On Saturday, September 25th at 10:00 a.m, the City of Smyrna will have a dedication ceremony for the new North Cooper Lake Park & Community Garden.
Located at 4201 N. Cooper Lake Road, Smyrna Georgia 30082, the new passive park features walking and bike trails, an open meadow and the first official City of Smyrna Community Garden.
The new passive park features a paved walking trail loop, 2/3 mile intermediate level off-road bike trail, an open meadow and the first official City of Smyrna Community Garden. 
The park is a 52-acre wooded site, part of which was an inert landfill. The first phase of development was made possible through Parks Bond Referendum funding. (The 2005 referendum yielded $22 million for new park development, existing park rehab, and park land acquisition. Nearly $6 million in funds from other sources were added for a total of $28 million in park growth and improvement.)
The first official City of Smyrna Community Garden is managed through the Keep Smyrna Beautiful program and a group of dedicated community volunteers who make up the steering committee. The Garden is fenced with an 8-foot chain-link fence that was paid for with a $10,000 grant to Keep Smyrna Beautiful from United Parcel Service of America, Inc. (UPS). With the help of IBM volunteers, raised beds were constructed from cedar lumber.
The steering committee of volunteers who signed up at the public meeting in March have met weekly to discuss rules, fees, and soil as well as amenities for the garden and how to find funding.
Smyrna resident and landscape architect Sean Murphy, who designed the new community garden in Suwannee, donated design services, renderings and technical advice. Strict organic gardening is not required, but an area will be reserved for those who are interested. The Garden is starting with 59 plots of four different sizes as Phase I.
For information about availability and pricing, please contact Keep Smyrna Beautiful at 770-431-2863 or email akirk@ci.smyrna.ga.us.
[where: 30082]