The next public meeting is 6 p.m. Tuesday at the East Roswell Recreation Center, 9000 Fouts Road. There is also an online River Parks Master Plan survey at www.RoswellGov.com
Information: 770-641-3705
Situated along the banks of the Chattahoochee River on Riverside Drive, is a large, and potentially lovely, parcel of land that belongs to the city of Roswell. Plans to develop it are in the idea-gathering stage. The first River Parks Master Plan public meeting, held just over a week ago, was packed to standing room only, only minutes after beginning.
Morgan Rodgers, director of Recreation, Parks, Historic and Cultural Affairs for Roswell, exhibited maps detailing the area he described as the “best stretch of water in the metro area.”
Brad Jones of Jacobs Engineering displayed photos and renderings of many possibilities for the site: passive, recreational, commercial, or a combination, and explained that implementation can begin simply, with more ambitious ideas phased in over time.
Among the folks voicing their ideas and opinions, some had agendas, but most simply wanted to do right by the site, nothing too invasive, commercial or costly.
Janet Hidalgo Russell, one of the first to speak, made clear that she hoped any development of the site would embrace our special needs community and be as accessable and inclusive as possible.
With the area already home to several rowing clubs, including the Atlanta Jr. Rowing Association and St. Andrews Rowing Club next door to the property, rowing-parent Dottie Cecil suggested plans expand on and enhance existing rowing interest. She suggested making it a rowing-friendly venue with facilities that would attract regional and national races and regattas.
The 28-acre property, currently the site of the Ace Sand Co., is located between the St. Andrew Roman Catholic Church and Don White Park.
In 1920, it was home to the Threatt family, and in 1956, they began dredging their stretch of the Chattahoochee River. By 1958, the dredging gave rise to their family-run business, the Ace Sand Co.
The city of Roswell purchased the property in December 1999 and began leasing it back to the company. Plans for a park have been in the works since 2008, but so far, only concepts, sand volleyball courts and the River Walk trail have developed. The dredging stopped about two years ago when the dredger broke, but the sand and gravel component of the business continues.
Rodgers told me the business conducted on the site is environmentally friendly, especially when dredging was part of the process, as it actually improved the river at the site and downstream, for boating, rowing and recreation. But since the dredging has stopped, silt builds up, and downstream toward Willeo Creek, you can almost walk across the river.
The site has so much potential, it would be a shame not to get it right.
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