Now that two major road projects in Braselton are practically done, it’s time to let motorists know how to get to downtown on the new routes.
For about the past two years, Braselton has been the center of two significant road re-alignment projects — Zion Church Road and Davis Street.
Jackson County spearheaded the Zion Church Road project, which is the new alignment of Ga. Hwy. 124 connecting motorists from Jefferson to Barrow County. Portions of the new alignment are now called Lewis Braselton Blvd. and Broadway Avenue.
The Town of Braselton just wrapped up its re-alignment of Davis Street (old Ga. Hwy. 124) at its intersection with Ga. Hwy. 53 behind the Braselton Brothers Store. That project now makes it possible for Braselton to begin working on its town green in front of the Braselton Brothers Store.
But with noticeably different road changes in Braselton, it leaves motorists navigating the new routes.
And for members of the Braselton Downtown Development Authority, that also means that folks are trying to figure out how to get to their businesses.
“Something needs to be done to show people how to get to downtown,” said town manager Jennifer Dees.
The DDA agreed on Thursday to spend up to $700 to buy six temporary signs that will be placed along the new road alignments to point motorists to downtown Braselton. Once the authority hires its downtown director in October, the DDA plans to install permanent directional signs in rights-of-way.
But for now, the temporary signs are intended to show motorists how to get to the “Downtown Braselton Business District.” The signs could be installed in as little as two weeks.
“We definitely need something coming from both directions (of Ga. Hwy. 124),” said DDA member Clay Eubanks.
Dees will determine where to install the temporary directional signs and the group will later work with its downtown director on permanent spots.
“We need the person’s experience of whoever we hire to come in and do something that we’ll be happy with for a long time,” Eubanks said.
The Braselton DDA did a similar sign campaign during roadwork to let motorists know that downtown businesses were open amid construction.
In other business, the authority also held a public hearing on its proposed 2013 fiscal year budget — which is set at $65,000, compared to the 2012 fiscal year budget of $16,030.
The DDA is slated to receive $25,000 from the town’s general fund budget next fiscal year and, in turn, use $30,000 of its own funds to pay for a downtown director. The group recently approved a job description for that position.
The downtown director will officially be a contract employee of the DDA and be employed as a town worker.
Dees told the authority last week that it had $30,000 in its reserve account. Revenue has also been higher than the estimated $16,030 in the 2012 fiscal year budget. So far, the group has received $17,710 in revenue, while expenses have reached $12,205.
The DDA’s largest revenue source — an annual wine tasting and auction — generated $7,700 in revenue last fall, while costs for the fundraiser totaled $3,150, Dees said.
The authority must adopt its 2013 budget before the fiscal year starts on July 1. By law, it has to wait seven days from when the public hearing was held on Thursday. By press deadline, the DDA had not announced a date to adopt its budget.
