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Woodstock council hears timeline and permit steps for Little River Park, trail projects
Summary
Staff outlined schedules, permitting status with Georgia EPD, and bid timelines for Little River Park, a school connector and the Buckhead Crossing trail; design and a mandatory pre-bid walkthrough were emphasized.
City staff told the mayor and council that work on Little River Park and several trail projects is moving into permitting and procurement phases, with key bid dates and environmental reviews ahead.
The update matters because Little River Park and associated trail connections are major capital projects for Woodstock that will affect school access, recreation, and the citytrail network.
"We've issued the LDP for the project," said Mr. Borden, the city's project lead, describing Little River Park work. He said the engineering and design team completed a hydrologic analysis and a no-rise study for bridges that will connect the project's three phases, and staff completed a notice of intent. Borden told council the vendor Romtek is revising prefab restroom plans to meet city code; Romtek was expected to resubmit corrected designs by February 10.
Borden said the engineering team has been coordinating with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division on stream-buffer requirements since November and received a checklist of required standards in January. He told council the EPD review and permit process can take up to four months.
Key procurement dates presented for Little River Park include an advertisement release on March 6, a mandatory on-site pre-bid meeting March 17 (attendees must sign in and stay for the full site walk), a question deadline March 31, and a bid opening scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on April 20; staff planned to present a recommendation to council on May 13 with construction targeted to start Monday, June 2. Borden said the project sequencing will begin in a linear section near the main entrance, proceed to The Woodlands (phase 3), and return to the Trickham Road section (phase 1) to minimize contractor overlap. He estimated the work would be an 18-month schedule from start to substantial completion.
On the Little River Trail Connector, staff said the design will tie into an elementary school bus lane to provide a safe route from neighborhoods to the park and noted much sidewalk already exists. The project may be constructed in-house to align openings with Little River Park phases and to control timing for spring/summer work.
For the Buckhead Trail Crossing, a joint project with Cherokee County, Borden said the city will handle permitting and inspection; he reviewed planned procurement dates with a bid release Feb. 20, mandatory pre-bid March 10, and council award targeted for the April 28 meeting. He described ADA-compliant switchbacks and connection points near Woodstock High School used to meet grade and accessibility requirements.
Council members pressed on prioritization and budget implications. One council member said they expected to "be realistic" about priorities and costs as bid returns arrive; Borden replied that bid results for Little River Park will inform reprioritization of other trail work.
The council did not take immediate action; staff will return with bid results, EPD-permit updates, and procurement recommendations during upcoming meetings and a council retreat scheduled later in the week.
