PDA approves engineering, miantenance work at industrial parks

ALBANY — The Albany-Dougherty Payroll Development Authority voted Wednesday to approve contracts for engineering and landscaping services at separate city/county industrial parks and took action on a wetlands covenant that will allow the authority to draw funds from a grant at one of the jointly operated parks.

The PDA board voted to approve GMC Engineering’s bid of $35,000 to provide survey and engineering services at the Albany-Dougherty Industrial Park, OK’d Merry Acres Landscaping’s $9,360 proposal for undergrowth removal at the pecan Grove Corporate Park, and agreed to adhere to state Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers guidelines in dealing with a wetlands area of the Albany-Dougherty Industrial Park.

Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission President Justin Strickland said agreement with the latter covenant would allow the PDA to draw funds from a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant.

“Basically, what we’re saying is that we will not touch the wetlands area in the industrial park,” Strickland said.

Strickland also said the local GMC engineering firm would give local officials better access to the company that will redesign the industrial park to better suit the needs of a large-scale industrial tenant.

“We’ve had a contract with an out-of-town firm that’s had significant change in personnel, so we thought it best to work with a local firm,” the EDC president said. “GMC gave us the lowest bid and the quickest turnaround time (six weeks).”

Strickland said Merry Acres Landscaping’s proposal is to remove juniper undergrowth from the Pecan Grove park and to “bring the land up to a level of grade and maintenance that will be easier to maintain.” He also noted that the work will open view to the park for passengers along Newton Road and set the stage for a signage project at the park.