Just got through looking at the City's "survey" about the Greenway.
https://cityofsugarhill.com/sugar-hill-greenway-lci-draft-report-and-survey/
Those plans look pretty well laid out for someone who is supposedly asking for feedback. There doesn't seem to be much left to provide actionable feedback about!
I also went to the open houses for this and got the same impression. I was told that the route for the Greenway was not set in stone.
During those meetings, and in this survey, the City seemed to be driving the discussion toward whether or not people would feel or be safe on the portions of the proposed route that were along the major roads. Their angle there seemed to be trying to get this thing placed further away from the large roads. I pointed out to them that this would probably require taking some private property.
I was ignored.
I'm noticing that this "potential" route plan goes right through some residential areas. Did anyone from the City go talk to these people? I know the Planning Director DID go talk to Primrose Creek, which is commendable. But, I also know that nothing changed on the basis of that meeting. And, Primrose Creek is probably about the wealthiest neighborhood on that side of 20 that is affected by this. Were the residents of lower-income areas consulted?
Are the rest of us really being asked to provide actionable feedback, or just to cheer them on?
This is a prime example of the transparency and accountability problems I speak of with the City of Sugar Hill. The general public wasn't clamoring for a Greenway. Their concerns are not being heard, much less considered. And, this exercise in gathering feedback is put on for show, not for real. The City elected officials, board and commission appointees, employees (who have no choice if they want to keep their jobs), and their friends are TERRIBLY excited about all this, so anyone who isn't doesn't matter to them.
Say something about any of this on social media, and a member of council, a board or commission appointee, or one of their friends - maybe one of each - will quickly step in to remind you that your opinion doesn't matter. One of their friends might even mention that you move if you don't like it. It has been known to happen.
It's also a prime example of the City's financial restraint problem. While the initial project is being paid for at least in part by SPLOST and a grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission, those grants are still funded by tax dollars. As far as I know, all of the funding for this comes out of the public, taxpayer-funded sector.
Longer term, a greenway requires maintenance. And it will require additional security. After the greenway is built, we don't have the option to not pay for those things. Government WILL have to find a way to pay for that, one way or another, or risk having an unkempt, unsafe greenway weaving through our neighborhoods, reducing livability and property values.
Not to say that greenways are necessarily bad. But, at best, a greenway is NICE to have, not something we NEED to have.
Government's primary focus should be on the things we NEED to have as a community, but cannot provide unless we combine our resources in the form of taxes.
The things that are NICE to have should be decided by the ENTIRE community, not just a select few, since it's not a small investment and all of us are paying for it now, and in the indefinite future.
Don't try to TELL us what we want. ASK us. You work for US.