Burwell Creek Fact Sheet

CENTRAL PARK VS. SHOPPING CENTER AT BURWELL CREEK

A major retail center is planned for publicly-owned greenspace at the intersection of Turner McCall Blvd. and Riverside Parkway in Rome, Georgia. This project has both pros and cons for the Greater Rome community.

THE FACTS: The City of Rome has agreed to sell 83 acres of publicly-owned greenspace to local developer, Ledbetter Properties, for $600,000 to construct a major retail center. The property is environmentally sensitive land that holds Burwell Creek, several acres of wetlands and an abandoned city landfill. Development of the property will require a landfill clean up, relocation of Burwell Creek and the filling of wetlands and floodplain.

TAXPAYER BENEFITS

PROS

The Project will bring in national retailers and create some $4 million annually in tax revenue and as many as 1500 new jobs

CONS

The property currently serves as public greenspace, providing wildlife habitat, stormwater and floodwater retention and recreational opportunities. It is part of a 2001 master park plan commissioned by the City of Rome that calls on the property to become part of Rome’s “Central Park.”

The City of Rome has not yet designated the sale price of $600,000 for the purchase of additional public greenspace to replace the 83 acres being sold. It may be difficult for the City to acquire equivalent acreage adjacent to already existing public land at that price ($7300 per acre).

SPRAWL

PROS

As as “in-town development” it helps limit sprawl on Rome’s highway corridors like U.S. 27 & U.S. 411, keeping retail centers close to the town center.

CONS

While it may limit sprawl, it also will eliminate in-town park lands. This is really a choice between preserving or developing park land. Development of highway corridors is inevitable.

LANDFILL CLEAN UP

PROS

An abandoned landfill containing hazardous waste will be capped to prevent contamination from reaching groundwater or Burwell Creek. Clean up by a private company will relieve the city’s taxpayers of any clean up costs at the site.

CONS

Tests indicate that the level of contamination in the landfill may not warrant a clean up. Less than one percent of the analyses conducted on sediment and soil show high levels of hazardous waste. Tests of water quality in Burwell Creek are limited and inconclusive. The U.S. EPA has given the site a designation of “no further remedial action planned.” It appears the landfill is being used to justify development of environmentally sensitive, but commercially valuable property.

BURWELL CREEK

PROS

Burwell Creek will be relocated, moving it away from the landfill to prevent its contamination. The relocated Burwell Creek will be designed with natural meanders. Currently, the creek is channelized due to past land use impacts.

CONS

No tests have ever shown high levels of hazardous substances in Burwell Creek. Water quality in the creek is relatively good for an urban stream. The relocation of Burwell Creek between a 50-acre shopping center and a four-lane parkway is likely to worsen water quality in the creek.

WALKING TRAILS

PROS

A walking trail will be constructed along the relocated Burwell Creek connecting Ridge Ferry Park to historic Jackson and Blossom hills.

CONS

A natural corridor currently exists from Ridge Ferry Park to both Jackson/Blossom Hill and the Civic Center area, on both sides of Burwell Creek. Under the developer’s current proposal, only one such corridor would remain.

FLOODPLAIN

PROS

There are no advantages to filling floodplain, however, plans call for engineering the development so that an increase of flood levels at nearby property is minimized or avoided.

CONS

48 acres of the property lie within the 100-year floodplain. 50 acres would be filled and raised to the level of Riverside Parkway. This amount of floodplain fill appears to violate a city ordinance prohibiting the filling of more than 60 percent of the floodplain at a given location.

WETLANDS

PROS

There is no advantage to filling wetlands, however, the developer will create wetlands elsewhere to compensate.

CONS

Current on-site wetlands provide stormwater and floodwater retention, and other natural services, helping keep pollutants out of Burwell Creek.

Please e-mail your Rome City Commissioners and let them know your views on the proposed development at Burwell Creek.

Wright Bagby: wbagby45@aol.com
Milton Slack: miltonslackiii@aol.com
Buzz Wachsteter: buzz@teledatase.com
Bill Fricks fricksbill@aol.com
Duane Reid: reidduane@yahoo.com
Jamie Doss: doss.jamie@yahoo.com
Bill Collins: clois42@aol.com
Kim Canada: kc30165@aol.com
Evie McNiece: ermc59@comcast.net

Coosa River Basin Initiative ● 408 Broad Street ● Rome, GA 30161 ● 706-232-2724 ● www.coosa.org