DOT again suggests roundabout at Lover’s Lane Road

ALBANY — Dougherty County commissioners want a Department of Transportation engineer to explain why the agency believes a roundabout at the intersection of State Highway 133 and Lover’s Lane Road would be the best answer to traffic congestion at that location.

After conducting a third traffic study of the busy intersection over the past decade-plus, DOT officials, as they did in 2011, recommended construction of a roundabout as the most feasible solution to the traffic issues where 133 meets Lover’s Lane.

“The Department of Transportation has, for the second time, recommended that we move forward with construction of a roundabout,” County Administrator Richard Crowdis told commissioners. “But they have made it clear they will only spend what I believe is federal funding on a roundabout.”

After Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas suggested Crowdis have a DOT engineer address the commission about its proposal, District 3 Commissioner Clinton Johnson asked that the DOT rep show a comparison between the cost of a roundabout and installation of a traffic signal.

The discussion of the traffic study followed a work session during which commissioners considered two rezoning requests that would allow for the location of manufactured homes in neighborhoods that have predominantly site-built homes. Those issues all but took care of themselves, though, when, first, applicant Veola Cook indicated that she would accept R-1 (single-family residential) rezoning rather than R-MHS designation that would have allowed for a mobile home at 4016 Harris Road, and Tracey Tyler withdrew her rezoning request for property at 4705 Clewiston Lane.

Tyler, who is serving in Afghanistan said in a letter to property owner Phyllis Willis that she was “no longer interested in the property.” She also expressed exasperation that her service status was discussed by the media after being mentioned at last week’s commission meeting.

District 6 Commissioner Anthony Jones recommended, and the commission approved his suggestion, that the board table the matter until they were positive Cook understood all facets of her rezoning request. Planning Services Director Paul Forgey told the board that if Cook’s 10-acre property is rezoned from its current Agriculture designation, it cannot revert to Ag because of the size of the lot.

Since Cook had originally asked that the property be rezoned R-MHS, Jones said he wanted to make sure the property owner understood fully the options available to her once the property is rezoned.

In a business session that immediately followed the work meeting, the commission:

— Approved HTS Construction Co. of Albany’s $89,060 bid for expansion of a holding pond on Gillionville Road;

— OK’d the discounted $28,900 purchase of fitness equipment for installation at Radium Springs Overlook Park from Greenfields Outdoor Fitness Co. of Anaheim, Calif.;

— Signed off on Insurance Review Committee recommendations for changes in the county employees’ group health plan.