Politics
Politics

Cobb purchases 94 acres for new park on Burnt Hickory Road

Cobb County bought 94 acres on Burnt Hickory Road for parkland. (Photo courtesy of Cobb County)
Cobb County bought 94 acres on Burnt Hickory Road for parkland. (Photo courtesy of Cobb County)
By Meris Lutz
Oct 16, 2017

Cobb County has purchased a 94-acres of land on Burnt Hickory Road in West Cobb as parkland, a step toward fulfilling one of Chairman Mike Boyce’s central campaign promises.

The county paid the Kemp family $6.5 million using money from a $27.4  million bond issuance approved in January.

Greenspace advocates helped oust former Chairman Tim Lee from office after the county diverted park money to help pay for the Braves new stadium.

In the months since Boyce took office, however, the county has faced a severe funding crunch that raises questions over how Cobb will fund the development and operations of any additional parks.

“The Kemp family could have made a lot more money by selling to a developer, so we were pleased they decided to make it a park instead of a development,” Commissioner Bob Weatherford said in a statement.

Courtesy of Cobb County
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Meris Lutz is a contributing writer covering climate, the environment and the economy. She is particularly interested in stories that explore the intersections between climate change and labor, markets, health, biodiversity, government transparency and public access to natural resources.

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