Council debates GDOT‑proposed safety project on Highway 78 near Publix; funding, access and business impacts in question

Councilman Duvall (speaker 6) presented a GDOT‑led safety concept for the Highway 78 corridor that would remove continuous left‑turn capacity in favour of channelized medians, targeted red‑light control points and restricted left turns from business driveways. Staff described the work as a safety project that can be programmed by GDOT and noted the state had in prior conversations offered up to $2 million toward construction costs, while the city would likely carry engineering, design and construction administration costs.

Members expressed mixed views. One councilmember said such medians had “killed” foot traffic on other corridors and worried about long‑term business impacts; another noted that some local managers (Chili’s and other businesses) support a safer signalized intersection because customers currently avoid the site. “If you say no to this, then you have no red light,” the public‐works representative said, describing the trade‑off between state funding for a safety program and the city declining to pursue the project. Several councilmembers asked staff to return with more outreach to property owners, confirmation of the state’s cost share and updated crash statistics; council agreed to take 30 days to review the conceptual plans before further commitments.

No final action was taken at the work session. Staff was asked to collect collision data, clarify what GDOT will fund versus the city’s obligations for engineering and administration, and schedule stakeholder meetings with affected property owners and businesses before the council decides whether to commit city funds to design and administration work.