Steve Brown’s recent Letter to the Editor (“Built by Eagle Scouts, boardwalk is civic jewel and worthy of repair”) missed an important opportunity to encourage residents to directly influence the outcome of the proposed Flat Creek Boardwalk repairs by Peachtree City.
Most important — local residents can take action now and encourage their neighbors and friends to do the same by sending an email directly to the City Council (council@peachtree-city.org) with their public comment requesting repair of the entire Flat Creek Boardwalk, and by completing an online Peachtree City survey before July 10th. The Peachtree City survey is at https://peachtreecity-ga.civilspace.io/en/projects/flat-creek-boardwalk-repairs
The City Council is anticipated to review a revised repair proposal on July 13th. I encourage mention of the importance of maintaining the boardwalk at the full length to sustain the high-quality nature area wetland experience, and also preserving the existing natural surface trail that connects to the boardwalk from the public parking at the McIntosh Trail Recreation Complex. This connecting trail is at risk without directed reroute if the Council directs removal of the shorter northern boardwalk.
Steve Brown also errored in several of his own points of history about the boardwalk construction.
Jerry Peterson, one of the original Southern Conservation Trust board members in 1993 verified to me today that the Trust used a construction company and not Boy Scouts to build the boardwalk. The Southern Conservation Trust used part of a $140,000 Fayette County grant from the Lake Horton construction project to install the 700-foot natural surface trail starting at the Fred Brown Amphitheater connecting with 1,136 feet of boardwalk, two viewing platforms and interpretive signs.
The Citizen published my history notes on the actual origins of the Flat Creek Boardwalk last week.
Scout service projects have made many notable contributions to our community over the years, including several Eagle Scout projects completed in the Flat Creek Nature Area.
These include:
The Trust sponsored an Eagle Scout to construct signs identifying the tree types seen along the boardwalk.
Peachtree City Rotary Club sponsored Eagle Scout Kenneth Scott Molleson to construct the Howard Morgan Wetland and Nature Observation Deck in 2003.
Southside Cycling Club sponsored Eagle Scout Christian Carr to construct the Flat Creek Trailhead in 2016.
It is my sincere desire that the Flat Creek Boardwalk be restored to safe access soon, influenced through our concerted efforts to inform the City Council and City Staff of its value to us.
Keith Larson
Bike-Walk Fayette
Peachtree City, Ga.
Nice opinion Mr. Larson…I wish for private funds or established grants rather than PTC tax money to be used…also consider cameras to monitor now that PTC is less “original PTC” to observe for drug/graffiti activity.