Mary Scott Nature Preserve: Who and How (2003)

Originally published in the Community Review Newspaper (later The Story Newspapers)
--November 13, 2003


Hawthorne Area Greenspace Invokes Northlake Park Network
By Tom Doolittle

Nearly eleven (11) acres of undeveloped land that divides the Brookdale Park and Flair Forest Subdivisions, near the intersection of Briarcliff and Shallowford Roads, has been owned by DeKalb County for about six months and cleanup activities began last week by the Parks Department. The property belonged to the Arthur M. Armstrong family has been uninhabited since 1988, says Art Armstrong, who inherited it from his mother, Mary. The Armstrongs refused to sell to developers in the 1960s, leaving the site enviably tucked into a very large neighborhood. Northlake subdivisions grew up around the Armstrongs, many with “natural” areas like nearby Lake Flair parceled out to private owners and miles of lowlands that have been youth havens for decades. “This land (Armstrong’s) fills a void in the park system—a big factor in pursuing it”, said Tina Arbes, DeKalb’s Assistant Administrator in charge of the Parks/Greenspace Bond Program. (See http://dekalbgreenspace.com for a map of property acquisitions, including an expansion to Henderson Park and a “Creek/Trail” acquisition on Barkside Court near Embry Hills.)

Arthur M. Armstrong, the son of Arthur Hammond Armstrong (memorialized Georgia Tech Athletics Director), was an English teacher and track coach at Druid Hills High School until around 1970, after returning from the Pacific Theater in WWII. Mr. Armstrong modified a former hunting shelter into a house and carved a quarter-mile dirt entrance drive off of Briarcliff Road. Young Art Armstrong was raised there, born in 1945, attending the original Tucker Elementary school before shifting to a “new” Oak Grove School in 7th grade and was a member of (former) Briarcliff High School’s first graduating class. The area means a lot to Art Armstrong and his boyhood home means even more.

“The last thing that spot needs are a bunch of new zero lot-line homes”, Armstrong says. “What it does need, is a place where a large neighborhood can congregate and relax. People have always had to get in their cars and go a ways to find a park.” Nearly 600 homes make up Flair Forest, Brookdale Park and Briarmoor Manor, the primary feeders to Hawthorne Neighborhood School, another recreation site. All have access to the Armstrong property on connected subdivision streets. Safe crossings on Briarcliff and Shallowford could afford half-mile access to 2000 households. Unrelated and not widely discussed, the DeKalb’s Trail Master Plan includes a North Fork Peachtree Creek Trail nearby, which would connect Shallowford Road with Mercer University and other individual local greenway initiatives.


Local Advocacy: Alliances and Coalitions Get Attention

“I had already been talking to members of Shallowford Presbyterian Church. They wanted to preserve the area behind them, but didn’t have the money”, Armstrong added. Some homeowners, including members of Flair Forest Garden Club and Hawthorne Civic Association, submitted an official “property nomination”, to be considered for county recognition by the County Greenspace program. The locals then combined forces with the church to advocate for a public purchase, ultimately gaining County Commissioner Gail Walldorff’s support. Armstrong’s for sale sign came down in the spring—the preservation idea had teeth. “We were fortunate to work with a land owner that was sympathetic (to the goals of the greenspace program) and to have several groups come forward”, says Administrator Arbes. The land was purchase for $2.12 million with, about 40% paid for with county funds—with contributions from the Georgia Greenspace Program and Blank Foundation.


Greenspace or Park?

Dave Butler is DeKalb’s Greenspace Environment Manager. Distinguishing greenspace from parks, he says “the goal of preserving greenspace is ultimately to improve water quality”. Until eight months ago, Butler was head of the South Peachtree Creek Nature Preserve, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that sub-leases low lying land from the county. Butler says the future of each new greenspace will be driven by locals. He says the decision has already been made to name the former Armstrong property “Mary-Scott” after Art Armstrong’s mother and her lifetime friend Scott Brown, but will it be called a “Park” or “Natural Area”?

Beth Nathan is a member of the Flair Forest Garden Club and also on the Board of Hawthorne Civic Association. Nathan understands the value of neighborhood advocacy in communicating with a land owner, county officials and other nearby partners, like churches (in the Armstrong case). She says, “the County is open to suggestions (as to property use) and I understand that people will be able to walk into (the property), but not drive in.” Nathan included some information about the County purchase in a Labor Day Garden Club newsletter. “I also tried to include something in the Hawthorne Civic Association annual meeting newsletter, but there wasn’t enough space”, she said.

While speaking with Butler, I overheard a site manager on a walky-talky confirming his instructions to clean up the remains of the Armstrong home, crushed by falling trees long ago. The chimney will be left standing for posterity.