Clarifying plans for the recent acquisition of land on Pioneer Road, Commissioner Robert Jones answered questions about the property he says will only house courthouse parking, for now at least.
Responding to rumors of immediate plans to construct a new courthouse on the land, Jones said, “No. We are not going to build anything now. There is property there for the future if and when the future legal entities and leaders of this county want to build a judicial complex. But that’s not now.”
The four and a half acres, comprised of two plots behind the Piggly Wiggly, were purchased for $477,976 by the county to solve the parking issue posed by SPLOST-funded renovation/expansion plans for the current Pickens County Courthouse.
In February 2008, voters approved a one-cent sales tax option that included a $17-million budget for renovations to the courthouse.
Renovations were stalled in part because Jones and members of the Courthouse Advisory Commission did not feel there would be ample room for parking at the site.
Jones says Pickens County’s population is expected to grow significantly in the next decade, and he sees courthouse expansion as a logical next step.
“If the population grows like they say it’s going to,” Jones said, “the county will need that property to expand the courthouse in the next 10 years or so. It’s up to whoever is in charge, but I would hope, and I see it that somebody in office will need to expand and build a judicial complex.”
Jones said the portion of the property that fronts Pioneer Road and still displays a for-sale sign will be cleared and graveled, in case there is a need for additional parking even beyond the planned paved lot. This portion of the four-and-a-half acre site is where Jones envisions the judicial complex will be located in the future.
Jones pointed out the new parking area should benefit the downtown area in more than one way.
“The parking area we want to build now will also be used for additional downtown parking,” Jones said, “and it will help vitalize the downtown area.”
According to Jones, a local engineer is working up drawings for the proposed parking site. These drawings will be made public upon completion.
Jones says plans are for a lighted walkway to lead from the new parking lot up Court Street to the courthouse annex and courthouse. “But nothing is final yet,” he said.
There will also be a second entrance to the parking lot near the rear of the courthouse annex at the base of Court Street. A through street will run from this entrance to the second parking lot entrance on Pioneer Road.
When asked about easement issues for the walkway and second vehicle entrance, the commissioner said the parking lot property connects to the railroad tracks near the town depot and that the county will only need to gain an easement over the tracks.
Jones said there should be no problem acquiring the easement from the Georgia Northeastern Railroad.
“We are working with the railroad company now, and they are all in favor of it,” Jones said. “There are federal standards and guidelines for railroad crossings, but they are getting those worked out and pulling things together for me.” |
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