Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the board:
• Named the McClure green space property Magnolia Park.
• Directed parks staff to research traffic safety issues at entrances to county parks.
• Considered possibly creating a branded or uniform look for future park signs.
• Reviewed the process for new organizations seeking a field usage agreement with the county.
• Elected Charlotte Gardner as chairwoman and Todd Holbrook as vice chairman for 2012.
Some dead and dangerous trees are going down in Forsyth County parks.
Trees at the Shady Grove Campground, Sawnee Mountain Preserve and along the Big Creek Greenway have either been cut down or identified for removal, said Tommy Bruce, assistant director of parks and recreation.
“The drought has really brought them down,” Bruce said, adding that more than 40 have already been cut down at the campground.
The dry period has either killed the trees or loosened their roots, making them dangerous for park-goers, Bruce told the parks board Tuesday.
Along the greenway, trees on 11 properties could be in danger of falling, said Jerry Kinsey, director of the parks department.
Six property owners have agreed to take down the trees on their own, and the others have requested that Forsyth County perform the work, Kinsey said.
The department has been working on the liability issue of entering other properties, he said, and plans soon to address commissioners on the matter.
The parks board also received updates Tuesday on parks projects in the works.
Both Old Atlanta and Fowler recreation centers are on schedule to open in mid-February, Kinsey said.
He added the four southern green space sites are expected to open in June.