HOMER — The Banks County Commission will expend roughly $250,000 to purchase eight parcels needed for right-of-way for a road improvement project in the Banks Crossing area near Interstate 85.
Following closed session Tuesday night, the commission voted unanimously to pursue the purchase, with $200,000 coming from a designated timber fund and the remaining $50,000 to $60,000 coming from the county's 2012 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax collections.
"It's an ongoing project," said Commission Chairman Jimmy Hooper. "It's the Faulker Road intersection at I-85. It's a joint effort between us and the Department of Transportation. Our in-kind work was to get the right-of-way, and that's the process we approved tonight to do."
Recently, the county commission has held numerous discussions about improving the safety for motorists in the Banks Crossing area. Additionally, county leaders have discussed plans for a future civic center-style facility to serve both county residents and visitors, likely in the Banks Crossing area.
For now, however, county leaders want do to their part so GDOT can get to work when its officials are ready.
"We get the feeling GDOT's ready to go to work and we want to be able to have in January, to be shovel ready," Hooper said.
Hooper said the project is for safety and economic development.
"It all falls into Gov. Deal's master plan to improve the roads, and also for economic development in the county," Hooper said. "It will be a great economic impact on our little county — especially when we get Eisenhower [Boulevard] completed, which will be a project we hope will come in kind of simultaneously with the Faulkner Road construction."
