CAC Meeting #11

June 20, 2017

An 11th Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting was held at the City Hall, Taylor Farms Conference Room on June 20th to review and prioritize the City’s Short Term Work Program (STWP) projects.  Nine CAC members were in attendance.  The STWP section of the Comprehensive Plan’s Community Vision chapter is an implementation document that guides the City on the priority in which capital projects for Land Use, Economic Development, Transportation, Parks and Recreation and Cultural, and Community Facilities should be undertaken over the next five to ten year period. The STWP lists the name and description of the project, which City department is responsible for implementing the work, provides a cost estimate and source(s) of funding for the project and also provides a time table for when the project should be done.  The goal of this CAC meeting was to recommend the priority order of the many projects that were identified within the Comprehensive Plan Update.

Transportation STWP projects were discussed first. The TSPLOST Tier I, II and III projects were prioritized at a previous CAC meeting and so this discussion centered on locations where sidewalks and trailways need to be installed.  It was decided that because of the width of the existing Rights of Ways (ROWs), the varying terrain along roads and planned roadway improvements, the decision to install a sidewalk verses a trailway would be left to the Public Works Department. Thus the group decided to combine the various locations where sidewalks and trailways are needed into one list.

Maps were then used for the discussions based on the four major residential areas of the city: Newtown, Ocee, Warsaw and Shakerag/Tech Park. Area 1 – Newtown was discussed first.  The group made the following recommendations for Area 1- Newtown:

1. Add sidewalks/trailways where ever sections are missing that lead to schools (i.e., Barnwell ES, Dolvin ES and Autrey Mill MS);
2. Add sidewalks/trailways along the entire length of Nesbitt Ferry Road;
3. Add sidewalks/trailways along Barnwell Road; and
4. Add a trailway along Spruill and Buice Roads to connect to Dolvin ES.

The same discussions were held for the remaining three residential areas. The following recommendations were made for Area 2- Ocee:
1. Add sidewalks/trailways along Parsons Road;
2. Add sidewalks/trailways where ever missing sections are along Jones Bridge to Dolvin ES; and
3. Add sidewalks/trailways along West Morton Road.

The following recommendations were made for Area 3- Warsaw:
1. Add sidewalks/trailways where sections are missing along Old Alabama Road and SR 141, Medlock Bridge Road including the area south of Old Alabama Road to the Chattahoochee River;
2. Add sidewalks/trailways to Wilson Road to the Northview HS;
3. Add sidewalks/trailways to Parsons Road to the Northview HS;
4. Add trailways from the Country Club of the South along Old Alabama Road to SR 141 to Johns Creek HS and State Bridge ES and shopping centers; and
5. Add trailway from the St. Ives Country Club along SR 141/Medlock Bridge Road to the shopping centers and Johns Creek HS and State Bridge ES (include underpasses and overpasses as needed to separate pedestrian walkways from vehicular traffic at the Medlock Bridge and State Bridge intersection).

The following recommendations were made for Area 4 – Shakerag/Tech Park:
1. Add sidewalks/trailways along Parsons Road where sections are missing;
2. Add trailway along Bell Road;
3. Add trailway along Rogers Bridge Road; and
4. Add trailway along the Chattahoochee River from McGinnis Ferry Road National Park Service lands to Abbotts Bridge Road National Park Service lands including the new city lands at Cauley Creek and Quail Hollow.

Land Use projects were discussed and ranked in the following priority order:
1. Develop and adopt a new Unified Development Code based on the Updated Comprehensive Plan and include new design standards for all major streetscapes within the city;
2. Develop a master plan and design standards for the future redevelopment of the State Bridge at Medlock Bridge shopping centers and roadway improvements;
3. Develop a master plan and design standards for the redevelopment of Technology Park Civic Center area;
4. Develop a master plan and design standards for the redevelopment of the Jones Bridge at State Bridge shopping center area;
5. Develop a master plan and design standards for the redevelopment of the Haynes Bridge at Old Alabama shopping centers area;
6. Develop a master plan and design standards for the redevelopment of the Jones Bridge at Douglas Road shopping center area; and
7. Develop a master plan and design standards for the redevelopment of the Jones Bridge Promenade shopping center area.


Economic Development projects were also discussed and ranked in the following order:
1. Rebrand the Technology Park to promote a “work where you live” health-focused lifestyle;
2. Create a public/private partnership to promote a city performing arts center; and
3. Through a public/private partnership develop a performing arts center.

Community facility projects were discussed and ranked in the following order:
1. Renovate the new Technology Park City Hall building;
2. Purchase land for a 4th fire station and develop a new fire station for the northwest section of the city; and
3. Construct a new senior community center in the northeast section of the city.
4. Lastly, parks, recreational and cultural projects were discussed, grouped and ranked in the following order:

Group A:
1. Construct Morton Road neighborhood park;
2. Construct State Bridge neighborhood park;
3. Construct the linear lake park in Technology Park;
4. Construct the Bell/Boles neighborhood park;
5. Construct the Cauley Creek/Quail Hollow park; and
6. Reconstruct/construct the Rogers Bridge pedestrian bridge across the Chattahoochee River to Duluth.

Group B:
1. Make improvements to the Autrey Mill Nature Preserve;
2. Make improvements to the Ocee Park;
3. Make improvements to Newtown Park; and
4. Make improvements to the Shakerag Park.

Group C:
1. Purchase land for a Town Square; and
2. Develop a Town Square.
3. The CAC meeting ended at about 9 p.m. with the group deciding on Wednesday, August 16, 2017, from 6-9 p.m. as the next CAC meeting.  The meeting will be used to review the draft Transportation Master Plan (MTP).