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Council approves Concert America agreement to design Mill Line extension phase 2
Summary
The Dalton mayor and council approved a professional services agreement with Concert America to design phase 2 of the Mill Line extension, a nearly two-mile modified Route H alignment that will link the Paul Belt trailhead to downtown and include a mix of paved trail, existing roadway conversions and shared-street signage.
City staff sought approval on Feb. 17 for a professional services agreement with Concert America to design the Mill Line Extension Phase 2, a project that would extend the trail from the Paul Belt honorary trailhead toward downtown Dalton.
The staff presenter said the design contract covers seven tasks: conceptual planning, data collection, preliminary plans, right-of-way plans and final utility coordination, final plans, construction documents and project bidding. The consultant’s work would be completed in 12 months from the notice to proceed, staff said.
Mister Parker, a city staff member, described the preferred routing selected by a stakeholder committee: south from the trailhead, crossing Chattanooga Avenue, paralleling Cornett Drive, crossing Mill Creek, routing through Mount Rachel Park, using Rachel Street and existing bike lanes to connect to the existing Greenway, then following Chattanooga Avenue to Selvidge Street with a recommended one-way conversion for a segment to accommodate the trail. “The group's really excited about bringing this to life as part of the 2024 SPLOST,” Parker said.
Staff detailed surfaces: new paved sections will be a 10-foot asphalt path with shoulders matching the existing Mill Line; portions around Haig Mill Lake may use a blended Trailblend surface that staff said has held up in recent tests. The full modified Route H plan is “just under 2 miles” for the new section; combined with existing segments and lakeside loop the network would total roughly 6 miles.
A motion to approve the professional services agreement was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. The transcript records an affirmative voice vote with no roll-call tally on the record.
The contract’s design schedule, right-of-way impacts, final costs and future construction funding depend on subsequent steps; staff referenced 2024 SPLOST as the funding program supporting the project advancement but did not record final construction funding commitments in the meeting record.
