Sandy Springs wants to build trails to the Chattahoochee River and is planning to create a master plan to guide their development. Making better connections to the river was one of the recommendations from a task force that studied redevelopment of the city’s north end last year.
The city is looking for a firm to develop a master plan that would guide the development of trails and connections. A big challenge to building trails, or any development, around the river, are the federal restrictions on how the land can be used.
Much of Sandy Springs’ border is the river and large sections of it are difficult to access, other than the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Areas operated by the National Park Service.
The North End Revitalization Task Force recommended in its report last year that more connections be created to spur redevelopment in the area. The city is also seeking a study on redeveloping four large shopping centers on the north end, another part of the task force’s recommendations.
The city is seeking a firm to create the master plan and released a request for proposals June 5.
Three open house meetings would be held for the public to provide input on the plan, the document said. Meetings such groups as Atlanta Regional Commission, city staff, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and others would also be held.
The contractor would be required to a review of the existing land uses, zoning and utilities. It would also need to produce a list of all the agencies with legal jurisdiction that would be involved.
A separate effort called the Chattahoochee River Greenway Study is gearing up. A partnership between the city of Atlanta, Cobb County, the Trust for Public Land and the ARC, the initiative hopes to bring new trails, parks and other amenities to a 100-mile stretch of the river.