Council questions Twin Lakes Boulevard dedication, maintenance bond and stop‑sign safety during work session

During the Hoschton City work session the council considered resolutions related to dedication of Twin Lakes Boulevard and a landscape‑maintenance agreement that would allow the developer or homeowner association to maintain upgraded landscaping within the public right‑of‑way.

Council members raised multiple technical and legal questions: whether a maintenance bond existed and therefore whether a requested release should appear in the dedication language, whether the deed of dedication contained the required warranty covenants for street right‑of‑way, and whether the right‑of‑way description should show linear feet (preferred for road maintenance and grant calculations) in addition to acreage.

Staff and Dustin (city planning/engineering staff) said some phrasing in the draft came from developer requests but the city will verify whether a maintenance bond remains outstanding. Dustin also explained the landscape maintenance agreement’s purpose: “Twin Lakes, Coulter is trying to protect its investment by… committing to do a high level. And I’ve seen that in other situations… so it’s really not a burden on the city. It’s a burden off the city.” The draft agreement shifts responsibilities for irrigation, plantings and higher‑level maintenance to the developer/association rather than leaving those tasks to routine city maintenance.

The agreement also references the neighborhood “life path” (a golf‑cart/pedestrian path) and includes multiple parties in the maintenance language; council members asked whether the HOA or multiple associations (Crestwind, Twin Lakes, etc.) would carry long‑term responsibility and whether the agreement term and termination conditions were explicit. Staff said the draft contemplated a limited term and required agreement of all parties for major changes.

Safety concerns emerged when residents and council members discussed the intersection where Twin Lakes connects to existing streets. Multiple speakers described left‑turn movements that currently have priority and called the pattern “a safety issue.” One resident said the intersection should be “a 3 way stop all the way across” to protect pedestrians and children walking or bicycling to a soon‑opening McDonald’s and a nearby pool. Council members asked staff to review traffic‑engineer data and to bring a recommendation back; no formal traffic-control change was adopted at the meeting.

What was decided: council did not adopt the dedication or the maintenance agreement that night. Council members asked staff for additional information — including confirmation about any maintenance bond, a clear legal description of the right‑of‑way, whether the life path is included in the dedication, and a traffic‑engineering review of the Crestwood/Twin Lakes intersection — before the items return for final action.

Ending: staff told council they would follow up before the next meeting; council members emphasized the need for clear, recorded legal descriptions and for traffic‑safety data to inform any stop‑sign decision.