Beneath towering power lines, a six-mile stretch of undeveloped Dunwoody land runs through lush greenery, over sprawling empty fields and occasionally along the Chattahoochee River and Kingsley Lake.
Officials envision the mostly blank tableau someday becoming a walking and biking trail that connects residents throughout the fledgling city.
However, some of those residents see a poorly planned land grab that's an infringement on their homeowner rights.
"It would be nice to have, but it's not a need to have" project, said City Councilman John Heneghan. "I don't want it to tear the city apart. We don't need to have divisive projects."
In the city's formal presentation Monday, officials billed the plan as a “significant commuter link,” potentially connecting the west end of the trail to the North Springs MARTA station. There's no timetable for the plan at the moment.
All told, the six proposed greenways are projected to cost about $1 million per mile. Funding for the project has not been decided, though city officials have considered a bond referendum in November to fund the parks plan.
But to get started, the city will need to take land from about 100 properties in the area. City officials have said they're willing to negotiate with residents, while opponents of the plan fear the city eventually might resort to eminent domain to seize the land.
"It's not the city's plan to use a heavy-handed tactic in trying to put together a trail," City Manager Warren Hutmacher said. "The input of homeowners most affected is critical."
Residents from the potentially affected areas showed up at City Hall in droves for the meeting Monday night, with estimates ranging between 200 and 400 people. They filled the council chambers and spilled out of the building.
Several residents were turned away because of the crowd and others were frustrated to learn there would be no public comment at the meeting, which was actually set up as more of a public presentation about the plan.
Regardless, many residents left little doubt they were unhappy with the proposal.
"I’m at the point now where I would consider trying to find ways of removing the people on council so gung-ho about doing this thing," said Hugh Schutte, a resident of the Kingsley Lake area.
Hutmacher stressed that the city is very early in the planning process and residents will have plenty of opportunities to voice their concerns or offer suggestions.
"We're trying to determine how the entirety of the community feels about this," he said. "It's an ongoing process."
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