FLOWERY BRANCH -- The Flowery Branch City Council has voted to apply for a state grant that will help them pay to re-pave several roads surrounding the recently-completed Lights Ferry Road roundabout.
Flowery Branch City Manager Bill Andrew said the city is planning to pave stretches of Pine Street, Gainesville Street, Lights Ferry Road, Church Street and Mulberry Street, which he said will cost the city about $212,000.
Andrew said the state can give them over $60,000 towards the repaving with a Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant, which the council voted unanimously to apply for. To get the grant Flowery Branch would have to also put in at least 30 percent of what the grant was worth to the project, which Andrew said the city will easily match.
"It's actually not a lot of money, we get about $62,000," Andrew said. "So we'd be required to put in a minimum of $18,000 but then we're looking to spend, based on our Capital Improvement Plan, $149,000."
City Finance Director Jeremy Perry said the city had enough money to cover the remaining cost. Andrew said the city will ask Hall County Public Works and Utilities to pay for some of the paving, because the county covers portions of road that interrupt the city-maintained roads.
"Without them paving that, you would have new pavement, old pavement, new pavement, old pavement," Andrew said. "We're having a meeting with the county next week to kind of assess what they feel they can do with that."
The re-paving is meant to spruce up the roads leading to the Lights Ferry Road roundabout that was recently completed. Mayor Mike Miller said the roundabout has drawn a lot of praise from residents and visitors.
"It's amazing how many people come through here on their way to the marina or Fish Tails or wherever who are noticing and appreciating the roundabout," Miller said. "It's amazing how much of a regional attraction this little corner up here is."
Andrew said the re-paving should be done some time in Spring of 2017.
