Lavonia Bans Large Trucks From Downtown Area

18-wheelers and other large trucks will no longer be able to drive through the City of Lavonia on city streets.

This month, the Lavonia City Council heard the first reading of a new ordinance that will force large trucks to only use state routes when traveling through town.

City manager Gary Fesperman said the new law is designed to keep the larger trucks out of the central business district.

 “That is in hopes of saving the new pavement we have installed downtown, Fesperman said. “And also to relieve congestion at certain time of the day. 18-wheelers coming through our square area presents a hazard not only for pedestrian traffic who are downtown but also for other things like the Farmers Market and so forth.”

Fesperman said trucks making deliveries to downtown businesses and restaurants on the square would be excluded from that ordinance.

The ordinance also includes redefined speed limits for industrial zones of Lavonia.

 “We have received numerous complaints over the past several months about speeding within the industrial zones and the hazards they present,” Fesperman said. “After looking at it, the police chief recommended,  since the code did not have any specifics as to speed limits, (in those areas) that we establish speed limits for industrial zones.”

Fesperman said each zoning code has a speed limit and to clarify the ordinance, the city re- defined the speed limits for each zone.

For the downtown business district, the speed limit will be 20mph. For  industrial districts, it will now be  25mph. All residential areas inside the city limits will be 25mph, and special designated districts such as school zones and hospital zones will be 15mph.

All of those areas will be marked with speed limit signs.   The council will hear a second reading of the newly defined speed limits at their next regular meeting in June.