2D — The Newnan Times-Herald — Sunday, March 24, 2013
Coweta Vision 2013
Brown’s Mill Battlefield site should open by summer; Chattahoochee Bend State Park ramping up activities By Sarah Fay Campbell sarah@newnan.com Construction at the Brown’s Mill Battlefield historic site south of Newnan is in full swing, and the project should be complete and open to the public this summer. On the west end of Coweta County, there are new faces running Chattahoochee Bend State Park, and they have big plans for new events and activities. And dedicated volunteers continue to expand the park’s offerings, with plans in the works for more hiking trails, equestrian facilities and mountain bike trails. Coweta County purchased 105 acres of the battlef ield site in 2001. The county was awarded a $300,000 “transportation enhancement activity” grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation in 2007 for development of the “westside amenity area” at the battlefield site. I n A u g u s t 2 0 0 9, t h e Cowet a Cou nt y B oa rd of Commissioners voted to postpone hiring a f irm for the design work because of the economy. The county was required to contribute a 20 percent “match.” The project began to move forward again in spring of 2010, with the hiring of a consultant to design the amenity area. The battlefield amenity area will include a parking lot, large gazebo/ observation point, the “parade grounds,” and nearly three-quarters of a mile of walking trails. Much of the trail is designed to be enjoyed by all, even those in wheelchairs. The trail is 10 feet wide and has a surface of crushed slate, said Sandra Parker, Coweta County’s comprehensive planner and a driving force behind the battlefield development. The crushed slate is an acceptable material under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The original grant is pay-
Photo by Sarah Campbell
Much of the new trail at the under-development Brown’s Mill Battlefield site south of Newnan is designed to be enjoyed by all, even those in wheelchairs. The trail is 10 feet wide and has a surface of crushed slate, said Sandra Parker, left, Coweta County’s comprehensive planner and a driving force behind the battlefield development. At right is fellow battlefield park volunteer Carolyn Turner.
ing for 2,000 feet of walking trail, much of which follows the old Ricketyback Road that was used during the Civil War battle. That’s the road federal troops traveled on when they were ambushed by Confederate calvary. The old roadbed can still be made out quite clearly, as the land rises on either side of it. The county also received a recreational trails grant that will pay for an additional 2,500 feet of trail, as well as a bridge over a wet weather creek. A major portion of the trail has a 5 percent grade or less, making it ideal for those who are mobility-challenged. To the west, however, “the land gets quite rugged,” said Parker. “There is really no feasible way we can make that totally ADA accessible,” Parker said. T here w i l l be i nter pre tive signage a ll a long the trail, and each sign will also have a “QR” code that can be scanned by smart phones. That code will take visitors to Battleof brownsmill.org website where links will “take them to all kinds of additional info,” Parker said. There will also be benches along the trail.
Boy Scout Elija h Caldwell plans to build eight benches as his Eagle Scout project. The parade ground can be used for passive recreation, and hopes are also to use it for living history displays and possibly even Civil War reenactments. The gazebo will give visitors a place to get out of the elements, and it’s also well-suited to give visitors an opportunity to see a good bit of the battlefield site. Carolyn Turner, president of the Brown’s Mill Battlefield Association (formerly the Friends of Brown’s M i l l), sa id t hey ’ve ta l ked about putting some informational plaques at the gazebo. There are diaries and letters describing portions of the battle, including the ravines and underbrush — features that can be seen from the gazebo. The Battle of Brown’s Mill was fought July 30, 1864, and was a rare Confederate victory that late in the war. Hopes are to have the grand opening for the battlefield site this July. “There is a lot more work to be done to get the whole facility open to the public,” Parker said.
Chattahoochee Bend State Park, located on the Chattahoochee River in northwest Coweta, officially opened in July 2011. Last October, the park got a new manager, Tim Banks. He has decades of experience working with Georgia State Parks, and has big plans for programs and classes at the park. He’ll be teaching various outdoor-related classes, and there will be at least one special event every month. Banks was recently joined by Interpretive Ranger Melissa Swindell. They are currently working on the “annual interpretive plan” for the park. In addition to regular activities, there are also plans for “junior ranger” day camps this summer. T h e p a rk fe a t u r e s t wo developed ca mpg rou nds for RVs and tents, and “platform” camping on the river. The lower platform sites are walk-in sites, and there are restrooms and hot showers located at the parking lot. The upper platform sites are hike or paddle in with a pit toilet. There is also the Adirondack group camping area. There is a large boat ramp at the main amenity area, on the downstream end of the park. Paddlers can put in at Riverside Park at the Ga. Hwy. 16 bridge north of the park or at McIntosh Reserve Park across the river in Carroll County. Chattahoochee Bend h a s “ Nuca noe” boats a nd accessories available for rentals, and there is also a local outfitter who organizes canoe trips along the river. All trails at Chattahoochee Bend have been built by volunteers with the Friends of Chattahoochee Bend State Park. State botanists should be out soon to approve the newest trail — which will be the first one to traverse the “flat rock” granite outcrops for which the area is known. Volunteers are also eager to build equestrian and mountain bike trails. Initial trails have
Photo by Martha A. Woodham
Cutting and hauling brush in the March 9 clearing effort for an equestrian trails area at Chattahoochee Bend State Park are Dawn Andrel of Taylorsville and Cindy Collar of Rockmart, two of the volunteers who came from across Georgia for the annual workday.
been marked but are still waiting on state approval. What has been approved is the location of the future equestrian amenity area, and a work day was recently held to help clear the site of future trailer parking. For more information about
Brown’s Mill, visit friendsofbrownsmillbattlefield.webs. com or battleof brownsmill. org. For more information about Chattahoochee Bend State Park, visit www.gastateparks. org, www.bendfriend.com, or call 770-254-7271.
Coweta’s employment picture remains bright By ALEX McRAE alex@newnan.com Coweta’s local employment picture remains bright, with a private non-farm employment at 25,959 in 2010, working at more than 10,000 businesses. Slightly more than 30 percent of those Coweta businesses were classified as “womenowned” in census data. “While a lot of activity has been generated by the health c a re i ndu st r y i n Cowet a County, we can’t lose sight of how important manufacturing is to our local economy,” said Coweta County Development Aut hority P resident Greg Wright. “Recent expansion announcements at companies like Winpak Films, Cargill and Bonnell show that manufacturing is on the rise.” “The new year has started off as one of the busiest for the Development Authority in terms of requests for information and actual site visit,” he said. “We are hopeful this activity level will continue throughout the year and lead to many more location and expansion announcements.” Coweta’s largest employers i nclude t he Coweta County Board of Education, Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation and Piedmont Newnan Hospital. The newly-announced expansion of aluminum extrusion product lines will help keep Newnan’s William L Bonnell Company a m o n g t h e c o u n t y ’s to p employers. Hasco Craver IV, Business Development director for the City of Newnan, noted that more than 1,700 businesses now call the city of Newnan home. They include healthcare facilities, retailers and fa m i ly- ow n e d s h op s a nd restaurants. “Newnan is the ideal location for companies on the forefront of the modern economy,” Craver said. “From large to small, from entrepreneur to established global corporation, enterprises of every shape and size are discovering the City of Newnan. “Our bustling historic downtown, executive and historic neighborhoods invite, our cor-
Hasco Craver IV, Business Development director for the City of Newnan.
porate centers and rich amenities electrify, and the City of Newnan is ready to help businesses realize their potential.” Craver said, “Recently, the City of Newnan has been catapulted into the national spotlight by the location of two state-of-the-art health care facilities.” “In addition, Bonnell Aluminum, a long-time local manufacturer, announced an exciting expansion project,” Craver said. “And the city, through a partnership with the University System of Georgia, t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f We s t Georgia, Newnan Hospital and Coweta County, is actively at work to redevelop the old Newnan Hospital along Jackson Street in the historic downtown for use as a local campus for the University of West Georgia.” “The City of Newnan’s distinctive personality is evident in its award-winning, admired and attractive historic downtown. Offering everything from elegant cuisine and fine art galleries to unique apparel retailers, jewelers, and myriad specialty shopping locations, downtown Newnan is the perfect place for residents and visitors alike,” he said. Coweta exports and imports ref lect the strength of the local economy. According to information provided by the Georgia Ports Authority, $55,800,732 worth of goods were shipped out of Coweta through the ports at Savannah
and Brunswick. T he import picture was even brighter, with $85,18,652 worth of goods imported to Coweta through state ports. The top five importers of goods to Coweta County were Yamaha Motors ($60,521,240), EGO North America ($8, 250, 578), Arke ($4, 598, 643), Wicket National ($3, 356,644) and Kason Industries ($1,462,341). Things are also picking up at the Newnan-Coweta AirportWhitlock Field, where 109 aircraft are officially based. That number is expected to grow as the economy picks up and airport officials have plans in hand to keep facilities upgraded to suit the needs of an expanding number of business and personal aircraft. Grow t h a nd housi ng go hand in hand, and Coweta’s real estate picture has brighte n e d m a rk e d ly ove r t h e past year. Since Coweta was already a regional real estate leader in one of the worst markets in memory, this made the news even better. According to data from Ga. MLS (multiple listing service), Coweta experienced a 40 percent increase in closed sales from January 2012 to January 2013. Pending sales rose 15 percent for the same period. During that period 1,462 transactions were closed, for a monthly average of 121.8 closings, far higher than seen in recent years. Coweta currently holds only a five-months supply of unsold inventory in the market. That number is trending dow n steadily and soon could lead to an increase in new home construction just to meet existing demand. “Now is the time to buy or sell,” said Cindy Taylor, 2013 president of the Newna nCoweta Board of Realtors. “The market is rebounding. We are seeing an increase in new home builds, and are ex per ienci ng a sh r i n k i ng available home inventory, often resulting in multiple offers. Interest rates are still low, but are expected to rise by year end; so if you have been on the fence — now is the time to make your move.”
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