PERRY - The state has agreed to pay $2.4 million to several Houston County land owners for a new state park. <br>
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Henry Andel and his family agreed to sell about 780 acres, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and Houston County State Court Judge Bob Richardson will sell another 100 acres for the park. <br>
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Paul Michael, head of the department's real estate office, did not disclose how much Andel and Richardson received, citing DNR policy. <br>
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The state legislature had set aside about $3.8 million for the park last year. <br>
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Burt Weerts, director of the state parks division, said the state will likely spend as much as $20 million on land and projects for the park, including creating a 250-acre lake. <br>
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The DNR board must approve the purchase when it meets in December. <br>
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Officials said the park could sprawl over as many as 1,200 acres between Interstate 75 and U.S. Highway 41. <br>
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The state is negotiating to lease or buy land from the Weyerhaeuser Co., a lumber and paper company that owns hundreds of acres on the prospective property.
