At its regular April meeting, the city of Lookout Mountain, Ga., discussed a new park that will be underway soon. Plans are now finalized to turn the almost five-acre site of the former Sims family’s hotel into a park. Representing the Lookout Mountain Conservancy, Attorney Bobby Dan said that the city has formally agreed to waive any liens that it has on the property. The liens resulted from work to clean it up and to remove asbestos. Delinquent property taxes have also been forgiven, and the Sims family agreed to donate any interests it has in this property to the conservancy. The city of Lookout Mountain, Ga., will have no on-going obligation for maintenance of the property.
The conservancy expects to close on the sale in a couple of weeks, and then planning can move forward; landscape architect Matt Whittaker will lead the discussions. Public meetings will be held so the community will have input. A connector trail will join the new park to the city hall, which may possibly require the city to acquire several easements. Recalling the property as it used to be, filled with flowers, rose gardens, a pool and shuffleboard courts, Councilmember Taylor Watson said she was thrilled with the plan and that she could not think of a better thing to do with this property.
Additional gardens near city hall have also been designed and soon will be built at the intersection of Red Riding Hood Trail and Lula Lake Road. Dennis Bishop from Going-Native Landscape, along with community volunteer Jimmy Campbell and the garden clubs on Lookout Mountain, have planned the low maintenance gardens around an Irish Fairy Rings theme. Large boulders will form rings that are filled with colorful flowers in Joe Wilson Park and on both sides of Lula Lake Road. Flowering trees, shrubs, ferns and woodland perennials will fill out the perimeter of the park area. Phase two will extend the gardens along Lula Lake in front of the municipal buildings. Upcoming fundraisers will help with the cost of this park.
City Manager Kenny Lee gave the schedule of road closures that will be necessary for repairing the landslide area near the top of the Ochs Extension to Rock City. During the last month, GDOT designated the repair as an emergency site and moved the timeline from one year to next month. The road will be closed for four or so weeks from Mockingbird Lane down to where Ochs Highway turns up to Fleetwood Lane on the Tennessee side of the mountain. The work will include building a retaining wall on the brow side, installing stormwater culverts and repaving the section of the road impacted by the landslide. Mr. Lee recognized the importance of the city of Chattanooga paving Ochs Highway and installing a new guard rail before this work starts.
Large signs will warn the drivers of big trucks and tour buses that they cannot use the road. These vehicles are too large to navigate the curves, and there is no place for them to turn around if they do start up the mountain. It may be necessary for flaggers at the bottom of the mountain to get their attention. Some dangerous trees may also be removed along the roadway while it is closed. Hopefully the work will be complete before tourist season begins on Memorial Day.
During the construction, traffic on Ochs Highway will be directed through the Tennessee roads. Councilmember Watson, liaison with the fire and police department, noted that traffic laws will be strictly enforced in Tennessee, and violators will be stopped and ticketed. She asks Georgia residents to respect the laws. She also emphasized the importance of locking doors of houses and cars to prevent break-ins from “unusual visitors.” Leaving them unlocked, she said, is an open invitation.
Kevin Leckenby, the councilmember representing the public works department, said the new parking lot on Oberon Trail across Lula Lake Road from city hall is underway and should be finished by mid-May. Also, fencing between Garden Walk Inn and the city hall is now in place, and sidewalk repair will begin as manpower and time allows, he said, as will spot road repairs. The SEC gas company should finish connecting homes to the main line by the end of June. Public works hopes to have all brush picked up for Memorial Day, and the next dumpster day will be Saturday, May 7.
Councilman Tony Towns, who is heading the city’s response to stormwater problems, said that the city will require permits for certain construction projects, which is expected to prevent some of the stormwater issues. It has been determined that some problems are being caused by the way some driveways are built, and others are due to heavy trucks running over and crushing drain pipes in the city’s rights-of-way.
One of Fairyland Elementary School’s three fundraisers, the Fairyland Festival, will take place Tuesday, May 3, with a rain date of May 5. Councilmember Caroline Williams said the effects of not being able to have the festival for two years have been felt. She said the school is happy to accept donations, which enables FES to offer enrichment programs and hire additional teachers. A farmer’s market at the school is planned for May 1, during which the students can showcase the aquaponics lab.
The city’s sewer system is again facing problems. Councilmember Wes Hasden said that the 22-year-old generator failed recently, and the city is renting a temporary one before building the new pump station. A replacement generator will cost the city $200,000.
The next Georgia meeting is Thursday, May 12, at 6:00 p.m.
The conservancy expects to close on the sale in a couple of weeks, and then planning can move forward; landscape architect Matt Whittaker will lead the discussions. Public meetings will be held so the community will have input. A connector trail will join the new park to the city hall, which may possibly require the city to acquire several easements. Recalling the property as it used to be, filled with flowers, rose gardens, a pool and shuffleboard courts, Councilmember Taylor Watson said she was thrilled with the plan and that she could not think of a better thing to do with this property.
Additional gardens near city hall have also been designed and soon will be built at the intersection of Red Riding Hood Trail and Lula Lake Road. Dennis Bishop from Going-Native Landscape, along with community volunteer Jimmy Campbell and the garden clubs on Lookout Mountain, have planned the low maintenance gardens around an Irish Fairy Rings theme. Large boulders will form rings that are filled with colorful flowers in Joe Wilson Park and on both sides of Lula Lake Road. Flowering trees, shrubs, ferns and woodland perennials will fill out the perimeter of the park area. Phase two will extend the gardens along Lula Lake in front of the municipal buildings. Upcoming fundraisers will help with the cost of this park.
City Manager Kenny Lee gave the schedule of road closures that will be necessary for repairing the landslide area near the top of the Ochs Extension to Rock City. During the last month, GDOT designated the repair as an emergency site and moved the timeline from one year to next month. The road will be closed for four or so weeks from Mockingbird Lane down to where Ochs Highway turns up to Fleetwood Lane on the Tennessee side of the mountain. The work will include building a retaining wall on the brow side, installing stormwater culverts and repaving the section of the road impacted by the landslide. Mr. Lee recognized the importance of the city of Chattanooga paving Ochs Highway and installing a new guard rail before this work starts.
Large signs will warn the drivers of big trucks and tour buses that they cannot use the road. These vehicles are too large to navigate the curves, and there is no place for them to turn around if they do start up the mountain. It may be necessary for flaggers at the bottom of the mountain to get their attention. Some dangerous trees may also be removed along the roadway while it is closed. Hopefully the work will be complete before tourist season begins on Memorial Day.
During the construction, traffic on Ochs Highway will be directed through the Tennessee roads. Councilmember Watson, liaison with the fire and police department, noted that traffic laws will be strictly enforced in Tennessee, and violators will be stopped and ticketed. She asks Georgia residents to respect the laws. She also emphasized the importance of locking doors of houses and cars to prevent break-ins from “unusual visitors.” Leaving them unlocked, she said, is an open invitation.
Kevin Leckenby, the councilmember representing the public works department, said the new parking lot on Oberon Trail across Lula Lake Road from city hall is underway and should be finished by mid-May. Also, fencing between Garden Walk Inn and the city hall is now in place, and sidewalk repair will begin as manpower and time allows, he said, as will spot road repairs. The SEC gas company should finish connecting homes to the main line by the end of June. Public works hopes to have all brush picked up for Memorial Day, and the next dumpster day will be Saturday, May 7.
Councilman Tony Towns, who is heading the city’s response to stormwater problems, said that the city will require permits for certain construction projects, which is expected to prevent some of the stormwater issues. It has been determined that some problems are being caused by the way some driveways are built, and others are due to heavy trucks running over and crushing drain pipes in the city’s rights-of-way.
One of Fairyland Elementary School’s three fundraisers, the Fairyland Festival, will take place Tuesday, May 3, with a rain date of May 5. Councilmember Caroline Williams said the effects of not being able to have the festival for two years have been felt. She said the school is happy to accept donations, which enables FES to offer enrichment programs and hire additional teachers. A farmer’s market at the school is planned for May 1, during which the students can showcase the aquaponics lab.
The city’s sewer system is again facing problems. Councilmember Wes Hasden said that the 22-year-old generator failed recently, and the city is renting a temporary one before building the new pump station. A replacement generator will cost the city $200,000.
The next Georgia meeting is Thursday, May 12, at 6:00 p.m.
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