CLARKESVILLE — A downtown Clarkesville parking lot soon will have a new appearance and will be more environmentally friendly.
Following a catastrophic fire on the east side of the Clarkesville Square in March 2014, and the completion of the rebuilding of damaged and destroyed buildings last year, the parking lot behind that side of the square has been the remaining portion of work to be done.
City officials closed that parking lot, located at the corner of East Water Street and Bridge Street, on Monday and it will remain closed until work is completed in about a month.
“This is the parking lot that is where the Sweet Breads restaurant used to be,” said City Manager Barbara Kesler. “It’s behind Your Pie and behind Rahab’s Rope and, while some work has been done up there, what we have been working toward as a whole concept for that area is several different stormwater best management practices for the lot.”
City leaders have worked in partnership with the Soque River Watershed Association on the project, to minimize runoff from rebuilding effort.
“Some of the funds that we’ll be getting to help finish those best management practices are coming from the federal 319 Grant,” Kesler said. “The city has been working in conjunction with the watershed association for over a decade on those type grants and partnerships.”
The parking lot, which slopes from the back of the buildings on the square down to Bridge Street, includes about two dozen parking spaces.
“There will be basically three different best management practice areas located in the parking lot,” Kesler said. “There will be some permeable pavers up at the top level of the parking lot. Then the lower part that slopes down toward the street will have permeable concrete on it. Then there’s also some grass area around the edges and also up at the top — all designed to handle stormwater coming off of the development and the redevelopment of the historic buildings that we just finished on the square.”
Kesler said there also will be drainage infrastructure located underneath the permeable surfaces.
The parking lot redevelopment will include signs, making it a sort of outdoor classroom for water stewardship and stormwater best management practices, according to Kesler.
Work is supposed to take about four weeks, weather permitting, but could be slowed by heavy rainfall.
