The proposed development of Georgia Military College will be back on the agenda for the Aug. 21 meeting of the Fayetteville City Council.
The measure is expected to pass so that construction can begin in time for the campus to open in August 2015 in the West Fayetteville area. The council will also address issues pertaining to the motorized cart ordinance.
Plans submitted by Foley Design Associates showed a 26,000 sq. ft. classroom building on an 8.7-acre site near the intersection of Veterans Parkway and South Sandy Creek Road.
Once needed, plans call for the construction of an identical building and a small administration building on the north side of the property which will link the two classroom buildings. Each of the classroom buildings will accommodate 500 students.
Expected to open in August 2015, the campus will serve as home to all of the junior college’s regular courses, while providing an emphasis for the healthcare and entertainment industries. For GMC, the proximity to Piedmont Fayette Hospital and Pinewood Atlanta Studios works well since GMC Fayetteville will be located almost equidistance between those campuses.
Though a two-year college, GMC has been approved for a new four-year degree in applied science. That new degree program will be offered at the Fayetteville campus.
Also on the agenda will be a measure to align the use of motorized carts in Fayetteville with the county’s other jurisdictions.
The item was tabled at the Aug.7 meeting to give city staff time to obtain clarification on the use of golf carts on sidewalks adjacent to state roadways.
The main thrust of the motorized cart ordinance was viewed favorably by the council. That is the synchronizing of Fayetteville with other Fayette County jurisdictions by honoring cart permits issued by other government entities, and allowing holders of a valid learner’s permit to operate a cart as well as individuals at least 12 years of age if accompanied in the front seat by a licensed driver age 18 or older.
Responding to an earlier request, city staff proposed that golf carts be allowed on city sidewalks, with the exception of sidewalks of five feet in width that run along state highways, such as Ga. highways 54 and 85, because Ga. Dept. of Transportation (DOT) standards pertaining to those sidewalks cannot be met.
DOT standards require a 10-foot sidewalk along state roads. City sidewalks along those roadways are often five feet in width.
