New homes on Perimeter Road, a TSPLOST discussion and potential playground designs for Main Street Park are some of the items up for discussion during tonight's Dawsonville city council meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. in the second floor meeting room at city hall.
The public is invited to attend the meetings, which are also live streamed on the city's Facebook page.
53 homes on Perimeter Road and Allen Street
City council will be hearing an annexation and rezoning request for a 53-home subdivision proposed on the corner of Allen Street and Perimeter Road. The Dawsonville Planning Commission on Oct. 8 voted to approve a variance to allow developers to build at an R3 zoning of 3.74 units per acre as opposed to the standard 3 units per acre, contingent upon the city council approving the annexation and rezoning.
The land is currently owned by the Kenneth K. Turner Estate and applicants Michael Turner and Miles Montgomery are petitioning to annex into the city limits a total of 14.175 acres adjacent to the Stonewall subdivision and across Allen Street from Robinson Elementary School.
After some discussion including concern from planning commission members about additional traffic in the already congested area, the commission voted unanimously to recommend the council approve the annexation and zoning with conditions: that the developer reach an agreement with the city for a joint detention facility and improvements to be made by the developer to the city dog park area; that the city require two entrances to the subdivision with one on Allen Street and one on Perimeter Road; and that the developer provide inter-parcel pedestrian access to the city property.
City council will hold the first hearing for the annexation and rezone tonight with a second scheduled for Nov. 5, after which point the council could vote to approve or deny the application.
TSPLOST
Mayor Mike Eason will be presenting an update as to the status of the city and county's talks about a proposed TSPLOST, or Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.
Several city and county officials met last week to discuss the tax, which cannot be taken to voters until projects are identified, and to start negotiations on how the money would be split if the tax were to be approved by county voters in March.
The county and city must have an intergovernmental agreement and decide on a percentage split or it would automatically default to .0075 cents as opposed to the maximum one cent, and revenue would be split at whatever the current SPLOST is set at, which is currently 85 percent to the county and 15 percent to the city.
Dawson County Board of Commissioners District 2 member Chris Gaines said at the city and county joint meeting Oct. 5 that the potential revenue for a TSPLOST at one cent over five years is $50 million.
Playground concepts for Main Street Park
City Manager Bob Bolz will be presenting three playground designs to the council to see which one they like best for the proposed playground site at the north end of Main Street Park.
City staff waded through nearly a dozen designs before choosing the final three to present to the council. The average cost of the three proposed is around $300,000.
Bolz said previously that the playground will designed to be inclusive to all abilities as well as cater to different age groups.
“All three will be all-inclusive, where special needs people would be playing right alongside whatever age group is playing on that set,” Bolz said. "We’ve instructed each designer not just to make it ADA accessible but to make it inclusive. Every piece can’t be inclusive, but the idea is they won’t be separated from their playmates.”
After the council chooses the design they like best, city staff can begin to bid out the work and finalize the design.
At the last update, Bolz said the playground had a target installation date of January 2019.
Other business:
The city council will also be hearing an update on the farmers market agreement as proposed by the Amicalola Regional Farmers Market. Dawson County Chamber of Commerce President Christie Haynes asked the city council Sept. 24 if they would consider an agreement with the Amicalola Regional Farmers Market so that the market could in future utilize the pavilion that the city is constructing next to city hall.
The council will also be discussing a speed zone ordinance drafted by City Attorney Dana Miles. In September the council asked Miles to update the ordinance so that the city's speed detection permit can be renewed by the state.