|
Fort Attaway Preservation Society January 8, 2007 Senator Jeff Mullis Representative Barbara
Massey-Reece Re: Impending
destruction of the economic value of Fort Attaway in Floyd County, Rome,
Georgia by Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT)
Project STP-017-3(45) Dear Senator Mullis and Representative Reece: This letter is our follow up to several references made to you about Fort Attaway by Raymond Evans of Chattanooga, Tennessee and Wright Gammon of Cedartown, Georgia. We know that all of our time is valuable, so below we have tried to explain the threat to Fort Attaway and the solution to this threat as efficiently as we possibly can. The above mentioned GDOT Project will severely damage the majestic look of the military face and the historic view shed of Fort Attaway for Civil War tourists as they first enter Rome from the north on the Hwy 27/Summerville Road corridor. The GDOT Project, potentially, will destroy many unknowns in this historic area, and it will severely damage Fort Attaway’s valuable potential to add to Rome’s tourism. The first impression for tourists, entering Rome from the north following the Chickamauga Campaign Heritage Trail, will be Fort Attaway. First impressions as you know are very important; help us to make the first impression to Rome’s Civil War tourists a great one; for the tourism economy of Rome, and for its ability to add to the tourism economy of Georgia. The GDOT Project plans are to build a new, visually and physically intrusive, railroad bridge over Hwy 27 thirty feet south of the old bridge, and then by re-aligning 2,000 feet of track will needlessly destroy Fort Attaway’s military face, and the many unknowns this historic property has yet to unveil. The new bridge provides a wider span for the additional lanes according to the GDOT. There is no reason this new bridge cannot be built in place today. Our goal is an aesthetically pleasing, majestic first impression for Rome’s potential Civil War tourists; meaning, the new bridge should look like it has not been replaced since the Civil War. We think this would be an addition to Rome’s tourism, a much wiser choice for the money, rather than the deletion to Rome’s image as the GDOT has planned. We would like to provide to you a small portion of the evidence we have gathered over the four and a half years we have been involved. Roll-in Construction, in 1983, was a viable option for the above mentioned GDOT Project (Old Project #F-017-3(36) or (45)). Roll-in Construction would eliminate the need to realign the 2,000 feet of railroad track and its huge cost. Additionally, the visual damage this new bridge will inflict on the value, and the economic potential of Fort Attaway, as well as Rome’s Civil War tourism, and their ability to tie to the Chickamauga Campaign Heritage Trail and ultimately the Civil War tourism economy of Georgia. (Please refer to our Timeline of GDOT Project Documents: Roll-in construction is discussed in the 3rd, 4th and 5th documents) The GDOT presupposed 100 feet of Right-of-Way (R/W) for the railroad at the base of Fort Attaway throughout the whole design of their project. They claimed to have done deed research in their Section 106 Environmental Review however they incorrectly used the presupposed 100 feet of railroad R/W throughout the entire Project’s Environmental Review process. Our February 18, 2003 “Rebuttal to AOE Addendum #2” was the first time we notified the GDOT of their error. Our meeting with the GDOT, DNR-HPD, and FHWA at the GDOT Environment/Location Office on September 15, 2003 was our second notification to the GDOT of their error. Our meeting with GDOT R/W, Pam Digsby, at our house on September 16, 2003 was our third notice to the GDOT of their error. We have had our deeds professionally researched. This research clearly shows, from 1890 until now, there is 50 feet of R/W for the railroad west of the Summerville Road and 25 feet of R/W for the railroad east of the Summerville Road. On August 21, 2006 the GDOT admitted in court (in reply to our June 30, 2006 Injunction) to the railroad R/W being only 50 feet. The location of the Summerville Road in 1890 is yet to be determined, and this will result, in our opinion, the railroad R/W actually being 25 feet in the Project’s area. The 50ft R/W brings Fort Attaway’s boundary into the Project’s “Area of Potential Effects” having “Adverse Physical Effects” and since Federal funds are involved, this brings in the Federal law of Section 4(f). Federal law states the Federal Highways Administration must not approve any use of historic lands for transportation projects. We have included the sources to where the Historic Preservation Laws and Regulations can be found; this sheet of information can be found in front of our Timeline of GDOT Project Documents. We believe the saving of Fort Attaway will be the catalyst for propelling the City of Rome’s involvement, as Rome’s history has so much to offer to Georgia’s Civil War tourism industry and economy. Labeled by Union General Jefferson C. Davis as “the strongest fortified place I have seen in Dixie,” Rome’s fortifications, rivers and foundries make it a very interesting part of Georgia’s Civil War history. Its fortifications, at different times of the War, were built and occupied by both Confederate and Union troops, and part of these Union troops were the 44th US Colored Infantry making Black History another facet to Rome’s tourism potential. To fully appreciate Fort Attaway’s Earthwork Fortifications walking its grounds here at winter time will give you the sole reason why my wife and I have fought so hard for so long to save it. Again, we realize all too well how everyone’s time here is valuable, and so to conclude, the GDOT Project will severely damage the majestic look of Fort Attaway’s military face and add a visually intrusive bridge to the historic view shed. As shown in 1983, Roll-in construction is a very viable option for the replacement of the old bridge; this would leave Fort Attaway intact. Our goal is to present an excellent first impression to Civil War tourists, as they come into Rome from the north on the Chickamauga Campaign Heritage Trail, with Fort Attaway’s majestic military face intact and a bridge that looks authentic to the Civil War time period. Fort Attaway and Rome have great potential to add to the value of Georgia’s tourism economy. Senator Mullis and Representative Reece, we appreciate your time and efforts, if we can be further assistance to you please E-mail at f_marlin@bellsouth.net or call our home at 706-234-0537 or our cell at 706-506-0237 anytime day or night.
Serving
only my history, my heritage and my heart, David M. Fowler, Jr. Encl. Cc. Bennett, John – City Manager of Rome, Georgia Callan, Robert M, Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration Childers, Buddy – Georgia State Representative Culpepper, John – City Manager of Chickamauga, GA; Chair GA Civil War Commission Dempsey, Katie – Georgia State Representative Doss, David – GDOT Board Chairman Evans, E. Raymond – River City Research Group Gingrey, Phil – Congressman, 11th District of Georgia Hodge, Al – President/CEO, Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce Klima, Don – Director, Advisory Council of Historic Preservation Matthews-Snyder, Janet – Keeper of the National Register of Historic Preservation Mayes, John – Chairman, Floyd County Commission Noth, Pierre-Rene, Editorial Page Editor, Rome News Tribune Perdue, Sonny – Governor of Georgia Smith, Paul – Georgia State Representative (ret.) Smith, Preston – Georgia State Senator Thomason, James – Chief Counsel FHWA
|
Produced by:
Fort Attaway Preservation Society, Inc.
1202 Desoto Avenue, Rome, GA 30165 (706)234-0537
f_marlin@bellsouth.net