Sandy Springs residents could get a 1.6-mile riverside trail extension if the City Council approves a grant application on Oct. 6.

The vote concerns Springway Trail Segment 2C, which would run from Morgan Falls Overlook Park east along a Chattahoochee River tributary to Roswell Road. The project carries an estimated $13.9 million price tag. The city has already set aside $5 million in its capital budget as a local match, according to Rough Draft Atlanta.

This is the city's second attempt at grant funding for the segment. In early 2025, Sandy Springs applied for a Georgia Department of Natural Resources grant through the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program to cover roughly half the cost. That grant was rescinded amid federal budget cuts. The specific grant program the city plans to apply for this time has not been publicly identified.

The trail would wind through mature forest, past rock outcroppings and waterfalls, before connecting to Adair Lane and continuing to Grogan's Ferry Road. When completed, the segment would nearly double the Morgan Falls loop from 1.8 miles to about 3.4 miles. That moves the city closer to its long-term goal of a continuous 5.6-mile loop around the park.

The Sandy Springs Conservancy, which partners with city staff, the PATH Foundation and trail design firm Kaizen Collaborative on the project, reported in its August newsletter that the overall design is 60% complete. Geotechnical preparation and stakeholder coordination for right-of-way agreements are underway.

John Maximuk, executive director of the Sandy Springs Conservancy, pitched the project at the Aug. 29 Farmers Market Family Fun Day at City Springs. The Conservancy is urging supporters to contact their council members before the vote.

Not everyone is on board.

Grogan's Bluff Homeowners Association leaders have raised concerns about the trail's terminus near their 126-acre protected neighborhood. The trail would run through buffer and setback areas belonging to several apartment complexes before reaching Grogan's Bluff. The HOA has expressed support for other nearby sidewalk projects instead. Specific details of the HOA's objections have not been made public.

The first completed segment of the Springway Trail, a 1.88-mile stretch connecting Morgan Falls Overlook Park to Roswell Road via a boardwalk over Orkin Lake, opened in May 2025 at a cost of $8.5 million. At that ribbon-cutting, Mayor Rusty Paul called it "a major step forward in connecting people, parks, and neighborhoods right here in Sandy Springs," according to the city.

The council meeting is the next scheduled opportunity for residents to weigh in. The Conservancy has asked supporters to contact council members directly, and no separate public hearing has been announced.