Petition Seeks To 'Save Big Creek Park' From Tennis Center

ROSWELL, GA — A petition has been created asking Roswell leaders to halt a proposal that would use a large chunk of Big Creek Park for a massive tennis facility. Amber Ream created the petition, "Save Big Creek Park from Krause Tennis Center Monstrosity," just hours after news broke that the city is considering a memorandum of understanding for the development of 60 acres off Old Alabama Road to accommodate a 135-court facility.

Ream notes in her petition that Roswell and surrounding cities "already have plenty of tennis facilities," and the proposal would wipe greenspace reserved for wildlife and multi-use trails to make way for the large-scale development.

"In a busy city, we need this beautiful, tranquil, escape from the city much more than we need even more tennis courts and traffic," she writes. "Tell Mayor Lori Henry and the Roswell City Council to save the Big Creek Park and say no to the Krause Tennis Center."

As of Friday, the petition had more than 6,000 signers, with a goal of reaching 7,500 backers. If approved, the $60 to 70 million Angela Krause Tennis, Pickleball and Fitness Center would break ground in 2019, develop in three phases, and include more than 80 clay courts when finished, which is more than double the number of clay courts currently available at any location around the country, the city of Roswell said.

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The facility would also feature traditional hard courts and grass courts, as well as a tournament-size, 24-court pickleball facility. The project being developed by Roswell residents Vernon and Marie Krause, in honor of their daughter, Angela Krause, who passed away at age 29 after battling ALK, a rare form of non-smokers lung cancer. She was diagnosed three days after giving birth to her son and passed away less than four months later in February 2015. Angela was an avid tennis player and member of UGA's club tennis team.

The Roswell Alpharetta Mountain Bike Organization, whose members use Big Creek Park for their sport, is also organizing its base to sign the petition and to attend the Monday, Aug. 13 City Council meeting when the memorandum of understanding for the project is expected to come up for a vote. RAMBO notes the tennis courts would eat away at more than half of the 95 acres of parkland.

"The impact could cause significant or total loss of hiking and biking trails at Big Creek Park," it said in a Facebook event created for the Aug. 13 meeting.

The Krause family's proposal is also gaining traction among residents and groups outside North Fulton County. Southern Off-Road Biking Association's Woodstock chapter is also sounding the alarm on the impact the development could have on Big Creek Park.

"Please sign this petition to help save Big Creek MTB trails in Roswell,"' SORBA Woodstock states on its Facebook page. "The City Council is voting on Monday to destroy 65 acres of green space that house the Big Creek trail system. This would be a detrimental blow to the local SORBA RAMBO MTB community and all hikers, walkers and nature enthusiasts that enjoy this greenspace land."

The Roswell City Council meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at City Hall at 38 Hill Street.

Rendering via city of Roswell