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Conyers raises base-course requirement for some residential streets to 8 inches
Summary
The City Council adopted Ordinance 14-36 to change geometric street-design standards so that certain residential streets require an 8-inch graded aggregate base (GAB), aiming for longer pavement life; staff said developers already often exceed the previous 6-inch requirement.
The Conyers City Council unanimously approved Ordinance 14-36 on Tuesday to modify the city’s geometric street-design table and increase the required graded aggregate base (GAB) thickness for certain residential streets.
Scott, a city staff member who presented the item, said the city’s current ordinance required a 6-inch GAB for lower-traffic residential streets and 8 inches for higher-traffic streets. He told council members that in practice contractors often go deeper than 6 inches to achieve compaction, and that “8 inches brings that up to a consistent form.” Scott said the change will produce longer-lasting streets and reduce maintenance costs over time.
A council member asked whether the change would impose significant extra cost on builders; Scott replied that contractors already sometimes go “10 and 12 inches” depending on subsoils and that 8 inches is a more cost-effective way to achieve necessary compaction compared with deeper fixes or full street reclamation using soil-cement.
The ordinance amends subsection h of section 8-6-80 (geometric street design standards) in chapter 6 of title 8. The motion to adopt the ordinance included waiver of the second reading and passed by unanimous voice vote. The ordinance text as presented in the meeting references specific vehicle-trip thresholds tied to different pavement sections; the meeting discussion described those thresholds but the transcript did not provide a clear, unambiguous mapping for each numeric threshold, so readers should consult the adopted ordinance for exact trip-range definitions.
City staff characterized the change as a pragmatic adjustment intended to improve pavement longevity and reduce the frequency of costly repairs.
