It's Official: Simpsonwood Becomes County's Newest Park

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From press release

Gwinnett County announced Tuesday it has closed on the $14 million purchase of the Simpsonwood property in Peachtree Corners from the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.

The sale effectively makes the property Gwinnett County’s newest park. The county promises to protect it’s beauty.

“I am so thankful that the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church agreed to sell this special place to Gwinnett County,” District 2 Commissioner Lynette Howard said in a press release. “We plan to continue to abide by Miss Ludie Mae Simpson’s wishes by protecting and preserving this land and its natural resources as a Gwinnett County park. It is a great place for Gwinnett residents to learn about and connect with the great outdoors.”

The county’s 2013 Parks and Recreation Capital Improvements Plan indicated a need for a large, open-space park in western Gwinnett. Funded by SPLOST, the Simpsonwood acquisition provides an opportunity to preserve green space and provide passive recreational opportunities, the county said.

“The acquisition of Simpsonwood is a significant addition to our already nationally recognized countywide parks system,” Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash said. “I am especially excited to preserve a large corridor of property along the Chattahoochee River and look forward to the development of future park plans with the help of the Gwinnett County Recreation Authority and County residents.”

The 223-acre property has approximately 2,140 linear feet of river frontage along the Chattahoochee River.

The county said a timeline for planned improces to the property has not been established. Developing a park master plan is expected later this year.

(Photos: City of Peachtree Corners)

PREVIOUS SIMPSONWOOD POSTS

• County Approves Purchase of Simpsonwood Property
• North Georgia UMC Conference Makes Decision on Simpsonwood
• Report: Methodist Conference Votes to Close Down Simpsonwood
• Simpsonwood Property Could Become a County Park
• Meeting on Simpsonwood Property Sale Draws Large Crowd
• Fate of Simpsonwood Retreat Now in Methodists Hands
• When Simpsonwood is gone, it’s gone forever
• Simpsonwood Retreat Property Up For Sale
• Update on Simpsonwood Retreat & Conference Property Sale
• Simpsonwood Property Sale: A Case of Broken Trust?
• Simpsonwood, a Pristine Oasis in Peachtree Corners
• Concerns for Simpsonwood Conservancy