Lula leaders pressing forward on depot project, including resolving ownership

LULA – When the City of Lula culminated the purchase of the Lula Depot from LABA earlier this year, officials did so based on a quitclaim deed.

Now that the city council has committed $160,000 in renovations and improvements over the next two years, a decision that was formalized this week, council members want to ensure there is no uncertainty that the city owns the building and grounds.

Monday night, Councilman Marvin Moore made a motion to expend city funds in an attempt to clear up the title on the depot property. Council members voted unanimously in favor of Moore’s motion.

After the meeting, Moore discussed his rationale.

“We took action to get the title cleared,” Moore said. “We just want to end that, and make sure we’ve crossed every T and dotted every I.”

Prior to Monday night’s meeting, Spangler & Associates Architecture and Engineering of McDonough held a 90-minute open house meeting to receive input from Lula residents and merchants that will be included in the development of a master plan for the property.

“We’re very excited, and we had a lot of good suggestions tonight,” Moore said. “I look forward to what we’re going to do, what we’re going to accomplish there, and how we’re going to set it up. I think we’re going to have a work session, and we’re going to put some more fine print into everything that’s going on.”

Moore was pleased with the open house.

“We had a very good crowd,” Moore said. “I wish we would have had more – always wish we had more – but I thought we had a good crowd, and a good response. People were receptive, had good ideas they were putting on paper, so we’re going to look forward to looking at all those and decide how we’re going to do it. We love the input.”

Lula officials say three components will be involved in the depot master plan: the building, the grounds, and the stage area.