GAINESVILLE – Gainesville city leaders approved a couple of traffic adjustments Thursday morning at the City Council work session, and will vote on a third at their voting meeting on Tuesday.
An additional “traffic calming” device will be added to Davis Street, midway between the raised pedestrian crosswalk at the Good News Community Shelter and Davis Street’s intersection with Dorsey Street.
Transportation Engineering Coordinator Rhonda Brady told council members, “It’s a rubberized speed-hump…it can be taken up for resurfacing…and it’s about half the cost.”
The second traffic change Brady mentioned is coming to Hillcrest Avenue, and has drawn resident reaction in recent weeks.
“Everybody knows the history with the situation of having emergency vehicles and solid waste vehicles not being able to get through,” Brady began.
Brady said a department study recommended the street become one-way with parking allowed only on one side of the street.
“We sent a letter to residents on the street and we got back a lot of negative comments, so we re-evaluated,” she said.
Brady said the new plan is to install signs reading, “Do Not Block Street”. That will allow police to enforce reasonable means of access and egress on a consistent basis, effectively leaving the situation in the hands of the residents who park along the road.
But what about in an emergency? Public Works Director David Dockery said, “The Fire Department can move the vehicles.”
The third traffic adjustment under consideration involves Dyer Street, a one-block-long connector between Ridgewood Avenue and North Avenue, two blocks east of Green Street.
This adjustment will require an ordinance change and a vote of approval at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Dyer Street also has a history, like Hillcrest, of obstructing traffic flow when vehicles park on either side of the narrow roadway.
The ordinance change would make Dyer a one-way street from Ridgewood to North Avenue. Parking would only be allowed on the east side of the roadway.
Brady said property owners along Dyer notified by mail did not object to the planned change.
ELECTION QUALIFYING
The City of Gainesville has set qualifying dates for persons interested in running for the City Council and the City School Board.
City Clerk Denise Jordan informed council members Thursday morning at their work session that state law sets the week for qualifying, but allows jurisdictions to determine whether they will use three, four or all five of the approved dates.
“It has to be at least three consecutive days. Historically you have chosen…Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday,” She explained. Council agreed the pattern has worked well in the past.
Individuals interested in running for City Council Wards 2, 3 and 5, or the Gainesville City School Board must qualify between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. from August 31 to September 2. Offices will close each day for lunch from noon to 1 p.m.
Qualifying packets are available at the Mayor’s Office, 300 Henry Ward Way, Suite 303. Once website construction is completed, information will be available at the City’s website, as well.
NEW CATHOLIC CHURCH UPDATE
City Planning Manager Matt Tate told council members that following no comments in opposition the Gainesville Planning and Appeals Board unanimously recommended rezoning approval of two adjacent parcels of land, totaling 19.132-acres, on Gainesville's west side for a church campus.
Tate said the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta has agreed to all conditions related to the rezoning approval on the former site of a golf-driving range just off Browns Bridge Road at Cherry Hill Drive.
The first public hearing on the rezoning request will take place at Tuesday evening's voting session at the Public Safety Complex on Queen City Parkway.
