Johns Creek staff seeks $200,000 engineering amendment for Nesbitt Ferry trail

Assistant City Manager Chris Haggard told the council the city and Roswell are partnering to improve the Nesbitt Ferry Corridor and asked the council to authorize $200,000 and approve a contract amendment with Practical Design Partners to finish engineering for a trail on the east side of Nesbitt Ferry Road from Brumbelow Road north to Nesbitt Lakes. "I'm requesting council authorization of this funding and approval of a contract amendment with practical design partners to complete the engineering," Haggard said.

Haggard outlined the corridor plan as a mix of operational improvements and pedestrian connections and said the city has allocated $7.5 million of its TSPLOST‑2 funds to the corridor with Roswell committing $1 million as a match. On the roundabout at Colony Club Drive he said the city is in right‑of‑way acquisition: "We are acquiring right away. We have 5 parcels. We've acquired 1, and we have 4 negotiations," and staff estimated the bid process and approvals could put initial construction activity in the spring. Council members pressed for a clearer schedule, and staff said engineering work was expected to take roughly nine to 12 months once started.

Council members also asked how the trail work fits into the earlier corridor budget. Haggard said the immediate project estimate is about $2,000,000 but that he had not completed cost estimates for the remaining corridor segments, so it is not yet certain whether the entire corridor will fit within the previously cited $7.5 million allocation. Staff told the council they would prepare the contract amendment for council authorization and explore placing that authorization on the consent agenda after coordinating with finance.