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Committee approves bill allowing City of Atlanta to transfer small park parcel to Atlanta Public Schools
Summary
The House Committee on Intergovernmental Coordination voted to pass a substitute of SB 252 to allow the City of Atlanta to transfer a small parcel next to Hope Hill Elementary to Atlanta Public Schools in a no-loss land swap, with a prohibition on net loss of municipal park acreage.
Senator Halperin, sponsor: "SB 252 is a pretty simple bill ... it simply allows the city of Atlanta to transfer a piece of property over to Atlanta public schools," told the House Committee on Intergovernmental Coordination during a morning hearing.
The committee voted to pass the substitute for SB 252, which would let the City of Atlanta convey a parcel adjacent to Hope Hill Elementary School to Atlanta Public Schools for use as a fenced play area, provided the transfer is part of a no-loss land-swap that does not reduce the municipality's total park acreage.
Why it matters: The substitute narrows the authorized transfers by adding that conveyed property must be used by the school system for educational purposes and includes explicit language that "at no point in time shall the cumulative impact of such conveyances result in a decrease or net loss of park acreage owned by the municipality," language the bill sponsor read into the record.
Details and actions: Senator Halperin described the measure as a general bill needed because state code limits certain conveyances by cities with populations over 300,000. The parcel in question sits next to Hope Hill Elementary and was described as an existing tricycle park that Atlanta Public Schools wants to fence and use as a play area. Erica Long of Atlanta Public Schools appeared in support during the committee hearing.
Representative Matheak moved that the substitute be given a "do pass" recommendation; the motion was seconded and approved by the committee on a voice vote. The committee did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript.
The bill includes an LC number (LC443164S) for the substitute the sponsor read for the record.
The committee discussion was brief and focused on local use and the no-net-loss park language. No statutory citation beyond the general reference to a municipal conveyance restriction for cities with populations above 300,000 was offered in committee testimony.
Next steps: The committee transmitted the substitute with a favorable recommendation; further committee or chamber action and any final terms will appear in later filings.
