13 miles of roads slated for repaving
By Winston Jones/Photo by Stephen M. Barrett
Douglas County Board of Commissioners (BOC) this week gave its approval to about $433,000 in state Local Assistance Road Paving (LARP) funds to resurface about 13 miles of county roadways.
Douglas County Board of Commissioners (BOC) this week gave its approval to about $433,000 in state Local Assistance Road Paving (LARP) funds to resurface about 13 miles of county roadways.
The county LARP projects are part of the $60 million statewide program announced earlier this year by Gov. Sonny Perdue.
`These are only a part of overall road resurfacing money coming to the county this year,` said Randy Hulsey, county Department of Transportation (DOT) director.
`The county will combine all the funds, state and local, and bid the projects out as one package.`
In Perdue’s announcement of the LARP projects, he said, `Local roads account for nearly 84 percent of the state’s entire road system.
Improving the local roads will lead to greater economic prosperity and ultimately a better quality of life.`
Each Georgia county prioritizes its road needs each year and submits a list to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). The LARP projects are selected from these lists.
Industrial rezoning approved
By Winston Jones
A request for industrial rezoning at Summer Lake Road and Riverside Parkway won approval Tuesday night, but a Simon Road subdivision was turned down.
The action came at the 6 p.m. joint meeting of the Douglas County Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Board and the Douglas County Board of Commissioners (BOC).
IDI won approval for rezoning of 174.9 acres at the intersection of Summer Lake Road and Riverside Parkway from R-A (residential-agriculture) to L-I (light industrial). IDI plans to develop the land for industrial wareho
About five people who live in a residential area near the development spoke against it. Thelma M. Willis, president of the Summer Lake Community Club, voiced concern about traffic congestion.
`This will create a traffic nightmare,` Willis said, `and a problem for working people getting in and out in the morning and afternoon.`
She gave the boards a list of suggestions for improvements including speed limit reductions, signs preventing truck traffic into residential areas, turn lanes and security lighting.
The P&Z Board voted against the recommended rezoning by a 4-2 vote, but the BOC went against the P&Z recommendation, voting 4-1 to allow the rezoning.
Only District 3 Commissioner Mike Mulcare voted against the rezoning.
However, a request by Simon Road Development Inc. to rezone 64.89 acres on Bomar and Simon roads from R-LD (low density residential) to R-MD (medium density residential) failed to pass either board.
The developers want to build a 156-lot single family residential subdivision.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Planning & Zoning Meeting April 4
The first item on the agenda has a lot of controversy attached to it. The developer wants to build a warehouse in a residential area. There were several people who opposed the warehouse and are afraid the eighteen wheelers will cause noise and traffic pollution. There is a subdivision on Summer Lake Road and the residents of that subdivision are afraid the trucks will come into their area in order to turn around in the culdesac. The developer was asked if there are any houses around the entrance to the spine road. The developer said no. Several people in the audience shouted out that there were and the developer admitted there was one. The warehouse will be near Sweetwater State Park. Discussion on this development went on past seven o'clock. Residents also want the speed limit lowered and security lights installed. The speed limit residents want is 15mph. Randy Hulsey, Douglas DOT, said the law says the speed limit cannot be below 25mph. A motion was made to approve the rezoning and there was a second. The motion was denied 4-2 on the planning board. Claude Abercrombie made a motion to approve and there was a second. The rezoning was approved.
The second item on the agenda was the 156 lot subdivision. The applicant has not agreed to several of the conditions the county wanted to impose, including making most of the homes brick. The subdivision will be 65 acres, and there is another subdivision already nearby with 95 acres and 188 homes. One third of the homes will be below 2,500 square feet. Prices will start at $180,000. Stipulations--no more than 156 homes. All will be two story homes with only brick on the front and sides. No split foyers. No vinyl siding. Staggered front elevations. Covered front porches or covered front door entryways. At this point Tom Worthan asked him to read only the new changes. There will now be an open air clubhouse instead of a closed clubhouse--3,000 square feet. The DOT wanted a traffic analysis for the area so required improvements would be made. The developer does not want to pay the entire amount of the improvements. The P&Z board asked for people opposing the development. Sadly, no one came up to oppose the development. The school board rep said the three nearby schools were all overcrowded. Chapel Hill Middle School has twice the number of students allowed for the school. Chapel Hill High School has 200 more students than the school was originally designed for and has mobile trailers as well. Chapel Hill Elementary School is currently underway and cost $14 million to build. The new development would cause an increase of 30% more population to nearby schools. Joe Fowler was quick to reply that there was a new elementary school underway. Fowler says the development is a year away from construction of homes and claims the overcrowding would not be a problem. The school rep on the P&Z board did not agree and says the new elementary school will be overcrowded as well. One of the P&Z members says Simon Road is in "pretty bad shape." Randy Hulsey says there is a lot of traffic around Annawakee Road and Bomar Road and have no traffic data on these roads. The county does not know the cost of the road improvements that might have to be installed or even what the improvements might be. Hulsey says a study could be done in 45 days. Joe Fowler says it would make good sense for the planning board and commission to do a traffic study and table the rezoning until next month. A motion was made to deny the rezoning. There was a second. The motion of denial then went to the BOC, who made a motion to deny, had a second, and then made comments. The major issue brought up was overcrowding of schools. The rezoning was denied. The meeting was adjourned.
The second item on the agenda was the 156 lot subdivision. The applicant has not agreed to several of the conditions the county wanted to impose, including making most of the homes brick. The subdivision will be 65 acres, and there is another subdivision already nearby with 95 acres and 188 homes. One third of the homes will be below 2,500 square feet. Prices will start at $180,000. Stipulations--no more than 156 homes. All will be two story homes with only brick on the front and sides. No split foyers. No vinyl siding. Staggered front elevations. Covered front porches or covered front door entryways. At this point Tom Worthan asked him to read only the new changes. There will now be an open air clubhouse instead of a closed clubhouse--3,000 square feet. The DOT wanted a traffic analysis for the area so required improvements would be made. The developer does not want to pay the entire amount of the improvements. The P&Z board asked for people opposing the development. Sadly, no one came up to oppose the development. The school board rep said the three nearby schools were all overcrowded. Chapel Hill Middle School has twice the number of students allowed for the school. Chapel Hill High School has 200 more students than the school was originally designed for and has mobile trailers as well. Chapel Hill Elementary School is currently underway and cost $14 million to build. The new development would cause an increase of 30% more population to nearby schools. Joe Fowler was quick to reply that there was a new elementary school underway. Fowler says the development is a year away from construction of homes and claims the overcrowding would not be a problem. The school rep on the P&Z board did not agree and says the new elementary school will be overcrowded as well. One of the P&Z members says Simon Road is in "pretty bad shape." Randy Hulsey says there is a lot of traffic around Annawakee Road and Bomar Road and have no traffic data on these roads. The county does not know the cost of the road improvements that might have to be installed or even what the improvements might be. Hulsey says a study could be done in 45 days. Joe Fowler says it would make good sense for the planning board and commission to do a traffic study and table the rezoning until next month. A motion was made to deny the rezoning. There was a second. The motion of denial then went to the BOC, who made a motion to deny, had a second, and then made comments. The major issue brought up was overcrowding of schools. The rezoning was denied. The meeting was adjourned.
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