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Wednesday, June 13, 2001 Barnes praises Walden Park Predicting that it will be a shining success, Gov. Roy E. Barnes described Walden Park as a community "which embraces the ideas of conservation so important to the quality of our lives." The governor, speaking at the recent grand opening of the mixed use community in south Fulton County, called Walden Park "living proof that you can protect the environment and quality of life and make money at the same time." Noting that The Macauley Companies' nearly 600-acre development includes 200 acres of greenspace, 160 acres of which has been granted to The Nature Conservancy as a conservation easement, the governor said Walden Park emphasizes both greenspace and the principles of smart growth. "The whole idea of quality of life and greenspace is about prosperity," said Gov. Barnes. "You can't kill the goose that lays the golden egg. If we are to continue to grow, we must have smart growth. Greenspace is a low-cost way to fight pollution, because open land and trees help keep the air cleaner and the water purer. "More importantly, greenspace helps to maintain the quality of life, which attracts more jobs to the state and keeps our economy booming. Walden Park is a significant achievement because it shows that we can all have a role in preserving open space. This achievement serves as an example that making conservation a priority is good business sense as well as good common sense." Gov. Barnes was introduced by state Sen. Steve Thompson, who is the governor's floor leader in the State Senate and who presided over the grand opening festivities. Among those he introduced as dignitaries in the audience were state Sen. Donzella James; Emory McClinton, chairman of the Georgia Department of Transportation's board of directors; Boyd Pettit, 7th District representation on the transportation department's board; Dr. Catherine Ross, executive director of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA); Jim Croy, who was formerly with GRTA and who will be heading the State Tollway Authority; East Point Mayor Patsy Jo Hilliard; Barbara Hill, area superintendent for the Fulton County Board of Education; and Stacy Patton, Chattahoochee River project manager for The Nature Conservancy. Developer Stephen H. Macauley, who heads up The Macauley Companies, said that Walden Park is intended to be Atlanta1s example for model community growth. "The Macauley Companies focus only on quality growth," he said, and noted that "early sales figures put us in the Top 1, 2 or 3 in Atlanta." Macauley said that Fulton County has been an "incredible partner" in the development of Walden Park, and from the crowd he recognized Fulton County Commissioner Bill Edwards, County Manager Tom Andrews, Michelle Hartmann and Beth McMillan from Comprehensive Planning, and Bob Simmons from Economic Development. County Commissioner Edwards told the large crowd attending the grand opening that "something fantastic has happened in south Fulton it it is called Walden Park. South Fulton's first TownPark community is a first-class product." Commissioner Edwards, describing the community as based on the neighborhoods of yesterday with an emphasis on its natural surroundings, called Walden Park a "testimony to the live, work and play concept." He concluded, "Steve Macauley, you are a pioneer because Walden Park has blazed a new trail for south Fulton, creating a standard of living for our residents that embodies the best use of greenspace while providing the ultimate in TownPark living." Tavia McCuean, vice president and state director of The Nature Conservancy, said that "we in The Nature Conservancy want to thank Steve Macauley for doing this project. It's wonderful to work with people like him who have the inspiration and the drive to be able to bring something like this to reality. This area could have been wall-to-wall houses, and he chose to protect the area and give people a place where they could recreate." Over three years ago, The Nature Conservancy's Georgia chapter partnered with Macauley to develop a plan to build a residential community that embraces the importance of greenspace. Saying that Stacy Patton from The Nature Conservancy worked with Macauley to establish the conservation easement, she added, "Today, you see that plan realized with the Grand Opening of Walden Park. This is a unique project for The Nature Conservancy because it has given us a chance to work in an urban setting with a developer who embraces the connection between quality of life and the environment." Located on West Stubbs Road between Butner Road and Cascade Palmetto Highway, Walden Park is a mixed use development which can also be described as environmentally friendly, pedestrian friendly and children friendly. Homes in the community are priced from the $160,000s to the $600,000s. The 59 one-acre development is the first master planned community in south Fulton County and is one of the Macauley organization's trademark TownPark planned developments. The land plan for the community includes a wide variety of housing choices, police and fire facilities, the TownMarket area with a retail complex within walking distance of the residential neighborhoods, and the Walden Park Family Club with its extensive recreational facilities. The amenities area consists of the Walden Park Grand Clubhouse, which has a social room with a fireplace; open-air pavilion; and patios overlooking the swimming pool in the aquatic center. Also in the Family Club area are the Jubilee Amphitheater, a children's play center, a basketball court, a volleyball court, a tennis center, and a village green.
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