Roswell approves $9.49 million Riverside Road construction contract amid resident concerns about stormwater and sidewalks

Roswell — The City of Roswell voted unanimously on July 13 to award a construction contract to Backbone Infrastructure for the Riverside Road T‑SPLOST project and to approve related budget amendments and intergovernmental coordination.

Transportation Director Andy Flager summarized the multi‑year planning and public‑workshop process for the corridor project, saying it was adopted as part of the bicycle and pedestrian master plan and voter‑approved under the 2021 T‑SPLOST program. He described the planned improvements as "an 8 to 10 foot multi use trail with pedestrian lighting on the south side of Riverside Road, a 5 foot sidewalk on the north side, a roundabout at River Lake Drive, a new traffic signal at Taman Drive, buffered bike lanes along the roadway and several pedestrian crossings across the corridor." The agenda listed a construction contract in the amount of $9,489,436 and a total project authorization near $10,000,721.

Public commenters urged caution and a deferral. Jason Yowell, a former member of the Roswell Transportation Commission, said the proposed north‑side sidewalk, curb and gutter would increase impervious surface and push untreated stormwater into the river corridor, and he asked council to "defer approving this contract until you can do some further study" and meet with the contractor. "This will take stormwater directly into the river without any treatment," Yowell said.

Another resident, identified in the transcript as Sue du DuPont, described local pedestrian patterns and maintenance concerns, saying sidewalks in some stretches are seldom used and that tree maintenance and storm impacts raise questions about long‑term upkeep.

Council members pressed staff on technical details including lane widths, pavement depth and whether buffers would be stripe‑only or physically protected. Flager said the buffer will initially be stripe‑only but that barriers such as bollards or plastic delineators could be added if safety issues persist. He also warned that deferring the award to redesign the project would require redoing right‑of‑way work, environmental permitting, utility agreements and bids, potentially adding years and substantial cost.

Council member Scribe Beeson moved to award the construction contract; Council member Christine Hall seconded. The motion passed unanimously. With the award, staff will proceed with contract administration and coordination with Fulton County on the waterline work and project implementation.

The council discussion noted connectivity benefits for the river park system and downtown access but recorded substantive resident concerns about stormwater treatment and impervious surface that may require follow‑up during construction and inspections.