CLARKESVILLE — The Habersham County Commission on Wednesday approved documents that will allow the airport taxiway extension to proceed.
During a 2:30 p.m. called meeting, commissioners approved amendments to the Phase 1 parallel taxiway contract for the required stream mitigation credits for the Phase II taxiway extension.
Chairwoman Natalie Crawford was authorized to sign all future related documents.
As a result of the parallel taxiway project, 2,016.3 linear feet of stream will be impacted, meaning a total of 11,840.427 mitigation credits must be purchased for $44.95 each, totaling $532,227.19.
Habersham County will receive a check from the Department of Transportation for $543,463.16, meaning the county will be able to apply $11,235.97 back to the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax account as a result of reimbursements, County Manager Phil Sutton explained during the brief meeting.
In July 2015, the county submitted an application permit to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Phase 2 taxiway project, but only recently received the permit.
Because the Phase 1 taxiway project finished about $200,000 under budget, the DOT is providing a contract amendment/supplemental agreement for the Phase 1 contract rather than a new contract, which will allow the use of the $200,000 toward purchase of the credits.
Sutton estimates the next phase of the parallel taxiway construction will be completed within the next year.
