Fulton County judge says work can continue in South River Forest

February 17th, 2023

A view of the landscape of Atlanta's South River Forest, where a conflict has emerged over a proposed $90 million public safety training center to be built by the Atlanta Police Foundation. Adjacent to the proposed training center is public land that includes Intrenchment Creek Park. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

Opponents to Atlanta’s proposed public safety training facility tried and failed this week to get a Fulton County judge to stop construction at the project site.

Environmental advocates at the South River Watershed Alliance, DeKalb County Commissioner Ted Terry, and a member of the community feedback board regarding the training facility plans were among those who asked Fulton County to intervene in the construction of the controversial facility.

Their suit said plans for the facility ignored sediment regulations and overstated how much green space would be at the 85-acre, $90 million campus.

While DeKalb County granted permits that allow construction to begin at the site, DeKalb County is scheduled to hear an appeal on those permits due to environmental concerns flagged by Amy Taylor, the member of the community feedback board.

The case was filed Monday, Judge Thomas Cox heard testimony Thursday, and ruled construction could continue on Friday.

In testimony submitted to the court, a Georgia Department of Natural Resources official said the Erosion, Sedimentation and Pollution Control Plan was deemed adequate by the Environmental Protection Division. In her testimony, Anna Truszczynski, the Watershed Protection Branch chief for the division, also said claims by the opponents were incorrect or misleading.

A DeKalb County judge dismissed a similar stop-work request in December from environmental advocates concerned about demolition at the neighboring Intrenchment Creek Park.