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Cumming moves forward on water system upgrades By JAKE DRUKMAN jake@appenmedia.com
JAKE DRUKMAN/APPEN MEDIA
The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners reversed course March 3 on an earlier decision to sell a portion of Denmark Park to pay for the purchase of Polo Fields. The county now plans to buy Polo Fields outright and keep Denmark Park intact.
Commission reverses course County to buy Polo Fields, keep Denmark Park intact By JAKE DRUKMAN jake@appenmedia.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Residents up in arms over a land swap that would have reduced the size of Denmark Park by two-thirds can breathe easy. The Forsyth County Commission reversed an earlier decision March 3, voting unanimously to keep intact the 80-acre undeveloped site for park use. Commissioners voted last month to sell about 50 acres of the parkland in or-
der to purchase the 39-acre Polo Fields about 5 miles to the northeast. Thursday’s action involved two votes. The first removed any hint of a “land swap” in the purchase of the Polo Fields property. The county will now purchase the Polo Fields property, which includes six soccer fields, outright for $7.5 million. The second vote simply rescinded the sale of any portion of Denmark Park. Last month’s vote drew ire from some residents who accused commissioners of acting in haste and secrecy to arrange the land swap. Commissioners had agreed informally in December to hold a town hall to allow residents to learn more and air their concerns about
Secretary of State visits Rotary Club
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the land swap, but the meeting never occurred. Polo Fields has proven a valuable asset for youth recreation. Close to 1,300 area youth participate in recreation programs at the Polo Fields through county affiliate organization UFA. The county leases the fields from the property owners, and UFA pays the county for their use. UFA also pays to maintain the soccer fields. In recent years, developers have made efforts to rezone Polo Fields to allow residential and commercial developments on the property. When the county
See COMMISSION, Page 5
CUMMING, Ga. — The Cumming City Council unanimously approved a multi-million-dollar plan to advance projects aimed at improving the city’s water systems. At a March 1 work session, the council voted to approve the construction of a 6 million gallon clear well at the city’s potable water production facility at an estimated cost of $18-$20 million. The project will be funded with a loan from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority to be repaid over two decades. The clear well will serve as a storage tank for the plant’s fully treated water, increasing the city’s capacity for storing potable water. The potable water production facility is permitted to treat up to 24 million gallons of raw water from Lake Lanier daily. Cumming will receive the loan at an interest rate of just 0.13% due to its classification as a WaterFirst Community. The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority awards the distinction to local governments that it recognizes for responsible water stewardship. Absent the designation,
See CUMMING, Page 17
