Proposal from Macon leaders could help clear major hurdle in Ocmulgee park expansion

A federal bill that could help pave the way for a large-scale expansion of the Ocmulgee National Monument has stalled in the U.S. Senate.

And time is running out to get the bill approved before the current legislative session ends in several weeks, which could lead to another delay for the most extensive expansion since the park opened in 1936.

A Macon-Bibb County resolution, however, may resolve the latest hold up by saying the county could help tear down roughly 10 properties located on part of the national park’s expansion.

U.S. Sens. David Perdue and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) have sought to expedite the bill through the Senate, but at least one senator has objected to how it is crafted, Mayor Robert Reichert said this week.

The bill would allow work to begin on growing the park from 702 acres to roughly 2,800 acres.

“They asked for unanimous consent but a senator (James Lankford) from Oklahoma refused,” Reichert said. “He has indicated his reservation about the bill costing the federal government additional expense because there are blighted structures on part of the property that would be included in the boundary expansion.”

That’s led to a resolution proposed by Reichert that says in support of the expansion, Macon-Bibb County intends to cover the expenses to demolish the structures.

The language in the resolution, which is on Tuesday’s commission agenda, does not obligate the county to spend any money or say where it would come from, although a potential source could be blight bond funds.

“It doesn’t obligate us to take down all of these structures ... How we get the money would be a matter for us to decide as a commission,” Reichert said.

There’s also no breakdown of how much it would cost to knock down each of the 10 or so buildings. But it has cost the county an average of $16,000 per property to demolish structures over the last year, County Commissioner Virgil Watkins said.

If the legislative hurdle is cleared, that could allow negotiations with property owners to begin as private money is raised to acquire the land. Spearheading the fundraising charge for what could be a $3 million-$4 million effort would likely be the Ocmulgee National Park & Preserve Initiative, park superintendent Jim David said.

There’s some déjà vu harkening back to when efforts were underway to establish the park.

“This is the exact thing that happened back in 1934 when the first bill was passed by Congress to authorize the park,” David said. “At that point they talked about a 2,000 acre park but no federal fund could be used. That was in the middle of the Great Depression. Still the local groups worked together to acquire the initial 678 acres.”

The federal legislation would not only allow the expansion of the boundary of the park but also change the name to Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park to increase name recognition.

There could also be a three-year study examining the feasibility of a further expansion, historic preservation and exploring more recreational opportunities.