DeKalb County is currently weighing the possibility of executing a land swap with Blackhall Studios for a park a mile south of our neighborhood on Bouldercrest Drive. While Blackhall Studios and some county commissioners argue the land swap will increase economic growth for our county and local businesses, details have come to light that raise concerns around environmental impact, impact to the community, and legal issues around the land being proposed for the swap. Most notably:

  • The land Blackhall Studios is proposing for the swap is less usable/valuable than the existing park land due to wetlands, erosion, and habitat destruction
  • Some of the land noted in the swap has deed restrictions as per the original land grant from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and it appears the county may have not complied with the existing deed restrictions
  • A portion of the land being proposed for the swap has been used as an illegal tire dump, which has led to concerns around soil contamination and impacts to flora and fauna
  • The park is already established and used by the community today – if the land swap is performed, the existing park infrastructure will have to be raised and rebuilt on the newly swapped land

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For more details, visit the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/StopTheSwapSaveIntrenchmentCreekPark

If you oppose the swap, please reach out to your local representative. For our neighborhood, that is District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson