Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Clarksville Town Square topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planner proposes restoring Clarkesville town square; asks county to fund feasibility study
Summary
A town planner presented two concept drawings to restore Clarkesville's historic town square, proposed removing roughly 36 parking spaces, and asked the county to coordinate a feasibility and traffic study with the city and GDOT before any action.
A town planner and Clarkesville resident asked Habersham County commissioners March 17 to consider restoring the town square in downtown Clarkesville and to authorize a county-city feasibility study coordinated with the Georgia Department of Transportation.
Lou Oliver described two concept plans that either preserved the existing traffic alignment or reconfigured Washington Street to reconstitute a civic square. "There are 2 proposals here... The 1 on the screen is the 1 they deemed the most feasible... This scheme shows a pair of linear greens," Oliver said, arguing the design would improve safety and create a venue for festivals and markets.
Oliver said the preferred plan would remove approximately 36 parking spaces and proposed replacing any lost spaces in equal number, for example by constructing a parking deck on city- or county-owned parcels. He delivered a draft resolution asking the county manager, in coordination with the city manager and GDOT, to commission traffic and feasibility studies and to ensure removed spaces would be replaced in the same construction phase.
Commissioners said the proposal would require discussion with the city, staff review and attorney input. "We'll have to certainly, we'll have to talk to the city and and all those things, speak to the attorneys," a commissioner said. No county vote was taken on the resolution during the meeting.
Oliver said the plan aims to increase safety at events and make downtown a destination by installing pavers and bollards to separate pedestrian spaces from traffic. He acknowledged the plan's trade-offs: "Everybody's not happy about every space being taken out... But from the people I've talked to, it's worth it to have our core reserved if we can replace the parking."
Ending: Commissioners agreed to review the documents, coordinate with municipal officials and consider a staff-led study before any formal county action.
