Lookout Mountain, Ga., has started work on the new Town Center. Demolition of the old municipal buildings will not be done until the USDA loan is approved, but asbestos remediation, which must be done prior to demolition, was begun on Monday and is expected to take two to three weeks to complete. The cost estimate for this work is $15,000, which the Town Council authorized at a special called meeting on March 25.
Mayor David Bennett said after paperwork is submitted to the USDA, it is expected to take between six and eight weeks before the loan is approved.
Once the town has been notified, a special called public meeting will be held.
The second and final vote gave private clubs in Lookout Mountain, Ga. the ability to sell beer and wine for off-premise consumption in addition to by-the-drink sales. The ordinance amendment will also change the distance requirement for alcohol sales from 1,000 yards away from the property line of a church to 50 yards and it must be 200 yards from the school grounds. This is a move to help ensure that the businesses that locate in the retail spaces around the Town Center will be successful. It is expected that bars and restaurants and retail alcohol sales will be in the development.
All demolition has now been done at the Sims property and the site has been cleaned up, said the mayor in his monthly report. He also gave a reminder that Carter Field and the Fairyland School playground are now closed to promote social distancing as the result of the COVID-19 virus. At this time the field and track behind the school remains open as long as people are in compliance. If that changes, an email will be sent to residents. He said that no groups should gather at these locations.
Mayor Bennett would like to encourage residents to support local businesses on the mountain that have remained open to serve the community. He also reported that every employee of Lookout Mountain, Ga. is working, doing a great job and are all healthy and the town is fully functioning. The public works employees are being provided with protective gear to guard against the threat of coronavirus exposure, especially when picking up garbage. He said it is important that residents make sure all garbage is bagged for their safety.
As a thank you to the public works department, Fort Trace residents recently had signs and banners of thanks throughout the neighborhood on the day that garbage was collected. Each employee was given a personal thank you note and cash gift. The town employees are committed to the city, said the mayor, and he asks that residents go out of the way to thank them for the work they are continuing to do.
New car decals are now on sale. Because the offices are closed at this time, a web-form had been created. A direct link to the form will be sent to residents, or it can be found on the town’s website on the police page. Payment can be made by credit card, electronic check, or can be put in the drop box or mailed to town hall. Mayor Bennett asks people to be sure and get their stickers because it is a very important way to aid in police protection.
Council member Taylor Watson, liaison with the fire and police department, said that officers are patrolling but not stopping cars unless it is absolutely necessary, in order to reduce their exposure to COVID-19. She said in the last month she is aware of two medical calls that have been made. Praise was given to the police from one of the recipients of the aid he received. “The police were great,” he said, “Our 911 works.”
Council member Caroline Williams said that school is closed for the remainder of the year. The Festival has also been cancelled, which is a big fundraiser for Fairyland School. The bills are still the same though, she said, and teachers must be paid, so contributions would be welcome.