The proposed list of transportation projects for the March SPLOST referendum was approved by the Fayette County Board of Commissioners at its Sept. 22 regular meeting.
The list was compiled and approved previously by the county’s transportation committee, paving the way for the distribution of $19.5 million in sales tax revenue should the referendum be approved by voters and the projected $141 million overall be collected.
That number was given by public works director Phil Mallon, a member of the transportation committee, during his brief presentation at the board meeting. He said $64.6 million of that would be for the unincorporated county with the rest going to the cities.
His review of the projects, listed by type and shown on a county map, was answered with very little comment from the board before its vote.
Mallon noted that citizens will likely notice more projects concentrated on the north side of the county, and he said he looked at where the greatest needs were instead of simply spreading around the projects throughout the county. Since the northern part of the county is more densely populated it is logical that more needs would be identified there, he said.
Commissioner Randy Ognio said he was concerned about the lack of “floating money” available in case it were needed for a later opportunity, such as the state coming along and offering to do a project with the help of matching county funds. Mallon said he considered that idea as well and weighed it against the idea of naming all projects up front so citizens would see them.
The board approved the list unanimously. County manager Steve Rapson said town hall meetings would be convened, starting in January, to give citizens the opportunity to gather more information and ask questions about the projects in advance of the vote.
In other business, a matter raised previously by Commissioner Steve Brown regarding the hours of operation on county lakes was tabled until Oct. 13 at his request.
Brown said the Water Committee and Recreation Commission are to meet about the issue and have not yet done so.
A recommended ordinance change that county staff said would streamline the process of transferring alcohol beverage licenses between owners was approved, as was a staff recommendation to enter into a mutual aid/automatic aid agreement with the Coweta County Fire Department.
The consent agenda, approved unanimously, included changes to several emergency management plans and a bid of just under $786,000 for the purchase of two new pumper tankers.
The board approved a request to rezone 8.5 acres on Hwy. 74 South from agricultural-residential to office-institutional for development of a medical office. Megan Almond, the petitioner, is a pediatrician looking to establish a pediatric facility offering services many parents must now go to the north side of Atlanta to receive.
A number of people expressed their support of her plans while opposing a proposed “RCUT” — a right-in, right-out lane entering and exiting the property — slated to be directly across from the entrance to the Brechin Park subdivision. Brown’s motion to approve the rezoning included a stipulation that the county request the Georgia Department of Transportation withhold the RCUT modification to the median.
The other public hearing on the meeting agenda was a request to revise the minor subdivision plat for Woodbridge Farms Subdivision on Rising Star Road, to increase the number of platted lots by subdividing one specific lot into two separate lots. That request was approved.
