Riverfront property sale will expand Sandy Springs park
Sandy Springs City Council approved the $2.6 million sale of 14 acres of North Island Ferry Road riverfront property to the Trust for Public Land, which will sell it to the National Park Service to expand the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. The post Riverfront property sale will expand Sandy Springs park appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.
The Sandy Springs City Council approved the $2.6 million sale of approximately 14 acres of North Island Ferry Road riverfront property to expand the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.
Sandy Springs Recreation and Parks Director Brent Walker told the city council at its Sept. 2 meeting that the National Park Service is unable to buy land directly from a municipality. The city will sell the land to the Trust for Public Land, which will sell it to the park service.
Sandy Springs bought the property using impact fee funds at 8901 North Island Ferry Road in March 2020 for $750,000. Impact fee funds are collected from developers of new construction projects. The funds are used to pay for the infrastructure required to support that development.
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Two neighboring parcels were purchased in June 2021 for $1.25 million. The properties have approximately 1,300 feet of Chattahoochee River frontage, adjacent to the Island Ford Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.
“The properties were purchased with impact fee funds to expand the city’s green space network, increase access to the river, and expand the footprint of the existing Chattanooga River National Recreation Area Island Ford unit,” Walker said.
The parcels and adjacent properties separate the Island Ford unit’s north and south sections.
City Council member John Paulson said the city should to purchase the parcels to prevent private development. A fourth parcel remains that the city wants to purchase, but it is still occupied.
Chattanooga River National Recreation Area Superintendent Ann Honious approached the city to purchase the property for the National Park Service.
Walker said the city has expedited the purchase because the National Park Service’s fiscal year ends September 30.
The park service has the funds allocated in its budget, so the city is trying to close on the land purchase before Oct. 1 to be sure those funds are available.
The post Riverfront property sale will expand Sandy Springs park appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.
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