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Fayette County commissioners approve zoning amendment, reappoint authority members, award culvert contracts and accept $800,000 ARC grant
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Summary
At its Sept. 25 meeting, the Fayette County Board of Commissioners adopted Ordinance 2025-04 clarifying variance criteria for nonconforming lots, reappointed three members to the Public Facilities Authority, awarded two culvert replacement contracts to Piedmont Paving, and accepted an $800,000 ARC federal-aid grant for intersection design.
Fayette County commissioners on Sept. 25 approved a set of routine and infrastructure measures, including a zoning ordinance amendment, reappointments to a county authority, two culvert construction contracts and an $800,000 federal-aid grant for preliminary engineering of a planned intersection improvement.
Planning and Zoning Director Deborah Bell told the Board staff recommended amending Sec. 110-242 of the County’s zoning ordinance to clarify the Zoning Board of Appeals’ powers and to set criteria for granting variances for unimproved nonconforming lots. Bell said the amendment reflects minimum site needs for a single-family home — house footprint, driveway, well setback, septic tank and primary and backup septic fields — and noted the State Department of Environmental Health’s one-acre minimum for well-and-septic-served properties and other case-specific factors such as number of bedrooms, soil suitability, lot shape and topography. No members of the public spoke for or against the change. The Board approved Ordinance 2025-04 on a 4-0 vote (Chairman Lee Hearn absent).
The Board approved a consent agenda that included a $126.13 tax refund for 2024, adoption of final supplemental budget adjustments for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, acceptance of the Georgia Department of Transportation Title VI Non-Discrimination Agreement, authorization to acquire right-of-way and easements for a Hampton Road/SR 92 intersection project, and approval to declare 57 vehicles and equipment unserviceable for online auction with proceeds returning to the vehicle replacement fund.
Chief Financial Officer Sheryl Weinmann summarized a recommendation from the Public Facilities Authority Selection Committee and commissioners reappointed Thomas Gray, Edward Outlaw and Alice Reeves to one-year terms beginning July 24, 2025 and extending to July 23, 2027 per County policy. The reappointments passed unanimously by the four commissioners present.
Public Works Director Phil Mallon described two stormwater projects and recommended awarding both culvert replacement contracts to Piedmont Paving, Inc. The larger project — Bid #26015-B for Darren Drive culvert replacement along Shoal Creek — was awarded at $1,404,158.93 and involves replacing deteriorated triple 96-inch corrugated metal pipes with precast concrete box culverts; Mallon described utility coordination, grading and asphalt paving as part of the scope. Commissioner Eric K. Maxwell said he was concerned about a large variance among submitted bid amounts. Mallon said, by way of explanation, that Piedmont Paving has recently expanded into precast culvert manufacturing and that their ability to do work in-house likely lowered their bid compared with companies that must outsource precast components. County Administrator Steve Rapson added that he had contacted bidders to confirm their understanding of the scope and specifications. The Board voted 4-0 to award the contract.
The Board also approved Bid #26016-B for Mark Lane culvert replacement to Piedmont Paving for $476,388.72 and authorized reallocating $99,437 from a separate stormwater improvement plan. Mallon said the Mark Lane project has a 150-day construction schedule; the Darren Drive project carries an estimated 215-day schedule from notice to proceed.
Mallon told the Board staff applied to the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Transportation Improvement Program solicitation and that the County was awarded an $800,000 federal-aid grant for preconstruction engineering of the Sandy Creek Road at Eastin Road/Sams Drive/Trustin Lake Drive intersection. He said the total estimated project cost is about $5 million, with design work costing approximately $1 million; the $800,000 award covers most of the preconstruction engineering phase. The Board accepted the grant and authorized the Chairman to execute the Project Framework Agreement with the Georgia Department of Transportation, 4-0.
County Administrator Steve Rapson provided updates on several capital and traffic projects and said staff proposed canceling the Oct. 9 Board meeting because there were no agenda items and several staff and board members would attend the ACCG Legislative Leadership Conference. The Board approved canceling the Oct. 9 meeting. Rapson also announced special-called meetings on Oct. 16 for public hearings on the 2025 property tax millage rate and a final public hearing on Oct. 23.
County Attorney Dennis A. Davenport announced three items for executive session — two involving threatened litigation and one to review Sept. 11 executive-session minutes. The Board recessed briefly into executive session by unanimous vote of members present and returned to official session, authorized the Chairman to sign the Executive Session Affidavit and approved the Sept. 11 executive-session minutes. The meeting adjourned at 5:26 p.m.
What’s next: minutes will be certified at the Board’s Oct. 23 meeting; staff will proceed with contract execution and preconstruction work as authorized.