DeKalb eyes historic land for parks
By April Hunt, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A controversial deal for DeKalb County to buy a developer’s land has ended with a lower price for a proposed park — and the possibility of even more green space in the mostly developed central part of the county.
County commissioners agreed last week to pay Rich Porter $1.83 million for the 6-acre lot off LaVista Road — about 6 percent lower than the original negotiated price.
The rumpus over the price, and resulting attention from residents, also brought out Edward Nelms Jr. He has proposed the county buy his family’s 17 acres of land about a mile east on LaVista, near Pangborn Road, for more park space.
Both the Nelms and Porter properties were farms in a historic African-American enclave in the area, according to the DeKalb History Center.
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