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Residents press council on Historic Gateway project as city seeks GDOT funds; staff says design control remains with Roswell
Summary
A resident raised objections to the Historic Gateway project, arguing tree loss, inadequate archaeological study and overreach by GDOT. City staff said Roswell controls the project design, that GDOT is cooperating on mitigation, and that the city has received GDOT funding and will use part of it for planning and geotechnical work.
At the consent agenda public comment period, longtime resident Janet Russell urged council to delay or reconsider elements of the Historic Gateway project, arguing the plan would remove tree canopy, harm stormwater buffers along Vickery Creek, and lack required archaeological review. Russell questioned the project’s history and urged the council not to accept GDOT funding without stronger guarantees about design and environmental protections.
City staff (Director Littlefield and Senior Vice President Davidson) responded in the meeting. Davidson said the city will receive $3.5 million from GDOT for the project and asked for authority to amend contracts up to $1.5 million to complete geotechnical work, landscaping plans and arborist services. Davidson said GDOT and the city have worked to reduce project impacts (for example, removing a proposed 40‑foot sound wall at a particular corner) and that the project design has been managed by the City of Roswell since 2011; staff said GDOT has agreed to work with the city on a narrower footprint and retaining walls to reduce tree clearing.
Staff referenced a 2016 cultural resources study and a 2017 addendum that GDOT had prepared; Davidson and Littlefield said a crash analysis was updated in March 2024 and that tree‑clearing would be minimized by retaining walls where possible. David Johnson noted existing traffic and safety issues at the corridor and argued for Roswell involvement in designing mitigation. Russell’s public comment asked specifically for archaeological study and cited community concerns about environmental impacts. Staff offered to provide Russell and other residents with the project materials and to publish the open‑house responses and reports on the city website.
Council voted to approve the consent items that included contract amendments and acceptance of GDOT funding; staff said detailed technical reports and public materials are available in the project record and will be provided to residents on request.
