Thursday, March 6, 2008
News DeKalb PATH trail halted until April 9
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Thu, Mar 6, 2008 at 3:33 AM
A DeKalb County judge today put the brakes on preliminary construction of a trail in Decatur that has raised the ire of residents who live near its planned site.
The PATH Foundation-built trail is poised to connect Mason Mill and Medlock Parks. Members of the Three Forks Heritage Alliance, a community activist group, have criticized the project for what they consider a lack of public input, and are concerned about the potential damage the trail may cause to the mature hardwood forest through which it would run.
According to a resident who lives nearby, tree-clearing work for the trail began on Willivee Place this morning at 7:15 a.m. Crews must first clear a path in order to reach the trail's future site deeper in the woods, along South Peachtree Creek.
Cutting continued throughout the day until Brian Daughdrill, an attorney for one of two parties involved in fighting the trail, successfully convinced a judge this afternoon to halt the work. A hearing is scheduled for April 9. Crews stopped working after they were served papers by Daughdrill and members of Three Forks Heritage Alliance.
Photos of the preliminary construction and trees tagged for removal appear after the jump.
(Photos by Thomas Wheatley)
Looking from the construction entrance on Willivee Street toward Peachtree Creek, closer to where the trail is proposed.
One of the trees tagged for removal in order to build the trail. The trail, which residents say will be in the form of a boardwalk, is planned to hug the white fence in the background of the above photo. The trail will cross South Peachtree Creek on a yet-to-be-built bridge.
Comments (1)
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Thank you so much for bringing this story to the public. This is an enormous controversy with many people opposed. This particular path does not only affect the surrounding neighborhoods, but any and all Dekalb County taxpayers who appreciate greenspace, but appreciate one of the oldest old-growth forests in the ATL area much more for its uniqueness and incredible variety of wildlife and plant-life. PATH has created some wonderful bike paths which alleviate traffic. However this will be a 10 foot wide, half mile bit of concrete and boardwalk that will destroy over 600 trees and only lead pedestrians and bikers from one congested highway to another congested highway, hardly a transporation solution - and cost taxpayers over $700,000 and growing; funds that are needed to create multi-use live and work areas, provide a larger police-force, fund economically challenged neighborhoods, etc. Again, thank you for your courage to cover this hot topic. It is evident, perhaps due to PATHs influential list of contributors, that the local media has been reluctant to listen to hundreds of people who have verbally and in writing expressed that do not want this; not in 1998 and not now but have never been given a public forum. I applaud your tenacity in seeking the truth.
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