Lavonia Passes New Truck and Speed Ordinance

It was almost delayed for another month, but the new ordinance barring 18-wheelers from driving through parts of downtown Lavonia is now law.

At their regular meeting Monday night, the Lavonia City Council heard the second reading of the new ordinance.

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

“We just completed a major paving project in our downtown and we felt like we needed to try and preserve the new pavement as best we can,” Fesperman. “And not only control it for the pavement, but also as a safety measure to try and control the 18-wheelers going through our central business district.”

Fesperman noted earlier most of the larger trucks are using the downtown streets as a short cut from SR17 or SR77 instead of using SR59 to get through town.  That, he said, can cause traffic tie ups during certain times of the day.

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

But just before the vote, city councilman Harold Harbin questioned whether the law was inclusive enough.

“What about 16-wheelers,” Harbin asked. “You don’t see them too much, but that’s something we need to address.”

Harbin noted sometimes chicken companies use the shorter trucks when picking up chickens.

Fesperman said adding 16-wheelers could delay the second read and asked Lavonia Police Chief Bruce Carlisle to research the change regarding weight limits in big rigs.

But mayor Ralph Owens said the ordinance should be simplified.

“Well I th ink we need to do it over so many wheelers because you’re not going to have any way to weigh them,” Owens noted. 

  The council agreed and Fesperman said he would amend the ordinance to read no trucks over three axles allowed through the downtown business district.

The council then voted unanimously to approve the new ordinance.

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

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 new speed limit signs.