Lavonia City Manager Gives Council, Mayor Projects Update

In Lavonia, work continues on a number of major city projects. 

City Manager Gary Fesperman gave the city council and mayor Ralph Owens an update on several projects his office is working on during their regular monthly meeting earlier this week. 

One of the projects that as been in the works for several years is the Streetscape project for the downtown area.    Fesperman said he recently met with the architects on a plan.

“The project scope has not changed from the original,” Fesperman said. “We plan to remove the existing sidewalks on Grogan Street to West Main Street, up in front of Mama Lyn’s to West Ave. and turn beside Alexander’s up to Athens First.  Then on the other side of West Ave. from the stoplight in front of Moon Water down to First Franklin.  We are awaiting G-DOT to give us permission to submit the final design of the project for their approval and then a Notice to Proceed once Fed dollars are received to fund the project.”

Fesperman said they hope the Streetscape project will start sometime by the end of the year. 

Another project the City continues to work on is the renovation of the Lavonia Cannery.  Last fall, the City took over operations and maintenance of the facility from the Franklin County Board of Education. 

Since then, the City has been working to secure grant money to fund the repairs the building needs.

“We’re working with John VanBrundt, who is with the Georgia Department of Community affairs on a stabilazation grant to repair the exterior of the building,” he said. “It will allow us to do some stablization on the windows, the roof, the soffets, and the columns in the front of the cannery.”   

Fesperman said the grant application calls for $100,000 in repairs to the cannery. The City would fund the remainder of the cost.  He said the City is hoping for a total grant amount of $40,000. 

Fesperman said the city is also hoping to secure a grant to do some outside repairs on the Lavonia Carnegie Library. 

And finally, the City is working on plans to build a new sewer trunk line to link the Gateway Industrial Park to the Lavonia city sewer system. 

Fesperman said the City was recently turned down for a federal Community Development Adminstration grant in the amount of $300,000 and must re-apply.