Flowery Branch motorists miffed at slow trains

FLOWERY BRANCH - Flowery Branch motorists are not happy right now with the slow speed of the trains as they pass through town and City Manager Bill Andrew said Thursday night they won't be speeding up any time soon.

The normal speed is 50 mph but Andrew said that was before two of three culverts under the railroad tracks just below town started collapsing and caused the tracks to start sagging. The railroad has cut the train speed to 10 mph.

"The culverts in question are on railroad property on the railroad right of way," Andrew said. "The railroad is handling the repair of the culverts exclusively."

Andrew said Northfolk Southern public affairs told him they hope to get the speed up to 25 mph miles an hour in a few weeks with partial repairs but it could be another six months before the trains are back up to 50 mph.

"We've had a number of back-ups," Andrew added. "We have probably at minimum a dozen trains come through town everyday and we've seen quite a bit of traffic backing up; it's causing an issue."

DOWNTOWN NOW 'FULL UP'

Downtown Flowery Branch is now fully occupied and both Mayor Mike Miller and City Manager Bill Andrew said that calls for a block party celebration.

City Council uanimously approved a three year lease of a city owned building on Railroad Avenue near Main Street to John Dempsey for use as a gun sales shop, and that fills up the historic business district.

"It's part of the Main Street block," Mayor Miller said."If you look at the two square block here, every building and store front in that two block area is full."

Miller said full occupancy supports the city's downtown re-development plan, and also could encourage the merchants to form a "Heart of Flowery Branch" business district.

"The re-development plan would look at more than just this two block area," the Mayor added. "We need to address some transportation issues getting people to and from the retail. We've got two other blocks that would be conducive to re-development."

"In terms of this block, we're about as occupied as you can possibly be," Andrew said. "I've been here seven years and a month and that's the first time that's ever happened."

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