Save Rome's Central Park

BACKGROUND: In 2006, the Rome City Commission entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with local developers, Ledbetter Properties, to sell 80 acres of city-owned property adjacent to Riverside Parkway, Ridge Ferry Park, the City Duck Pond and Historic Jackson Hill for possible conversion to a 60-acre regional retail center called Citi Center. Prior to entering into this MOU, the City planned to use the property as part of a Central Park that would stretch from Ridge Ferry Park to Historic Jackson Hill, connecting the two areas via boardwalks through the extensive wetlands and floodplain of what is known as the Burwell Creek Property.

Now, plans call for:
● Filling nearly 50 acres of 100-year floodplain
● Displacing some four acres of wetlands and filling the Duck Pond
● Remediating an abandoned city landfill on the site by capping the landfill
area and relocating nearly half a mile of Burwell Creek.

The development and filling of wetlands and floodplain is being justified by the existence of the city-owned landfill which contains some hazardous waste. However, tests conducted at the site show limited contamination.

CRBI Recommendation: After studying development plans and all testing data for the landfill, CRBI believes that the best use of this property is for it to remain as a high-quality, functioning wetlands and floodplain and remain part of Romes plan to create a Central Park from the Oostanaula River to Jackson Hill. Sign this petition to
1. Save Romes Central Park
2. Protect wetland wildlife habitat
3. Protect water quality and
4. Preserve floodplain!

This online petition requires your name and e-mail address in the first two boxes to serve as an electronic signature. Your name will not appear on the results page. The email address you provide in the second box will only be used to send you a confirmation message. It will be hidden from anyone who views the petition online. In order to add more weight to your signature, we also ask that you include your address, city / state / zip, phone number, and email address in the additional four boxes. This information will only be provided to the Rome City Commission and will not appear on the online results page here.

If you have already signed the paper copy of this petition, please don't sign the electronic version as well (but do contact everyone you know who is concerned about Rome's environment and ask them to sign this petition). If you would rather sign a paper copy instead of this online version, please call CRBI at (706) 232-2724 or print the paper copy at http://www.coosa.org/save-romes-central-park-petition .

I The Undersigned ask the Rome City Commission to leave what is known as the "Burwell Creek Property" as a high-quality, functioning wetlands, and to ensure that this this property remain part of Romes plan to create a Central Park from the Oostanaula River to Jackson Hill.