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Production company seeks multiple downtown road closures and parking for period film; council and police raise traffic, scheduling, and resident-impact concerns
Summary
Production representatives described plans to film four days in downtown Newman City as part of a 28-day schedule and requested city property, intermittent road closures and a letter to GDOT to support a state-route permit.
Representatives for the production "By Any Means" asked the council for permission to use downtown streets and city property for four shooting days as part of a 28-day production schedule, citing period dressing, vintage vehicles and more than $100,000 in site fees earmarked for rentals and community impact.
Kyle Hinshaw, location manager for the production, said, "We were hired by Any Means Incorporated to produce a film called By Any Means. It's starring Mark Wahlberg. We are, we have a 28 day production schedule, and 4 of which 4 of those shooting days we would like to shoot in the Newnan area." Jenny Ivers, the project's key assistant manager, outlined proposed locations and times, including a Friday (April 11) neighborhood night shoot on Cole Street (planned 7 p.m.–1 a.m.) and a Monday (April 14) series of daytime scenes on Spring Street and East Broad that would require intermittent traffic control and short road closures.
The production team said they are coordinating with the Georgia Department of Transportation District 3 and the Newnan Police Department and that they would pay required fees and permits. Ivers said the crew had spoken with a local church about parking trucks off Cole Street and offered to cover relocation or lodging costs for residents who could not safely access homes during an overnight closure.
Council members and the chief of police raised concerns about traffic impacts. The chief said off-duty officers could be used but that staffing would be challenging because a criterium (bike race) downtown the prior Saturday requires many personnel. The chief added that shutting a state route requires a substantial detour plan and attention to semi-truck traffic, saying staff had reviewed initial traffic-control plans but further work was required before approval.
The production asked the city for a letter of local support to complete the GDOT permit application for evening work on a state route; production representatives said GDOT defers in part to local comfort with proposed closures. The producers said they would allow emergency vehicles and school buses through when safe and would pause the shot and clear traffic if congestion built during a rush-hour scene.
Council did not take a formal vote to grant permits during the work session. Staff and public-safety officials are to continue reviewing traffic-control plans, off-duty staffing availability and the GDOT application; no permit or final city approval was recorded in the meeting minutes.
