FLOWERY BRANCH -- The Flowery Branch City Council voted unanimously at their meeting Thursday evening to increase their budget to re-pave a series of roads near the downtown area.
City Finance Director Jeremy Perry said the city would need an additional $119,000 to be allocated to the project, which will cover four different roads making up just over a mile of total roadway. Those roads include Lights Ferry Road, Gainesville Street, Mitchell Street and Mulberry Street.
The city has been looking to refurbish the roads as they continue to spruce up the downtown area, particularly the roads surrounding and leading into the recently-completed Lights Ferry roundabout. Perry said that city officials also decided against re-paving two roads near the upcoming city hall.
"Once myself and the city manager (Bill Andrew) thought about it, it's really no use in re-paving Pine Street and Church Street," Perry said. "Because Pine Street is going from Church Street up to Gainesville Street and it's going to be part of this project with the city hall."
The work would be completed in 2017 and City Manager Bill Andrew said the city may take further looks at the narrow Gainesville Street once paving is finished.
"While it doesn't have a lot of heavy traffic flow, it did sustain quite a bit of damage during that (Lights Ferry roundabout) project," Andrew said.
Multiple council members mentioned that widening the one-way road may be discussed in the future.
City looks to help churches with storm water problems
The council also unanimously voted to begin surveying and designing possible treater fixes on Mulberry Street, where two churches have complained about damage from storm water running into their doorways.
Andrew said while there is a storm water line running under that road, there is currently no way for the water on that street to get into the system. He said Southeast Engineering had offered to install drain and gutter systems on the road for about $45,000. The council voted to pay Southeast $11,000 to survey the area and present a design and price quote to the city.
The project comes after the city recently voted to renovate storm water facilities around the site of the upcoming city hall.
