Friday, February 22, 2002
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Friday, February 22, 2002 |
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Group wants South Fulton's rural flavor preserved
By JOHN
THOMPSON
After a successful business career in Atlanta, Steve Nygren bolted the big city and headed for the serenity of South Fulton County. Now, with development on the area's doorstep, Nygren and a group of residents want to make sure the development is master-planned and does not overrun the area's rural qualities. Nygren is president of the Chattahoochee Hill Country Alliance. Each member of the group ponies up $2 an acre for each acre he owns in the county to help fund the new organization. "It's a group of concerned land owners who know growth is coming and wants to make sure it's master-planned," Nygren said. Nygren started the successful Peasant restaurant chain in Atlanta and now operates a bed and breakfast near Palmetto. The group wants to make sure that many of the historic roads and vistas are preserved in South Fulton. Last week, the group had its first organizational meeting in Rico and Nygren was surprised by the turnout. "We had more than 200 folks there. We're going to have to find a bigger location for our next meeting," he said. When many folks think of planned developments on the south side, they automatically focus on Peachtree City. While Nygren agrees the city is planned, his group is more focused on maintaining the rural character. Several of the members who now live in South Fulton moved from more congested areas of the Atlanta region, and don't want shopping centers next to their land, he said. Instead, the residents like having cows and horses as their neighbors and want to keep it that way. The group is now in the process of applying for grants to keep South Fulton green. The next meeting is April 15 at 7 p.m. at a location still to be determined. Nygren said he will notify the community when a meeting place is set.
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