Sandy Springs approved agreements with Georgia Power, an apartment complex owner and Fulton County at no cost to the city that will enable construction of a trail segment linking Morgan Falls Overlook Park to Roswell Road.
Recreation and Parks Director Mike Perry brought four agreements to the April 19 City Council meeting that give the city the access to land it needs to start construction this year on a trail segment that’s part of the city’s Trails Master Plan.
“On October 15 of 2019 the city adopted the Trails Master Plan to guide future capital program priorities,” he said. “Segment 2A was identified in the Trails Master Plan as one of the segments within the 10-year implementation strategy.”
This trail segment begins at Morgan Falls Overlook Park and follows the road as a greenway trail to the Chattahoochee River through Georgia Power property. It turns eastward using Fulton County water and sewer property and the Edgewater apartment development. This section of the trail will connect around Orkin Lake along Cimarron Parkway, ending at Roswell Road.
The city needs approximately 7.25 acres of temporary easement from Edgewater to build the trail segment, and 4.5 acres of permanent easement for the trail.
“The owner has agreed to donate the required permanent and temporary easements needed to construct segment 2A on the property,” Perry said.
An existing agreement that allows the city to encroach upon Georgia Power property for the Overlook Park was amended to add access for this trail. Another agreement with the utility company allows the city to encroach on a transmission line easement for the trail.
Fulton County also gave Sandy Springs permission to encroach upon its water and sewer easements to construct and maintain the trail.
The city has the funds in its capital project budget to build the trail, Perry said.
“We should be bidding it out, with construction to begin probably August to September,” Perry said.