Two years ago, Cobb County purchased a tract of land in northeast Cobb with hopes of one day developing it into a community park.
When budget constraints delayed those plans, a group of residents took matters into their own hands, and the Friends of Mabry Park volunteer and fundraising group was born. Since its inception in 2009, the group has worked to raise money for a master plan to jump-start the park’s development.
“There is a great need in this part of the county for a passive park, a place where people can just go for a walk and kids can just run and play,” said Lee Berg, one of the group’s organizers. “It’s been a long time, and we’re wanting to move forward.”
Cobb County originally bought the Mabry Park land from members of the Mabry family with money from a $40 million parks bond approved by voters in 2006. The 26.5-acre tract of parkland sits near the corner of Sandy Plains and Wesley Chapel roads. The Mabry family operates historic Mabry Farm on adjacent property.
Friends of Mabry Park hopes to raise $20,000 to complete the master plan; about $15,000 has been raised thus far.
To showcase the park and encourage additional donations, the group is sponsoring a preview day on Saturday. Because the land is accessible only through private property, the preview day will offer residents possibly the only access to the area until an access road is built, Berg said.
Although money for the plan is being raised with private donations through a citizens’ group, the county still controls the land and its development.
“That’s how all our volunteer associations work for our parks. They help us enhance our programs,” said Eddie Canon, Cobb’s parks and recreation director. “We could not do in Cobb what is done unless we had our volunteer associations.”
There are about 72 volunteer groups in the county that help fund parks, arts and recreation projects, including a new group fundraising for a Kennesaw park, Canon said. The county first worked with a volunteer group on a parks project with the Friends of East Cobb Park in 1998. That group raised enough money to buy 20 acres of park property off Roswell Road, and the county developed and maintains it.
Once the master plan is complete for Mabry Park, a series of public meetings will be held for community feedback before final approval by the county’s Board of Commissioners. Canon expects the master plan process to begin in January.
To pay for Mabry Park’s development, the county has included $4.53 million on the project list for a proposed 2011 special sales tax extension. A SPLOST referendum is likely to go before voters March 15.
Mabry Park Preview Day
9-11 a.m. Saturday. www.mabrypark.org. Mabry Park preview visitors should park at Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church, 4495 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta. Cobb County shuttles will be provided to and from the park.
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