Hall County Commissioners approved an application for a grant for Healan's-Head's Mill at a work session this past Monday.
The grant, through the National Park Service's Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program, would help the county develop the area around the mill into trails and a park, which is part of the county's four step plan.
"This grant... we would be receiving some support to help design and look at the overall acreage, look at the land, the way it lays and more technical support on helping us, as a county, design trails for our park and the land that we recently acquired through the Appalachian Regional Commission." said Marty Nix, assistant county manager.
Restoration efforts began on the mill itself in 2015, but it took about two years to repair the mill and move to the next phase, acquiring about 96 acres of land. Eventually, a visitors and interpretive center is planned on 365 with trails to the mill.
Nix said after the meeting they should know sometime this summer if they have been approved, and work could begin as early as six months after that.
