Can residents come to an agreement on plans for Simpsonwood Park?

As part of Gwinnett’s Parks and Recreation Improvements Plan, the county was able to acquire 223 acres last year in Peachtree Corners currently known as Simpsonwood Park. From the beginning, the county stated the $14 million SPLOST-funded purchase from the United Methodist Church will “provide an opportunity to preserve green space and provide passive recreational opportunities” to the western corner of the county.

The term “passive” seems to be up for debate by some. Generally, a passive recreation area is an undeveloped space with an emphasis on minimal development and preservation of wildlife and the environment.

For “Save Simpsonwood” activists, made up of mostly nearby homeowners, a passive park would mean abandonment of the county’s current proposals to provide new parking, a natural environment playground, new pavilion with indoor restrooms, paved multi-purpose trails, soft surface trails and a couple of Chattahoochee River overlooks.

“This is an extraordinary piece of land. Any attempts to alter it would be a detriment not only to the wildlife, but to the whole character of the park,” said David Rosinger, organizer of the Save Simpsonwood group.

Gwinnett Parks and Recreation Project Division Director Grant Guess is a little flummoxed by the reaction. The county has removed 277 parking spaces, the decaying Simpsonwood Conference Center’s 170 rooms, dining space and 20,000 square feet of meeting space.

“We’re returning to nature far more than we’re adding,” said Guess who is also overseeing a steering committee created to develop a master plan for the park.

The 28-member steering committee, made up of a mix of Peachtree Corners and Gwinnett-at-large residents, has voted down numerous ideas since their inception shortly after the Simpsonwood purchase. There are no plans for soccer fields or a dog park.

Save Simpsonwood members see converting any of the existing nature trails to 12-foot wide paved multi-use trails as highly disruptive to the wildlife and in opposition to the concept of a passive park. They express equal concern about disrupting any of the 2,140 linear feet of river frontage.

The county and steering committee seem to be trying to strike a balance between conservationists concerns and efforts to make the park accessible to as many residents as possible.

For now, the only thing funded has been the removal of buildings and the concept plans being debated and modified. “Since 1997, past funding for any construction within new parks has come from SPLOST,” said Guess.

It’s safe to assume if taxpayers are asked to vote on the one percent sales tax in November, any plans for development in Simpsonwood Park could be placed on hold depending on the outcome.