- Signatures: 1,859
- Goal: 1,000
- Deadline: 4-4-2008
See Full Petition
Email this Petition
There are plans being developed to lease Bethel Park to the YMCA. If this happens, the 23,000+ annual visitors will no longer have this park to enjoy. The park and boat access will be closed and will no longer be open to the public.
Friends of Bethel Park is working to save Bethel Park for continued public use but we need your help.
If you want to save Bethel Park from being leased out and taken away from the public please sign this petition to voice your opposition (read details below) and contact your local representatives and tell them NO to closing Bethel Park.
(Friends of Bethel Park will not share any information for any purpose other then to organize and voice our support for saving Bethel Park)
Friends of Bethel Park is working to save Bethel Park for continued public use but we need your help.
If you want to save Bethel Park from being leased out and taken away from the public please sign this petition to voice your opposition (read details below) and contact your local representatives and tell them NO to closing Bethel Park.
(Friends of Bethel Park will not share any information for any purpose other then to organize and voice our support for saving Bethel Park)
| Number | Date | Name | City | State | Comments: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,859 | 11:30 pm PDT, Jun 25 | Anonymous | CUMMING | Georgia | |
| 1,858 | 9:04 am PDT, Jun 18 | James Boff | Cumming | Georgia | |
| 1,857 | 1:27 pm PDT, Apr 26 | JAMES SULLIVAN | Chicago | Illinois | |
| 1,856 | 4:21 pm PDT, Apr 25 | Seth Stern | East Brunswick | New Jersey | |
| 1,855 | 2:37 pm PDT, Apr 5 | Rebecca Lawson | Crandall | Georgia | |
| 1,854 | 3:48 pm PDT, Apr 1 | asia garcia | Coal Township | Pennsylvania | |
| 1,853 | 5:32 pm PDT, Mar 21 | Erin Shelly | Norwich | New York | |
| 1,852 | 1:12 pm PDT, Mar 18 | James Herald | Fort Wayne | Indiana | |
| 1,850 | 12:30 am PST, Feb 29 | Adem Certel | London | ||
| 1,849 | 11:25 am PST, Feb 21 | Debbie Brown | Loganville | Georgia | Bethel Park should not leased to the YMCA. It's a natural park site that should remain open to the general public and be managed by Forsyth County. |
| 1,848 | 2:28 pm PST, Feb 20 | FB Lyons | Marietta | Georgia | YMCA Atlanta has a letter campaign going on to sway Col. Jorns to their side! See this website, modify the letter for our cause and send it to Col Byron Jorns!. YMCA website: http://www.ymcaatlanta.org/uploadedFiles/Sample%20Letter%202.pdf |
| 1,847 | 2:00 pm PST, Feb 20 | Fran Lyons | Cumming | Georgia | Do you know the YMCA plans to build a sewage treatment plant and cut down trees in Bethel Park?! Much of this information is from the Jan. 24, 2008 Gainesville Times article by Debbie Gilbert (http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/archive/2921/) "But (Kristin) Obaranec, (spokeswoman for the YMCA in Atlanta) said the camp will be developed in an environmentally friendly manner."It’s very low impact," she said. "There (would be) hardly any trees removed. It’s going to keep its natural surroundings." The article said "the YMCA has been trying since 2003 to get permission to build a residential camp on the property. Its plan includes athletic fields, gymnasium, amphitheaters, marina, dining hall, at least 12 cabins, pavilion, ropes course, outdoor pool and a sewage treatment plant. Corps (of Engineers) spokeswoman Lisa Coghlan said after the public comments are reviewed, the decision will be made within a few months by Col. Byron Jorns, chief engineer of the corps’ Mobile district, which has jurisdiction over Lake Lanier. So how will Jorns make the decision? "He’ll look at the public comments, though it’s not a popularity contest (based on the number of responses)," Coghlan said. "Then he’ll consider all the factors described in the environmental assessment, such as land use, water quality, endangered species, wildlife habitat, traffic, noise and so on." How can a YMCA camp as described above be good for the water quality, endangered species, wildlife habitat, traffic, and noise? Col. Byron Jorns, please do the right thing for the Lake Lanier and Forsyth County area and community. Entrust Bethel Park to the Forsyth County government and thus the public. |
| 1,846 | 1:13 pm PST, Feb 20 | Todd Tyson | Buford | Georgia | We do not need to give more land to YMCA when what they already have is being used for a dump. The public should have access to this park or developers should have an opportunity to buy it. |
| 1,845 | 12:59 pm PST, Feb 19 | Carol LaBranche | Cumming | Georgia | I don't live on Lake Lanier, but I enjoy it when I can. We need to keep this park open to the public. Forsyth County should be given that control. |
| 1,844 | 6:12 am PST, Feb 19 | Marty Lyons | Cumming | Georgia | With Mary Alice Park going to developers and Bethel Park going to the Y, public access to parks and ramps will be greatly reduced in the southern end of the lake. |
| 1,843 | 4:08 pm PST, Feb 18 | Craig Grier | Cumming | Georgia | This land needs to remain available to all to enjoy, not a select few. If the corp is going to open up this land to the YMCA, then it needs to be opened up to other commercial developers. |
| 1,842 | 10:10 am PST, Feb 17 | Arlette Scharer | Bidogno | ||
| 1,841 | 1:07 pm PST, Feb 15 | Peggy Blankenship | Cumming | Georgia | I work on Turner Rd and have seen what the Y did to Eagle Point...what a shame! I pay taxes for that?!? Very sad! I live very close to Bethel Park and absolutely love it like all the others that have signed this petition. Do the right thing guys! Give it back to Forsyth County! |
| 1,840 | 12:19 pm PST, Feb 15 | Joy Wilkins | STOCKBRIDGE | Georgia | |
| 1,839 | 12:16 pm PST, Feb 15 | Richard Aaron | Conyers | Georgia | |
| 1,838 | 1:14 pm PST, Feb 14 | Alison Prins | Cumming | Georgia | |
| 1,837 | 12:49 pm PST, Feb 14 | Indian hat | N.wales | ||
| 1,836 | 6:26 am PST, Feb 14 | James Wise | Ganesville | Georgia | While I recognize the good works done by the YMCA, it is not in the best interests of the citizens of Georgia and especially those of Forsyth County to change this park to a private enterprise. Lake Lanier is a major component of the economic engine serving North East Georgia. Let Forsyth County and its people control the fate of Bethel Park. |
| 1,835 | 6:02 am PST, Feb 14 | Anonymous | Dahlonega | Georgia | |
| 1,834 | 3:25 pm PST, Feb 13 | Tatiana Costa | Sao Paulo | ||
| 1,833 | 6:31 am PST, Feb 13 | Anonymous | Decatur | Georgia | It is inappropriate to lease lands paid for by taxpayers to a private entity given the importance and limited availability of greenspace/recreational areas. The YMCA seeks to convert a public asset to private use, permanently altering the site with structures/ facilities, and has a poor track record of maintenance of existing facilities as well as maintenance of relations with their neighbors. |
| 1,832 | 4:01 pm PST, Feb 12 | B Gadlage | Cumming | Georgia | |
| 1,831 | 11:25 pm PST, Feb 10 | Laurel Watson | Maricopa | Arizona | |
| 1,830 | 3:08 pm PST, Feb 10 | Steve Ruble | Woodstock | Georgia | Fed Regs require priority to government agencies, Forsythe County in this case. The public deserves the park before membership only organizations. |
| 1,829 | 6:24 pm PST, Feb 9 | Linda Vaughn | Lilburn | Georgia | |
| 1,828 | 6:28 am PST, Feb 9 | Laurie Wolfe | Frederick | Maryland | |
| 1,827 | 8:21 am PST, Feb 8 | Kevin Kreiss | Seattle | Washington | |
| 1,826 | 7:46 am PST, Feb 6 | Daniel C Riggs | Johns Creek | Georgia | |
| 1,825 | 7:35 am PST, Feb 6 | Anonymous | Cumming | Georgia | The county should get the park. |
| 1,824 | 7:31 am PST, Feb 6 | Kimberly Koerner | Cumming | Georgia | We need more camping areas. I am a resident that loves to camp on Lanier. My kids would never use the Y camp, but would enjoy camping at Bethel. The roads leading into Bethel are not designed for heavy traffic. I do not agree with allowing the Y to take over Bethel. This would take away from our community. |
| 1,823 | 9:42 pm PST, Feb 4 | Jennifer Posanka | Aroma Park | Illinois | |
| 1,822 | 10:56 am PST, Feb 1 | Anonymous | Cumming | Georgia | |
| 1,821 | 7:50 am PST, Feb 1 | Melissa Graham | Raleigh | North Carolina | |
| 1,820 | 7:00 am PST, Feb 1 | Anonymous | Gainesville | Georgia | The Y has enough property. The county has first pick. Back off. |
| 1,819 | 5:59 am PST, Feb 1 | michael rabasco | Coon Rapids | Minnesota | |
| 1,818 | 1:03 pm PST, Jan 31 | Anonymous | Cumming | Georgia | I definitely agree, the park should stay open to the GENERAL public- not the private! Its a beautiful park that could use some clean up- we spend the money on lots of new parks- ie Windemere! Let's keep the existing parks open and enjoyable for Forsyth County residents! |
| 1,817 | 11:53 am PST, Jan 31 | Joan Poore | Lula | Georgia | |
| 1,816 | 2:13 pm PST, Jan 30 | Richard L. Barnett | Alpharetta | Georgia | |
| 1,815 | 1:16 pm PST, Jan 30 | Claire Lively | Cumming | Georgia | Please save the Park, our kids need it! |
| 1,814 | 6:51 am PST, Jan 30 | Kyna Crain | Great Falls | Montana | |
| 1,813 | 7:44 pm PST, Jan 29 | Carolyn Palmer | Gainesville | Georgia | |
| 1,812 | 7:40 pm PST, Jan 29 | Gary Palmer | Gainesville | Georgia | Please leave Bethel Park as a public use park managed by Forsyth County |
| 1,811 | 6:42 am PST, Jan 29 | Anonymous | Cumming | Georgia | |
| 1,810 | 5:52 am PST, Jan 29 | Anonymous | Duluth | Georgia | Please do not allow some of our precious resources to be destroyed in order to preserve for only a few. There is so little space left in the area that represents true nature. |
| 1,809 | 7:25 pm PST, Jan 28 | Anonymous | Signal Mountain | Tennessee | |
| 1,808 | 1:30 pm PST, Jan 28 | Anonymous | DALLAS | Georgia | KEEP THE LAND FOR ALL TO ENJOY! |
| 1,807 | 11:17 am PST, Jan 28 | Richard Ward | Cumming | Georgia | Bethel Park should be leased to Forsyth County so that all taxpayers can enjoy the park. IT BELONGS THE TAXPAYERS!!!! |
| 1,806 | 6:18 am PST, Jan 28 | Anonymous | Cumming | Georgia | It is a shame to think of loosing one more beautiful park. When we need more. Please don't let this happen |
| 1,805 | 4:34 am PST, Jan 28 | Les and Sherry Miller | Cumming | Georgia | We very much enjoy walking in the undeveloped portions of the park and do not wish to lose that privilege. |
| 1,804 | 11:39 am PST, Jan 26 | Anthony Keeton | Ganesville | Georgia | I Live off bethel rd And i've seen what the ymca bring frist hand i use to live at 1570 eagle creek trl Cumming Ga there was a lovely pary behide the sub and my grandmother walked her dogs there ever day for 12 years or more when the ymca rented the park they started cutingdown trees and building Things down buy the lake. the traffic was so bad just trying to get to my house form people droping off there kids. i had to wait at one time a hour and a half just to be able to pull into my naborhood.the ymca just coused problems for the area that they surounded. they left it a massive mess still to this day if you goto the park it looks like a junk pile... It brout vandolizom and theft to the area... That made my grandmother mad more then i have ever seen her sadly see died befor she ever got to see it cleand up and we had to traspass to put some of her ash's next to the tree that see was so fond of... i was so sad when we where doing this becouse the was a cunou and many other things in this tree i was just hopeing that in death see could not see the park like that... Please do not lut me see another Park like that. --Sorry about my spelling hope you can understand all of this.. |
| 1,803 | 11:27 am PST, Jan 26 | Edith W. Ballard | Gainesville | Georgia | To take this park away from the public would be a crime. There are many sites that would be acceptable for the YMCA, but, Bethel Park is not one of them. |
| 1,802 | 6:37 am PST, Jan 26 | Jaime Foster | Gainesville | Georgia | The law is clear, the Corps own regulations require the Corp to grant preference to Forsyth County's plan which will keep the park open for ALL to use and enjoy! |
| 1,801 | 1:08 pm PST, Jan 24 | Ashley W. | Phoenixville | Pennsylvania |
Save Bethel Park
Bethel Park is a 70 acre wooded day use park owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the shores of Lake Sydney Lanier. Located in Forsyth County, Bethel Park is a popular destination of visitors from both inside and outside of Forsyth County. Bethel Park’s amenities include a three lane boat ramp, a boat dock, restroom facilities, hiking trails and picnic areas. The park is a tranquil, wooded haven that attracts over 21,528 visitors every year. Among other uses, the most popular include boating, fishing, jogging, hiking, picnicking, biking and swimming. Bethel Park’s current residents include whitetail deer, Canadian geese, blue Herons, loons and numerous other species of wildlife.
Approximately one year ago, the YMCA of Greater Atlanta approached the Corps of Engineers seeking to lease Bethel Park for a period of 25-50 years. Approximately six months ago, the YMCA retained Altamira Design and Common Sense, Inc. to design a master plan for relocating the YMCA’s Camp High Harbor, currently located in Alabama, to Bethel Park. The official announcement of the YMCA’s intention to lease Bethel Park will be made in early April 2006.
While the YMCA has yet to release its plans, conversations with both the YMCA and the Corps of Engineers have revealed that Bethel Park will cease to exist as a public park. According to the YMCA, the YMCA intends to create a summer camp at Bethel Park. According to the master plan prepared for the YMCA, the facility will “provide overnight and day-use facilities for campers including, cabins, dining hall, active recreation areas, multi-purpose courts, outdoor amphitheaters and classrooms, hiking trials, archery range, and water sports for water skiing, sailing, canoe, kayak, and a beach area.” This camp will accommodate approximately 200-250 overnight campers during the summertime. The campers will arrive every Sunday, departing the following Saturday.
Current Users of Bethel Park will be excluded. The boat ramp will be closed and removed. All remaining facilities and hiking trails will essentially become the private property of the YMCA.
Everyone. Bethel Park was built with your tax dollars. We believe that everyone should be able to continue to enjoy Bethel Park as it has been for the past 40 years. Only the YMCA seeks to limit who can use Bethel Park.
Yes, Bethel Park can be saved. Forsyth County can lease Bethel Park and operate it as a county park open to all users.
As stated above, Bethel Park was created with your tax dollars. While, the Corps of Engineers admits that Bethel Park is used by 21,528 visitors who visit Bethel Park annually by automobile. This does not include the thousands more who visit Bethel Park on foot, bicycle and boat. Due to funding problems, the Corps of Engineers has already been forced to closed numerous facilities on Lake Sydney Lanier. In light of these closing, Bethel Park remains one of the few fee free public parks on Lake Sydney Lanier. Additionally, unanswered questions concerning sanitation, public safety, traffic and noise remain a concern to the community.
BY SIGNING THIS PETITION YOU AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING:
- YOU WANT TO KEEP BETHEL PARK PUBLIC.
- YOU DO NOT WANT THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO LEASE THE PARK TO THE YMCA OR ANY OTHER PRIVATE ENTITY.
- YOU WANT FORSYTH COUNTY AND/OR THE STATE TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF PARK AND KEEP IT PUBLIC SO EVERYONE CAN USE AND ENJOY IT.
Note: This Save Bethel Park petition was submitted by Friends Of Bethel Park. ThePetitionSite.com is a free service provided to help concerned citizens rally support for issues they believe in. The opinions expressed by this petition do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of ThePetitionSite.com or Care2.com. There is no express or implied endorsement of this petition nor any newsletter offers (except those from Care2.com) by Care2.com, Inc, ThePetitionSite.com, or our sponsors. If you believe this system is being abused, please contact customer support.
Questions about this petition? Contact the petition sponsor: Friends Of Bethel Park.
Questions about thePetitionSite.com? Visit our FAQ Page.