manager Rob Hosack, and read as follows:
Cobb County has developed a Greenways and Trails Master Plan (Master Plan) to build upon and expand the existing network of trails, paths, and greenways throughout the County. This expansion will enable the public to explore the County’s natural resources, to be outdoors and engage in physical activity, and will provide alternative options for traveling to and from work.
The purpose of the Master Plan is to develop a roadmap to serve as a guide for the expansion of greenways and trails within Cobb County. The Master Plan identifies priority corridors for future development of greenways and trails, and also provides recommendations for building upon and expanding the existing network.
On January 24, 2017, the Board approved Project No. E5030-TO#01 to the 2016 Master Task Order Contract with Gresham Smith and Partners, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $272,494.00, for planning services to develop a Greenways and Trails Master Plan.
On November 28, 2017, the Board considered information regarding the Cobb County Greenways and Trail Master Plan.
The Master Plan is the result of a year-long process of research, exploration, community conversations, and documentation. Five types of greenways and trails are defined in the Master Plan that, when combined, will form a cohesive network of biking and walking facilities that can be implemented in nearly any context. In addition, the Master Plan provides guidance regarding funding resources, operations and maintenance, and programming/activity concepts.
The Trail Plan available online
[epq-quote align=”align-left”]This expansion will enable the public to explore the County’s natural resources, to be outdoors and engage in physical activity, and will provide alternative options for traveling to and from work. — From the resolution adopting the Cobb Greenways and Trails Master Plan[/epq-quote]
The trails plan, in its entirety, including an interactive map, the project document, a link to youtube videos of some of the input from community events the Cobb DOT visited, and a list of eight priority projects, is available here.
Trail projects are planned for each of the four county commission districts, and eight priority projects have been chosen. The top eight projects are: the Chattahoochee River Trail, the Silver Comet Connector Trail, Phase I of the Rottenwood Creek Trail, the Austell Powder Springs Road Trail, the Allatoona Creek Greenway, the Noonday Creek Trail, the Nickajack Creek Greenway, and the Hyde Farm-Johnson Ferry Trail.
This is great news for the Connect The Comet group, who have been lobbying for years to extend the Silver Comet Trail towards Atlanta. We’re still waiting to hear from the Governor Deal’s office that an official deal has been reached between CSX and the State of GA. CSX is divesting aggressively as they modernize, the sudden closure of Tilford Yard shocked the local rail community, Howells Yard might be next, all potentially prime real estate.
I personally would be more impressed if the county would finish the Mountain-To-River trail. This was one of the vary first trails proposed using money from the SPLOST tax voted on in 1998. I will NOT vote to approve another SPLOST until the county makes good on this project.