|
|
|
| |
|
Land once eyed for school to become park
Published January 2, 2008
WALTON COUNTY — What some saw as a loss for Walton County Public Schools is the county’s gain.
On Friday, the Walton County Board of Commissioners voted to accept a donation of 15 acres of land and will purchase an additional 17 acres before July 1, all parcels of what was once a proposed site for the new Southwest High School.
Darrell McWaters, president of Meridian Homes, donated the first track of land to the county on the condition they purchase the second track and enter into a non-binding agreement for a two-year optional purchase of an additional 38 acres of land located off Highway 81 near Green Circle north of Walnut Grove. Hopes are to develop the land to be a regional park similar to the current West Walton Park.
“This will meet an identified need in the area,” Walton County Parks and Recreation Director Jody Johnson said during the called meeting. “More than 50 percent of the kids we serve play out of West Walton right now. This will help meet a huge need.”
While some of the land was donated, the county will have to pony up more than $500,000 for the 17 acres requiring purchase as part of the agreement on the condition the land appraises for at least $30,000 an acre.
All told the county will add 32 acres of land to its parks and recreation department for close to $16,000 an acre. The funds will be spent using impact fees collected by the county.
“This is a great piece of property that I always thought needed to have a school or a park on it,” McWaters said. “I got together with the county after the deal with the school system went south and we got a great plan put together in the past two weeks.
“I think the county deserves this land. What they are doing with the parks in this county is great.”
The site was in contention as a proposed site for the new high school slated to open in 2009. A lawsuit was filed by a resident after the Highway 81 site was not chosen, citing the school board was wasting funds in paying too much for the current site located of Guthrie Cemetery Road. The lawsuit was dismissed in April.
The recent land donation was the second by McWaters and Meridian Homes, who also donated 25 acres adjacent to the original West Walton Park and opened in 2007 as a passive park. The donated land will also house a community center slated to open in the fall.
Johnson said they will begin working on a master plan for the property with initial hopes of putting ball fields for 7,8 and 9 year olds as well as walking trails.
Also at the meeting, the commissioners voted to accept more than three acres of land outside of Jersey donated by the McGarity family. The land, valued at $86,000, will serve as a passive park similar to three others opened this year, which will include a ball field, pavilion and playground equipment. |
|
|
|
|
