A team of Atlanta Regional Commission consultants last week announced its final recommendations for improving the look and livability of central Winder.
The Livable Cities Initiative consultants made their Feb. 18 presentation at the Winder Community Center to about 35 city officials, business owners and residents.
The second public hearing for proposed streetscape improvements along Broad Street in downtown Winder will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Winder Community Center.
Consultants make Winder recommendations
The study team said the final plan document presented to the City Council would recommend the following:
•one major redevelopment project on the east side of downtown and two projects west of downtown;
•two intersection improvements to relieve traffic bottlenecks, plus a new connection linking Fort Yargo State Park to downtown;
•an extensive network of landscaped sidewalks and multi-use paths to give Winder a more cohesive and attractive sense of place;
•and several economic development initiatives, including hiring a city economic development director to oversee the creation of a Winder “brand” and to use it to attract businesses and tourists.
Woody Giles of Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh & Associates of Atlanta said implementation of the recommended improvements would require the cooperation of affected landowners and entail multiple public and private ventures over a period of several years, as well as local regulatory changes.
He discussed briefly how to implement and to pay for the projects, noting that the final LCI plan will incorporate a detailed chart of the study team’s recommended projects, estimated costs, timelines and responsible parties.
With the study now complete, the city government is eligible to apply to the ARC for regionally competitive funding for up to two of the recommended transportation projects. To date, the ARC has awarded $130 million for LCI projects elsewhere.
“It could really be a great advantage to Winder to have that grant come in and fund one of the main transportation projects,” Giles said.
Anything the community could do to get the projects rolling would make it more competitive for those transportation dollars, he added.
However, even if funding were awarded this year, federal regulatory hurdles likely would delay construction of any ARC-supported projects to 2014, he said.
For more details, see the Feb. 24 edition of the Barrow Journal.
•one major redevelopment project on the east side of downtown and two projects west of downtown;
•two intersection improvements to relieve traffic bottlenecks, plus a new connection linking Fort Yargo State Park to downtown;
•an extensive network of landscaped sidewalks and multi-use paths to give Winder a more cohesive and attractive sense of place;
•and several economic development initiatives, including hiring a city economic development director to oversee the creation of a Winder “brand” and to use it to attract businesses and tourists.
Woody Giles of Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh & Associates of Atlanta said implementation of the recommended improvements would require the cooperation of affected landowners and entail multiple public and private ventures over a period of several years, as well as local regulatory changes.
He discussed briefly how to implement and to pay for the projects, noting that the final LCI plan will incorporate a detailed chart of the study team’s recommended projects, estimated costs, timelines and responsible parties.
With the study now complete, the city government is eligible to apply to the ARC for regionally competitive funding for up to two of the recommended transportation projects. To date, the ARC has awarded $130 million for LCI projects elsewhere.
“It could really be a great advantage to Winder to have that grant come in and fund one of the main transportation projects,” Giles said.
Anything the community could do to get the projects rolling would make it more competitive for those transportation dollars, he added.
However, even if funding were awarded this year, federal regulatory hurdles likely would delay construction of any ARC-supported projects to 2014, he said.
For more details, see the Feb. 24 edition of the Barrow Journal.
As for the moves suggested above, the businesses located in those areas may not want to be moved. As for Lanier Tech, perhaps they can occupy the buildings left behind when the old church was demolished at the corner of Stephens street.