Board of Commissioners, 

700 of your fellow citizens are sending you this last appeal for good judgment regarding the emergency access road at Mt Tabor Park.  When the time comes to finalize how the access road will ultimately be used, we hope you consider your stated overview of preserving green space, and allow the public parks in this county to remain as places where people can explore, unwind, and thrive.  

Since early August when news of what was going to happen at Mt Tabor came out, a community effort was launched to advise you that the folks who care about Mt Tabor would stand up for its future.  It is difficult enough for people to understand that the emergency access road is a near certainty, and to then add that it could also become a paved entrance for this same developer?  Disbelief, shock, anger. 

To alert people that serious changes were coming to the park they love, a handful of petition  notices were posted at Mt Tabor giving useful information to anyone wanting to take part in this  effort.  However, on several occasions an employee of Paulding County Parks and Rec removed these notices so as to not give the impression that Paulding County is sanctioning an effort to save what’s left of one of its public parks.  That’s almost as bad as the original decision to allow a developer to bulldoze the park- Paulding County does not want to appear as if it’s overly concerned about roads going through public parks or citizen’s efforts to stop these things from happening. 

Which then leads to more head-shaking disbelief when considering:

 - How could anyone be granted the authority to bulldoze through a public park-for $10?                  

- Was there any compensation of any kind? 

- Did any citizens of Paulding County have any opportunity to comment? 

Your honesty in detailing how we got to this point would help, but the most important action  you can take right now is to let people know that the present Board will hold the line and keep the access road for emergency use only.  One damaging decision for Mt Tabor is enough. 

And in regard to the park itself, have you ever been there?  It’s pretty remarkable- old and young, riders and runners and walkers, all enjoying what we all need- woods and hills to roam on shaded paths.  Clear and cold running streams with minnows and crayfish.  This is not something that can be replaced by another ball field or pickle ball court, and with the added pressure of 370 new homes on its border it is imperative that the peacefulness of Mt Tabor not be sacrificed any further. 

Also consider what would happen to the September 11 Memorial, as well as the playground and pavilion, if the access road becomes a paved thoroughfare.  Keeping the access road as gravel and for emergency use meets the requirements of the development regulations for Paulding County under which the development was originally permitted.  It also averts a complete and total disaster for this beautiful park. 

Included in this appeal are the many names of those people who truly care about the future of  Mount Tabor Park, so keep our request in mind. 

Again, one damaging decision for Mt Tabor Park is enough. 

Concerned Patrons of Mt Tabor Park