The River Gets A Nudge
Someone is finally trying to make use of our river. Most Atlantans don’t think much about the Chattahoochee. Except as a water source, many folks forget it’s even there. When we do think about it, it’s in the context of drinking water or basic compacts. Certainly, few are trying to harness its economic and natural potential.
However, The Spirit of Roswell is finally letting people tour the river around here. The Riverboat operates from the launch @ Azalea Park and travels down to Morgon Falls Dam. People get a relaxing 90 minute to 2 hour cruise and hopefully learn about preserving the river as they go.
Right now, only two restaurants have really thought about the river. Canoe and Rays on the River are really the only elegant places for people to enjoy the river and get a nice drink or food. It remains a mystery that Atlanta has not moved help strengthen the west side of town by building a boardwalk with a boat ramp and shops, restaurants, and a band shell by the river. Given what the Riverwalk has done for San Antonio and for Savannah, and given the current attention being paid to water in Atlanta with the new aquarium, it would seem a natural fit.
April 6th, 2006 at 10:20 am
Robert,
I like your ideas, but the problem is that in the places where the river is closest to the city it is a smelly, polluted mess. Everything downriver from the Sewage Plant on Atlanta Road is disgusting. Upriver from that is a lot of entrenched residential that will take BIG money to uproot.
But, if it could be pulled off - go for it.
April 7th, 2006 at 2:57 pm
The Hooch by my house (Marietta Blvd) is disgusting. It has “settle solids” (sewage) plants for Atlanta and Cobb county, an asphalt reclamation site in Cobb and a coal burning Georgia Power plant. Those aren’t going anywhere. PATH built a trail by the river, but it was closed after 9/11.
April 8th, 2006 at 8:23 pm
Maybe we should all just sit next to bottles of Disani water and pretend?
April 11th, 2006 at 9:52 am
Between Lake Lanier and Peachtree Creek, development within 2,000 feet of the river is regulated by the Metropolitan River Protection Act, which allows no impervious surfaces within 150 feet of the river. The law was passed to protect Atlanta’s drinking water supply. The result is no boardwalks, restaurants, or band shell next to the river. That’s the tradeoff we make for clean water.
April 16th, 2006 at 10:54 am
There’s a river by Canoe? I’ve been a couple of times and never noticed it. I guess I was too busy checking out the Buckhead Bettys.
Calling the Chattahoochee a river is rather generous. Sewage repository would be more accurate.
April 20th, 2006 at 10:22 pm
The park along Azalea in Roswell is pretty nice, and the smell isn’t too bad.