More Grant Funding Coming for SR59 Northern Sewer Line Project

The City of Lavonia continues to seek more funding to pay for a new northern sewer trunk line that will run from the Gateway Industrial Park.

At their meeting Monday evening, the Lavonia City Council got an update on the project from City Manager Gary Fesperman.

Fesperman said Lavonia is working with Hart County and has already received some grant monies for the project.

“Looking at the amount, the EDA agreed to participate in the amount of $694,864, which is a significant amount,” Fesperman said. “We (also) applied to the Appalachian Regional Commission in the amount of $300,000. We have every reason to believe we will get that funding.’

Fesperman said they should know soon whether the ARC will approve their pre-application.

Lavonia has been working to build the northern sewer trunk line for the past eight years but has not been successful in getting the financing until a German manufacturer announced plans to build in the Gateway II Industrial Park earlier this year.

Fesperman said with the coming of the huge Haring plant , the extra capacity will be needed.

The current sewer line from Gateway down SR59 is already at 75% capacity and could not handle the extra load the new Haring plant will bring.

Fesperman told the Council if both grants are approved and awarded that will just leave a local match, but there’s some good news in that as well.

“That will leave a local match of $394,865, which Hart County has agreed to provide,” Fesperman said. “So having said that the total price of the project could be covered by the two grants and the local match coming from Hart County.”

Total cost of the northern sewer trunk line project is just over $1.3 million.