RiverLands draft plan proposes recreation on 240 acres, with staffing and funding concerns

A draft master plan discussed by the Chattahoochee Hills Parks Commission on July 14 proposed new recreation facilities primarily on 240 acres of New RiverLands Park east of Campbellton Redwine Road. HGOR was preparing the plan with funding from Chattahoochee NOW, Inc., according to draft meeting minutes.

Proposed amenities included two multi-use fields of roughly two acres each, a playground, pedestrian, mountain-bike and equestrian trails, and an amphitheater for more than 300 people. The draft also included a pavilion, restrooms, a dog park and parking for about 125 cars. The minutes note that much of the land is seasonal wetlands, with an area for amenities on the northern portion of the tract.

Opening more parkland raised staffing and funding concerns. The minutes say Parks Department staffing had been unchanged for five years despite added amenities and maintenance demands at RiverLands and Campbellton parks. Commissioners discussed potentially conditioning support for opening the east side on staffing and equipment requirements.

The July draft was based on one public meeting and an online survey, with another public meeting planned. The described approval process called for a Parks Commission recommendation, followed by a Council work session and formal vote. The supplied July record establishes a changeable proposal, not an adopted master plan; later action is not established here.