Cobb Greenways and Trails master plan

Cobb greenways and trails master plan approved; parks master plan delayed

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Cobb greenways and trails master plan
The Noonday Creek trailhead on Bells Ferry Road.

A Cobb greenways and trails master plan that would include extensions of the existing Johnson Ferry Trail and Noonday Creek Trail in East Cobb was approved last week by the Cobb Board of Commissioners.

The master plan, developed by Cobb DOT after more than a year of open houses and public feedback sessions, is the first for the county, and features the following components:

  • increasing connectivity between existing trails;
  • having trails in all six Cobb cities;
  • having 92 percent of all existing county parks within a mile of a trail;
  • having 57 percent of Cobb’s total population also within a mile of a trail.

The master plan also calls for eight “priority trail” projects, including the Johnson Ferry and Noonday Creek trails.

We posted back in April about the details of those proposals, which would add 3.3 miles from the Johnson Ferry Trail to Hyde Farm at an estimated cost between $4.3 million and $4.7 million.

The Noonday Creek extension would cover 3.6 miles almost to the Cherokee County line, at an estimated cost between $11.1 million and $12.2 million.

The approval of the Cobb greenways and trails master plan does not include any additional funding for any projects that may be developed. Those matters would be taken up separately.

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The commissioners also were briefed last week about the recommendations for a new Cobb parks master plan for 2018-2028, but there wasn’t a vote taken.

The proposed “investment” over that 10-year period, by a design firm hired to do a master plan study, comes to $239.8 million. The majority of the recommended spending, around $158 million, would be for new facilities and green space development. Another $80 million would be for maintenance of existing facilities.

Here’s the executive summary by Lose & Associates, presented at a commission work session, and which includes the following recommendations:

  • increased staffing and funding;
  • the creation of an administrative services division;
  • the creation of a park maintenance plan;
  • the adoption of a comprehensive revenue policy;
  • enhanced branding and marketing to help generate revenues;
  • establishing a rental system for pavilion use;
  • increasing user fees;
  • expanded programming for fee generation;
  • assessing a per-participant maintenance fee;
  • increase staffing of Cobb Police Park Ranger staff.

Approval of the master plan was put on hold due to questions from commissioners. Approval makes it a “working document” for the county, but funding and spending issues are done in a separate process.

 

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Johnson Ferry Trail and Noonday Creek Trail expansions recommended in new Cobb master plan

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Cobb greenways and trails, Johnson Ferry Trail and Noonday Creek Trail expansions
The Noonday Creek Trail Head at Bells Ferry Road. (East Cobb News file photo)

The expansion of two multi-use trails in East Cobb, the Johnson Ferry Trail and Noonday Creek Trail, are among the recommendations included in a new draft master plan issued by the Cobb Department of Transportation.

The Cobb County Greenways and Trails Master Plan, which has been developed after more than a year of public meetings and input, will be the subject of an open house on Tuesday. That will take place from 6-8 p.m. at the Cobb County Civic Center (548 S. Marietta Parkway).

It’s the first-ever master plan for greenways and trails in Cobb, and Cobb DOT consulted with with Gresham, Smith and Partners, an Atlanta architectural, engineering and design firm, in the process (previous East Cobb News post here).

The key recommendations of the draft master plan include eight “priority trail projects” (indicatedd in the maps below in gold), two of them in East Cobb, covering a total of 210 new miles.

The draft master plan highlights include:

  • increasing connectivity between existing trails;
  • having trails in all six Cobb cities;
  • having 92 percent of all existing county parks within a mile of a trail;
  • having 57 percent of Cobb’s total population also within a mile of a trail.

What’s being proposed as the Hyde Farm to Johnson Ferry Trail would add 3.33 miles to the existing trail on Johnson Ferry, with most of that public land, utility easements and existing road right-of-ways.

Johnson Ferry Trail and Noonday Creek Trail expansions
Click the map to see a larger view

As the name indicates, the proposed recreational trail would start at Hyde Farm, where the utility easement is located, and would connect with the Gold Branch of the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area and to the paved trail along Johnson Ferry.

The new trail would also include guidance for users wishing to connect to trails along Columns Drive and to the Cochran Shoals unit of the Chattahoochee NRA.

The estimated cost of the proposed Hyde Farm to Johnson Ferry Trail expansion is $4.3-$4.7 million.

The proposed Noonday Creek Trail expansion also would follow along public easements and other public land for 3.67 miles northbound from the existing trailhead at Bells Ferry Road. The addition would extend to Noonday Creek Park at Jamerson Road, near the Cherokee County line.

Johnson Ferry Trail and Noonday Creek Trail expansions
Click map to see a larger view

The expanded trail would cross three major roads and include other complexities that make it a much more expensive project, with an estimated cost between $11.1 million and $12.2 million.

Foremost among the issues is that much of the proposed expansion corridor is located in a floodplain or floodway.

According to the draft proposal, there would be some negotiations with private property owners if the proposed expansion is approved. A signalized crossing at New Chastain Road is also recommended, as is Cobb working with Cherokee to align the expansion with the Noonday Creek Trail Connector in that county.

The draft master plan executive summary has an overview of the project, and more details about the above trail and other recommendations can be found here.

In addition, detailed links and PDFs of every aspect of the Cobb Greenways and Trails master plan project can be accessed here.

In the fall, Cobb DOT also briefed county commissioners on their proceedings, before the draft was finalized.

Tuesday’s open house is not a formal meeting. It’s for the public to ask any question of staff about the draft master plan. If you can’t attend, you’ll have until April 16 to offer feedback by emailing: info@CobbTrailPlan.com or contacting Erin Thoresen at 770-754-0755.

 

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