Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Projects topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City reports capital projects underway; Connors Road Park phase 1 cost estimate far exceeds budget
Summary
The interim city manager reported multiple ongoing capital projects Aug. 12, including a $1.1 million streetscape grant, pickleball and tennis courts, and repaving. Officials said a phase‑1 opinion of probable cost for Connors Road Park is about $2.4 million, well above the available $593,000 budget.
Interim City Manager and CFO Jennifer Hallman told the Villa Rica City Council on Aug. 12 that the city has several grant‑funded and contractor projects underway and flagged a major gap between the Connors Road Park budget and the engineer’s opinion of probable cost.
Hallman said the North Side downtown streetscape is grant funded at $1,100,000 with a $286,000 city match; Keck & Wood is the consultant and preliminary design and utility coordination are next steps. She said a traffic signal will be required at the Cleghorn Street and Villarrica Parkway intersection as part of related roadway work.
Hallman reported bid awards and ongoing projects including Mirror Lake Boulevard left‑turn improvements, South Street sewer extension, an external audit RFP award, replacement of gym bleachers, three tennis courts and six pickleball courts at Gold Dust, and West Industrial Court culvert replacement (bid closing Aug. 25). The North Bypass is expected to open in October, weather permitting.
On Connors Road Park, Hallman said the budget is $593,000 but Falcon Engineering’s phase‑1 opinion of probable cost is approximately $2,400,000 for the driveway, parking lot, detention pond and stormwater pipe. She said staff will revisit project phasing and priorities with public works and the contractor to align the project with available funds.
Other items Hallman mentioned: a $50,000 grant plus a $30,000 developer contribution for a site now called Fortune Park; a stormwater utility study with impervious area analysis and ERU/rate structure work under review and a public education period planned for October; and ongoing coordination for right‑of‑way and utility acquisition on Villarica (sic) Parkway.
Hallman said staff have been meeting with veterans about a proposed Veterans Park and will continue one‑on‑one outreach with council members. Council received no request Aug. 12 to appropriate additional funds for Connors Road Park; staff said they will return with phasing options and cost estimates.
