Dougherty County commissioners consider traffic roundabout

ALBANY — Dougherty County commissioners got a report — and a first look — Monday at a proposed roundabout that would serve as a deterrent against traffic congestion where Lover’s Lane Road intersects North Jefferson Street near the Dougherty/Lee county line.

Georgia Department of Transportation Traffic Operations Supervisor Christina Barry offered a Power Point presentation, including an artist’s rendering, on how the proposed roundabout would impact traffic at the Jefferson Street (State Highway 133)/Lover’s Lane Road intersection. She said the traffic device, used widely statewide, would be safer, provide fewer conflict points, reduce the number of lanes needed to keep traffic flowing and reduce costs.

“A roundabout has a low-speed environment, 25 miles per hour or less,” Barry said. “It reduces the number of crashes and the crash severity, reduces conflict points from 32 at a typical four-legged intersection to eight, and lowers cost considerably.”

Barry said the construction comparison at one north Georgia location was $46 million for a traditional design and $18 million for a roundabout at the same location. She noted that there are more than 15o roundabouts currently existing statewide and 110 others proposed.

DOT District Traffic Engineer Van Mason told the commission the design of a single-lane roundabout at the intersection is based on a traffic study during peak travel times.

“Based on the survey, it would take years of growth before we’d need to expand to a multi-lane design,” Mason said.

County Administrator Richard Crowdis told commissioners GDOT had conducted a similar study and gotten similar results in 2011, but the commission at that time took no action on the recommendation. Mason told the board cost to the county would be “minimal” with the construction of a roundabout but significant if it insisted on another measure.

Commissioners also got a report from Public Works Director Larry Cook on a proposal to move forward with the contract process for road resurfacing in the county. He said the county’s list, which would be funded through SPLOST ($400,000) and state Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant ($277,985) funding, includes 14 roads totaling 11.03 miles.

Finance Committee Chairman Lamar Hudgins recommended that the board provide $23,380 in additional funding for the commission-sponsored Georgia Civic Awareness Program for Students. Hudgins said the money would come from the county’s contingency fund.

“This is one of those projects where you can’t measure the value in a budget,” Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas said.

In a work meeting also held Monday, the board conducted an extensive public hearing on a proposal by Westminister Management and Financial Co. and Pointe North Ltd. to rezone 7.288 acres from flood hazard to community residential multiple-dwelling to build Phase III of the Marsh Landing apartment complex at 315 Philema Road.

After being assured by City/County Planning Director Paul Forgey that the owner would have to meet strict federal, state and local requirements to complete the project and that the planned three-story, 36-unit complex would not impact the area’s ISO rating negatively, the board voted 6-1 to approve the rezoning request.

“I’ve heard talk about putting single-family housing on that property, but I don’t think that’s as safe an option as what we’re proposing,” Tod Lanier of Lanier Engineering told the board. “The way we’re going is a safer, more responsible way.”

Commissioners also voted to allow homeowners Cathy Ashberry and Jim Ervin six months to remove structures and improvements they’d built or placed on county-owned flood recovery property adjacent to Ashberry’s and Ervin’s property at 158 and 164 Lover’s Lane Road, respectively.

Ervin said before the vote, “There has been significant improvement made at Radium Springs Garden, and it is my understanding that that is property taken over by the state and given to the county. Was there a variance for that property? If there was, I’d like the same opportunity before I go to the expense of removing structures from the property I’m leasing.”

County Attorney Spencer Lee said he would look into the Radium property, but he said he’d been told “in no uncertain terms” by GEMA officials that when it comes to variances, the answer is no.

Also at the meeting, county Tax Assessors Board Chairman William Ashberry introduced new Chief Appraiser George Anderson. Anderson has been in the county tax office for 25 years. He replaces former Chief Appraiser Larry Thomas, who retired recently.