Discussion Stalls on Auburn Sidewalk Design Project

Auburn City Planner Larry Lucas presented a detailed layout of the proposed 10-foot concrete sidewalk for Fourth Avenue at the Auburn City Council workshop meeting Thursday night.

The sidewalk would run in front of and the police department and end at Auburn-County Line Road. It would include streetlamps, two ramps to provide handicap access to buildings and red crepe myrtle trees. 

Lucas hopes to use solar powered lights, but these still need to be tested to ensure they will provide light even after cloudy days. The estimated cost with solar powered lights is $38,860.83. If electrical lights are needed, the cost increases to $43,860.83. 

Resistance was met on the placement of parallel parking spaces next to the sidewalk in front of city hall.

"What I envision is going all the way out to the street and having no parking on this side except for down in front of the church," said council member Dorissa Shackleford.

"I watch the parallel parking that we have out here now, and people cross across the wrong way of traffic to get over and park," she said. "I just don't like the choppiness of what we would have to do to work around the parking."

Council member Peggy Langley expressed safety concerns regarding elderly residents coming in to pay their bills at city hall without the spots.

"I don't want to see them crossing the street," she said. 

Langley brought up the possibility of installing crosswalks but mentioned that "people around here are not used to stopping at crosswalks."

Plans for a new municipal building will move city hall out of downtown in the future. Shackleford encouraged waiting until either city hall is moved or alternate parking can be developed around the back of the building.

Mayor Linda Blechinger expressed concern about having adequate parking in downtown for special events if the spaces are eliminated. Lucas speculated that eliminating the parallel parking might create backlash from downtown business owners. 

Shackleford also expressed concerns regarding overhead electrical wires and poles in the area that the city plans to have removed.

"The poles need to be out before you put in all this nice stuff," she said. "We can't do the wrong thing just to rush it." 

Other business

1. Parks and Leisure Director Gary Schussler and Downtown Development Coordinator Sherrie Miller presented the council with a plan to proclaim Sept. 11 a day of service and remembrance. A private cookout would be held to show thanks to the , and . All food would be donated in an effort to make the cookout as low cost as possible, as it will be the end of the budget year. Planned events for the public include a guest speaker, a flag retiring ceremony and a candlelight vigil with a video montage. Public parts of the event would be held at Whistlestop Park to utilize the screen. 
2. Schussler also presented the council with estimates on the purchase of infield mix for Parks Mill ball field. Green Acres of Snellville gave the lowest estimate, coming in at $36 per ton delivered. The ball field will require a maximum of 215 tons at a total cost of $7,740. Langley pressed Schussler for an exact date the field would be completed. He committed to have the field ready by Aug. 26. "It will definitely be ready by when they need to play games on it," Schussler said. 
3. The council heard a proposal to change the contract the city has with Municipal Court Solicitor Mari Lee Chambers. The new contract changes her monthly fee to a per court session fee of $335.25 per session and adds a $130 per hour rate for work done outside the court room. These hours are capped at five per month, and Chambers will have to seek prior approval from the chief of police or city administrator before more hours are approved. 
4. Larry Lucas informed the council that he is nominating Auburn for an award given by the Georgia Chapter of the American Planning Association. The award is for Outstanding Plan Implementation, Small Community. He will submit a presentation and written explanation, and the winner will be notified prior to the September convention in Savannah.