The Fulton County Parks Department

is asking for help from the community on planning an effective park program.

Four public hearings will take place over the next two weeks to discuss

the 10 year Master Plan.

"We have a deficit level

in South Fulton that we have identified in several areas." Andrea

Meyers of the Fulton County Department of Parks and Recreation said. "We

are discussing how to eliminate them by different options. The presentation

during the public hearings will identify those options."

The meetings begin October

22 at the Northeast Spruill Oaks Library, 9560 Spruill Road in Alpharetta

and October 23 at the South Fulton Service Center, 5600 Stonewall Tell

Road in College Park.

The second week of meetings

begin October 28 at the North Fulton Service Center, 7741 Roswell Road

in Sandy Springs and Thursday, October 30 at the Southwest Regional Library,

3665 Cascade Road in Atlanta. All four meetings are scheduled to begin

at 7 p.m.

In addition to the public hearings,

the Fulton Parks Department will conduct a "statistically balanced

survey" by telephone of residents in unincorporated Fulton County.

The random sample survey will determine the quality of current park services

and facilities, and assess the need for future facility upgrades and changes.

"The 10 year plan will

address existing parks. It will address land acquisition as well, but

not necessarily for active parks. It may be for passive parks." Meyers

explained. "A lot of passive park planning is very prominent in North

Fulton. It is becoming very much an interest through several overlay plans

that have been adopted by the board, one of which is the Chattahoochie

Hill Country overlay district which includes villages and open spaces.

Now more recently there has been some talk of acquisitions of another

100 acres in South Fulton. It's something that is very much on the

agenda for the Commissioner in the District 7 area."

The Parks Department stated

it has partnered with consulting firms US Infrastructure, Inc., Leisure

Vision, The SRM Group and AVPA/M.H. Michael Landscaping to complete its

Master Plan. For more information, call 404-730-6200 or visit their website

at www.myfultoncountyga.com.