(www.FriendsOfCaneyCreek.org homepage)

Greetings Chairman, Councilmen, and Madam Ledbetter,

I am Jack Gleason, Concerned Citizen, and founder of Friends of Caney Creek. You've recieved My communications over the last several months proposing this GreenSpace-Preserve I call Harrison Park.

(Save GreenSpace Vote Yes placard)

For living near it, I witnessed first hand the deterioration of the Caney Creek watershed and Riparian Corridor for the impact Urban-development has caused over the last several years--That's what motivated me into becomming participant in the Keep Forsyth Beautiful/Adopt-A-Stream program--So, upon seeing those "SAVE GREENSPACE--YES on $100 Million dollar bond" placards all along the right-of-way of Hwy.141 Peachtree-Parkway where it fronts the Estate of Arlene Harrison, I figured myself voting YES...because I knew those lands to be the headwaters of Caney Creeks Watershed and Riparian Corridor...But then I saw Public Notice of Zoning Application #3468, and I learned of those plans its Stewards have proposed otherwise.

(Lauth/Harrison Terrace ZA-3468 Planned Development)

Lauth Development Group has plans for over 600,000 Sqare feet of Office and Retail Sales buildings, 300 plus more town-homes and single-family residences, plus its associative streets, parking lots, and traffic...All proposed built to serve an area many feel is already over-built as such.

I will show this to be imprudent--primarily for the lands Environmental Sensitivity--That these lands should only become"Built-out" at no more than 1.5 unit/acre...If not a GreenSpace Park-Preserve & Community Rec. Center.

(Parks & Recreation Bond Measure Expenditure List)

Examine the Bond Measure proposel expendatures and you see: Of those Parks & Recreational Facillities targeted for some measure of that $67 Million dollars, very little of it finds its way to South Forsyth...Where clearly South Forsyth County demographiclly contributes much more than it is equitably recieving...What little available lands exist now to benefit this area of the County should compell the Board to find a remedy that can satisfy the gross inequity that exists today...And I say it is the procurement of the Estate of Arlene Harrison.

(County Parcel/Development Map/Google Earth ariel)

This ariel Map shows how the Estate of Arlene Harrison remains as the best and only candidate to the Forsyth County Community Sub-Areas of Johns Creek, Big Creek, and South Forsyth: Look how it is surrounded by those components of its communities! Because of the age of this image, more development exists than is pictured here.

(Forsyth County Sub-districts 2008)

These three particular "Southwest" Community Sub-districts are identifed as "a Priority" in GreenSpace and Parkland acquisitions per their "Southwest Forsyth County" discription in the Forsyth County Comprehensive Plan.

Stated within the FCCP appendix B GreenSpace Plan pg. 11 is that criteria discribing GreenSpace as: "Eligible lands are those in private ownership lying within River & Stream Corridors protected by State & County buffers and set-backs, and subject to DNR part V criteria requirments" which these definetly are as you can see here:

(Forsyth County Comprehensive Plan Cultural & Natural Resources Map)

Including those lands located just North of the "Estate of Arlene Harrison", these lands very-well meet that criteria!

It's "Score" for those values of "Weighting" that this Board has determined to be used to find the value of any GreenSpace is very high in My opinion, but we will discuss that shortly...After I show you these facts that impact them:

(Google Earth S.E. USA region centering Chatahoochie Watershed) Alabama, Florida, Georgia--and now Tennessee for Our interests in Their Rivers waters now!--Not only does Harrison Park lie within the most critical watershed to the entire Southeastern United States...

(Big Creek "Small Watershed" overlay)

It also lies within the Big Creek "Small Watershed" overlay, which has some considerable development restrictions implemented for those interests of The City of Rosewell...Being it's primary water source, it restricts any and all further development within that Overlay to what currently stands or < 25% Impervious Surface Area, but this isn't all that has been ignored...this area is depicted by the thick red line encircling the large area. The thin red line is the aquifer recharge zone, and the red lines following creeks (outlining green lines) are streams targeted for preservation by the FCCP.

(ARZ/GRA map) The lands of Harrison Park lie within one of nine Aquifer Recharge Zones or Groundwater Recharge Areas shown here, and are depicted upon both the "DNR part V criteria" & "FCCP Natural Resources" maps:

These areas are critical to the recharge of our groundwaters when it rains...

They should be unimpeeded by "Impervious Surfaces" such as Buildings, Roads, and Parking lots...

Those waters flowing into them are Ours--Not those to be sent wasted down-stream of the Chattahoochie River for yet another mistake by The Army Corp. of Engineers--And should therefore be jealously protected!

(Google Map of Caney Creek Riparian Corridor, etc.) The lands of Harrison Park lie upon the heart of where three "Artesian Springs" converge forming the Headwaters of Caney Creek.

Its "Riparian Corridor" is targeted for "Protection and Preservation" as depicted in the FCCP for both its value in Natural Resources...

And for its particular Historic Significance to several generations of families--The Bagleys, Vaughans, and Harrisons--Families that are well-known Pioneers of Forsyth County History.

(Harrison Park lands Photos-141 & Brookwood Road) These lands are where a Fall Line Forest of both Goergia Pines and various Hardwoods contrast their adjecent pristine open-rolling meadows...When it rains, these "Headwaters" of the Caney Creek Riparian Corridor also drain into tributaries created by otherwise year-round running Artesian-Springs, which converge first within the Southard parcel #012-003, then flow into the Estate of Arlene Harrison as Caney Creek to collect two more at its heart.

(Harrison Parklands Photo-Glenmoor)

After crossing Caney Road it continues to garner waters from several more sub-tributaries within the watershed...it flows throughout this region of South
Forsyth forming the boarder of sub-areas #3 "Johns Creek", and #5 "Big Creek" untill crossing the County Line at McGinnis Ferry Road...

It is here and at its headwaters that Future Retention of its waters should also be taken into consideration for use as an emergency supply.

(Google Earth Ariel of Watershed incl. Lake Windward)

Continuing further downstream, it creates Lake Windward in Alpharetta...This entire Watershed and its Riparian Corridor today supports as much of the remining indiginant wildlife it can for the ever-increasing pressures of development upon it...We need to save it today, or it will be gone tomorrow.

(Google Earth ariel of 2 mi. radius from Harrsion Park)

GreenSpace Appndix B pg. 12 proclaims "Advance Acquisition of GreenSpace land is a Priority for rising land costs", and goes on to say "Lands located in areas possesing critical natural resources such as riparian corridors, conservation zones, or where passive uses would serve a larege segment of population will recieve high priority", and the Parks & Recreation chapter discribes "the need for acquisition well in advance of development". Has the ignorance of these directives gone ignored only for lack of funding?

(Bi-Ped pathways/Trails map)

Harrison Park would serve as an invaluable educational and recreational resource located within walking distance of three public schools, private learning/child-care centers, and at least two Assisted-Care facilities nearby, while also offering a stop-over between the Greenway Trail, McGinnes Ferry Bi-ped pathway, and Windemere Parkway Trail.

(Lauth Development Sketch-Plat)

Developing a "Harrison Park" instead of this reduces the negative-impacts of Impervious Surface Area, Land Disturbance, Stormwater Retention, and of all things needed Traffic, while then providing all three sub-districts their Park. It still provides Lauth their "Development" of an area equal to (if not in excess of) that area depicted upon the Future Land Use Map proposed of Commercial Building Development Zoning if modified as I've put forth in another proposel that I'd like to discuss with interested parties later.

(Future Land Use Map 2008)

Finally, a review what I've presented against that "Weighting" scale given that's to be used by this Board of Commissioners to determine feasability:

(Weighting critera determined by BOC)

"Weighting" criteria (valued between 1-5) as determined by the BOC of late:

1. Water quality protection for rivers, streams and lakes: 5
2. Wetlands protection: 4
3. Protection of natural habitat and corridors for native plants: 5
4. Scenic protection: 5
5. Protection of archeological and historic resources: 3
6. Connection of existing or planned areas: 5
7. Utilizes existing infrastructure: 5
8. Whether the property is suited for use as a passive recreation area: 5
9. Whether the properties are reasonably distributed throughout the county:5
10. Cost of property: 5
11. Recreational value (dropped by BOC concensus) 5
Total Score according to My perspective of values and "Weighting" 52/55

That's 47 of 50 if "Recreational Value" is dropped as has been done so.

(www.FriendsOfCaneyCreek.org homepage)

May I answer any questions of the Commission?

May I answer any questions of My fellow Citizens then?

I thank you for this opportunity to make my case tonight.