Judge: DeKalb PATH trail still on hold
March 13, 2008 at 3:27 pm by Thomas Wheatley in NewsA DeKalb County judge this afternoon ruled that preliminary construction on a controversial trail in DeKalb County is still a no-go.
Superior Court Judge Gregory Adams said today that the county — which is one of the backers of the PATH-designed and -built trail — had been given proper notice that the Three Forks Heritage Alliance, a neighborhood activist group, was filing a temporary restraining order against the project last week.
Today’s hearing in the county courthouse drew nearly 20 opponents of the .8-mile trail that is planned to connect Medlock and Mason Mill Parks near Emory University. Members of the alliance and its supporters filled three rows in the courtroom gallery and donned white shirts to show solidarity for their cause. At one point during the proceedings, the court bailiff removed five alliance supporters after they laughed with bemusement at Chief Assistant County Attorney Duane Pritchett’s claim that there was little “irreparable harm” done when PATH-hired construction crews cut down 24 trees last week to build a service road to the trail’s location deep in the woods.
Jed Appelrouth, a graduate student who says he visits the dense woods to jog, attended the hearing. He opposes the PATH project because he questions its design and the ability to fund it. He also wonders who exactly benefits from the $750,000 trail.
“Everybody I’ve talked to about this project is against it,” he said. “Who supports it? Who’s clamoring for it? I want to see it.”
Another trail opponent standing near Appelrouth agreed and said the benefits trail advocates list — mainly that it would give access to the woods for the elderly and people in wheelchairs — are already there.
“Don’t tell it’s going to benefit seniors — look who’s fighting it,” Charles Tshiko said, gesturing toward a woman next to him who appeared to be a mix of confused and offended. “Don’t tell me it’s for families with their kids. Look at it now.”
One of the main perks the county and PATH say the trail will provide is increased connectivity between the neighborhoods and a larger trail network planned for the future.
John Sumrall, one of the few neighborhood residents who turned out to support the PATH trail, thinks that the opponents of the trail — namely, the alliance — want to claim the park for their own and have merely been more vocal in their arguments. Supporters, he says, just want to see it come to light.
“I’ve observed the benefit [of PATH trails] in other neighborhoods and what they can do,” he said. “Plus, we’re talking about two large parks that are publicly-owned, but [lack] access. The neighborhood has too much traffic so young kids and most other people can’t even ride a bicycle on the street. Fourth, by beginning at Medlock Park it would eliminate [the alliance's] complaint of people parking on the street. Fifth, it’s a great recreational possibility for every citizen from the ages of 3 to 90.”
But until another hearing is held in April, there’ll be nary a peep from the bulldozers and chainsaws on the PATH trail between Mason Mill and Medlock Parks.
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