Page 64 - Coweta NCG 2017

Linear Park EXPEC TED T O DRIVE WELLNESS

AND BRING EC ONOMIC BENEFIT S

~ B Y AN G E L H AR M O N

Outdoor Recreation he effort to bring a and 2016 Chamber Chair Tony Ferguson reached out to the City

linear park or non-
and County to get the ball rolling.
“The Chamber really provided a place for ideas to be tossed around
motorized trail system
T to Newnan and
After much research and visits to similar trail systems in the region, the
Coweta County picked up traction in 2016. The and considered, and provided encouragement,” Thomasson said.
proposed trail system will eventually get people back Newnan City Council voted to enter into a $49,200 contract with firms that
to life’s simple pleasure of enjoying actual “face time” have done several projects throughout Georgia to study where the path
with friends and family. A popular concept among today’s should go and what it should connect. Thomasson said that one of the first
communities, linear parks use walking/biking paths to connect legs of the trail could be about two miles (four miles round trip), connecting
neighborhoods. downtown Newnan to Ashley Park, along side the new McIntosh Trail.
Aware that similar developments existed Funding will determine the rate at which the trail is built. The project is
throughout the region – the Atlanta Beltway and already a public/private partnership between the City of Newnan, the friends
Carrollton’s GreenBelt, for example – Newnan-Coweta of the trail system, of which both Thomasson and Ferguson are members,
Chamber board member Jim Thomasson brought up the and the Newnan-Coweta Chamber. State and federal grant assistance may
concept within the Chamber in 2015. Research turned up the also be sought with help from the PATH Foundation in Atlanta. Friends of the
fact that the City of Newnan and Coweta County already had trail system plan to undertake selling sponsorships to help place restrooms,
trail ideas in their comprehensive plans, but had not yet information kiosks, picnic and park benches along the trail, as well as a
initiated development for such projects. Thomasson possible pavilion for community parties and activities.

60 60 www.newnancowetachamber.org • 770.253.2270