ATLANTA — The park near the site of a planned police training center has been cleared but will remain closed until further notice per the executive order signed by DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond last week.
DeKalb County Communications Manager Andrew Cauthen said officers from multiple agencies cleared Intrenchment Creek Park of traps and trespassers and continue to patrol the area. The DeKalb County Police Department led the operation that started Monday. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Atlanta Police, Sandy Springs Police, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia State Patrol joined the effort. DeKalb County Police Chief Mirtha Ramos said the goal was to clear the area of anyone there “unlawfully” and give them the option to leave voluntarily or be arrested.
On Monday, officers encountered five people, three who left voluntarily and two who were arrested, officials said. One vehicle was towed. Cauthen said no additional arrests have been made since Monday. The GBI charged one person with criminal trespass and another with obstruction of law enforcement officers. Both are from Ohio and were released on Tuesday from DeKalb County jail.
The operation began on a private property at the former South River trailhead, adjacent to Intrenchment Creek Park, and is part of a land swap between DeKalb County and Blackhall Real Estate Phase II, LLC. The property is also part of a lawsuit filed in DeKalb County by South River Watershed Alliance, South River Forest Coalition and others seeking to reverse a 2021 land swap between the county and Ryan Millsap, the founder of Blackhall Studios.
Thurmond said last week he doesn’t expect any legal challenges to his executive order.
The county signed a right-of-entry agreement with Millsap on Sunday giving the county temporary vehicular and pedestrian access to the property “for the primary purpose of keeping trespassers and any unauthorized persons off of the adjoining property owned by the county,” according to the agreement. The agreement allows the county to install concrete, barricades and no trespassing signs, remove debris and unauthorized structures, fixtures and other objects, as well as aerial and ground monitoring of the property with drones or other equipment.
On Monday, county officials placed a sign at the entrance of the property stating it was closed and anyone who entered would face prosecution for trespassing. Cauthen said officials have been able to placed all the necessary signage and barriers around the Intrenchment Creek Park area announcing the closure of the park until further notice.
The term of the agreement is of one year but can be terminated by either party on 30 days' written notice, according to the agreement.
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