The finishing touches are being done to the new city hall in Lookout Mountain, Georgia that opened last month. Copper awnings have been installed on the building and controls are being put on the exterior lights. The lighting plan will be flexible and neighborhood friendly, said City Manager Kenny Lee, dimmers are being installed that can control lights by zones and by timing. A handmade conference table by Michael Smith, who is a Walker County resident, has been delivered and now being used in the great hall.
A new plan for Joe Wilson Park at the corner of Lula Lake Road and Red Riding Hood Trail is being designed by Dennis Bishop based on an Irish Fairy Rings theme. It will serve as an entryway into Fairyland and will extend to the new parking lot across the street from the municipal buildings. Volunteer Jimmy Campbell is heading the development of the park. After the design is completed, the council will have to give their approval before moving forward. Mr. Campbell is hoping to pay for this park by having a fundraising event and possibly money from a grant. The goal is for it to be low maintenance and to have a big visual impact as an entry into the town, not as a park where kids play since it is surrounded by traffic.
The city hall building is being referred to as the City Center because it was built for the community to use, said Fire and Police Commissioner Taylor Watson. And people have started doing just that. Mr. Lee said people are calling left and right to reserve the Great Hall. Various clubs have already held meetings and classes there, and a plant sale has been scheduled for later in the spring.
The city’s comprehensive plan which lays out the future development of Lookout Mountain, Ga., was approved at the end of February and is now posted on the city’s website. A master plan for parks, trails and sidewalks is still under development. Eventually, they will all join and connect different sections of the town.
The Ochs Highway Extension up to Rock City will be closed three-four days in the coming weeks for more repairs. The permanent repair has been delayed and it is now expected that work will not be done until next year.
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Council member Watson said that February was a quiet month for the fire and police departments. The only statistic from the department that were out of the ordinary was that from January to February, traffic violations doubled. Most stops and citations were for speeding and running stop signs. The number of traffic stops in February was 22 and that number increased to 41 in February. Also in February, 29 citations were given, up from 13 the month before. Other statistics for February include 17 traffic warnings, three automobile accidents and 2,592 miles patrolled. Officers also assisted one motorist, four citizens and the Tennessee police department five times. There were seven alarms in February although there were no burglaries or thefts. There were three suspicious persons checked and six suspicious vehicles checked. During the month there were 17 medical calls and four fire calls.
On the weekends when the Mountain Hospital for Animals is closed there are still animals that get lost. The town of Lookout Mountain, Ga. has had no place to keep those that are lost. Community volunteer Jimmy Stewart asked Council member Watson to help and the council agreed to keep crates and care for the rescued animals during the weekend after which Mr. Stewart will pick them up. Mr. Stewart volunteered to provide the crates.
The art show at Fairyland School was successful and the quality of the work was amazing, said liaison with the school, Council Member Caroline Williams. She said the school is gearing up for the festival that will be at the end of April, and a push for fundraising for the school continues. There was a large turnout for Night Out for Lookout, the big fundraiser for Lookout Mountain Elementary with many community members there from Georgia, she said.
Wes Hasden, head of the sewer board, reported that preliminary plans for the new pump station to service the town are in the works but bids will not be ready to go out before November and construction most likely will not begin until early in the next year. The town has just installed a meter at Covenant College to be able to see the exact usage and is getting ready to put another at Brow Wood and Thrive.
Mayor David Bennett said that car decals for 2022 will be ready and on sale in April. He said it is important for people to buy them so police can identify who are residents. A ribbon cutting to officially open the City Center buildings will be sometime in April or May. Details will be known at the next council meeting.
The city is getting really serious about enforcing the rules that are on the books., said the mayor. This includes obtaining permits where they are needed. Permitting protects both the homeowner and the city and helps to keep property values up, he said. Chief Todd Gann will be spearheading the push to be proactive, and will be looking for certain violations.
The next Lookout Mountain, Ga. council meeting will be Thursday, April 14, at 6 p.m.