Town planner proposes restoring Clarksville square; would remove about 36 parking spaces pending feasibility study

Lou Oliver, a Clarksville resident and town planner, presented March 17 to the Habersham County Board of Commissioners two options to restore Clarksville's historic town square and return public civic greens to the downtown.

Oliver said one option would largely preserve the current road alignment while formalizing a pair of linear parks for events; the alternate option would more closely approximate the historic square but would eliminate nearly all on‑street parking and require extensive traffic changes. He told commissioners the plan as presented would remove roughly 36 parking spaces (a draft resolution in his hand said 37 was a typo) and that feasibility depends on replacing any lost spaces, for example by constructing a parking deck on city‑ or county‑owned parcels.

"This would increase safety and the aesthetics and begin to put the heart back into the city," Oliver said, asking the county to coordinate with the city and the Georgia Department of Transportation on traffic and feasibility studies.

Commissioners thanked Oliver for the presentation, said they would review the drawings and consult with the city and the county attorney before any formal action, and noted a resolution to study the concept could be considered at a later date. No formal vote or commitment to construction was made at the meeting; Oliver asked only that staff pursue a coordinated study and that the county and city adopt compatible study resolutions before proceeding.

Oliver also recommended a condition in his draft resolution that any lost parking be replaced in the same construction phase; commissioners indicated that would be a key point to examine in follow‑up work with city staff and attorneys.