The Senoia City Council on Aug. 18 amended an agreement with Stalwart Films that will leave a 15-foot wall in place around portions of the Gin Property until 2019. Now under construction, the wall could serve as a contained set for filming of AMC television’s “The Walking Dead.”
The council on July 7 approved the construction of the 15-foot temporary wall which will enclose a number or Gin Property residences and close several streets within the property to thru-traffic.
Stalwart Films representative Mike Riley said previously that the request to construct the wall dealt with creating a contained set for filming portions of the The Walking Dead episodes for the 2014-2015 season.
Per the agreement, the wall will be in place from mid-September until the end of November 2015. To have the wall in place for that amount of time presumes that The Walking Dead will be renewed for another season, though no official word to that effect has been forthcoming.
The 4-0 vote on on Aug. 18 included a provision to have Stalwart negotiate for additional extensions for periods of 12 months through November 2019.
Plans call for the closure of Morgan Street near Main Street on the east and just past the homes on Lower Creek Trail to the west. McKnight Drive will be closed as will Amey Street at its intersection with Morgan Street.
Access to the contained set area will be by way of manual security gates located on both sides of Morgan Street, Morgan at Amey Street, on McKnight Drive at Lower Creek Trail and at McKnight at Baggarly Way.
Riley said the gates will be staffed by security personnel on a 24-hour basis, adding that deliveries to the area will be coordinated.
A provision of the agreement states that for periods when production-related activity ceases for more than 180 consecutive days, Morgan Street is to be reopened to normal traffic by Stalwart until production related activity resumes.
Another provision states that the city agrees to allow two-way traffic on Amey Street. Stalwart Films will erect proper signage to accommodate the change and return Amey Street to one-way with proper signage upon final expiration of the film permit.
Riley on July 7 said plans call for the metal wall to be anchored in such a way that it will withstand winds of 115 miles per hour.
Now in its fifth season of filming in and around Senoia and at Raleigh-Riverwood Studios, and beyond its worldwide popularity, The Walking Dead continues to have an obvious economic impact on this city of less than 4,000 residents.
