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Third, fourth new parks open
Old Atlanta, Chattahoochee Pointe join the fold
Parks WEB 1
Children attending Forsyth County day camps at the Old Atlanta Recreation Center on Friday were the first to try out the spray pad at the newly opened Old Atlanta Park. - photo by Autumn Vetter
Forsyth County officials in suits and heels flashed big smiles as the sprinklers turned on behind them.The children running into the Old Atlanta Park spray pad for the first time Friday meant the county’s fourth new park in the past week had opened to the public.The county has also welcomed three other green space sites, including Caney Creek Preserve on June 22 and Haw Creek Park and Chattahoochee Pointe on Thursday.At the last of the week’s ceremonies, commission Chairman Jim Boff extended appreciation to the county staff and contractors who worked to get the parks opened, as well as voters who in 2008 approved the funding that brought the parks to life.The four south Forsyth properties, totaling more than 300 acres, were purchased using the $100 million parks, recreation and green space bond. Their construction was funded with bond money, 1-cent sales tax revenue and impact fees, which are paid by developers.“It’s always great when the county can make a new amenity available for its residents,” Boff said. “It’s even better when we can do that four times in one week.”Of the three parks that opened this week, the Thursday morning ceremony welcomed the space in Boff’s District 5.Haw Creek Park, off of Echols Road, includes more than 3 miles of multi-use nature tails, a pavilion and two playgrounds.Jean Gafford, who lives in a subdivision within walking distance, said the neighbors were included in the process of designing a park that preserves the site’s natural beauty.“The county commission did a good job of going back and forth with the residents,” Gafford said.She and her daughter enjoyed the playground on Thursday, and Gafford said her son will be excited to ride his mountain bike on the trails.Later on Thursday, officials welcomed Chattahoochee Pointe into the parks system.Commissioner Brian Tam, whose District 2 encompasses three of the newly opened sites, said during the Chattahoochee Pointe opening that the more than 100 acres of green space on the river “excited” both commissioners and the National Park Service.“I’m going to demonstrate why,” said Tam, pausing in silence for a few moments as a gentle breeze blew through the park’s trees.“If you don’t know, you just heard it.