Cobb County Purchases Land Under $27M Deal

EAST COBB, GA - From Cobb County Government: Cobb County officials crossed the final “t” on the purchase of two pieces of property along Burnt Hickory Road that will eventually become parkland for county residents.

Commissioners approved a $27.4 million parks bond issuance earlier this year.

County staff has worked since then to identify properties across the county that could become parks and the Kemp family property on Burnt Hickory Road near Harrison High became the first location where the county could reach a deal. The $6.5 million dollar purchase adds 94 acres to Cobb County’s park system.

The property is in Commissioner Bob Weatherford’s district. “The Kemp family could have made a lot more money by selling to a developer, so we were pleased they decided to make it a park instead of a development,” Weatherford said.

The Parks Department will start work to determine how the property will be used. In the meantime, staff continues to attempt to find other properties for parks. Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce says since the county can only pay the assessed value, and the real estate market is hot, finding those properties has been a bigger challenge than expected.

NOTE: A map of the property can be found here: http://bit.ly/2idpVHa

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