Plans have now been finalized for turning four and a half acres, where the Sims family at one time operated a motel, into a park. Attorney Bobby Dan, representing the Lookout Mountain Conservancy, told the Lookout Mountain, Ga. City Council at the April meeting that the city has formally agreed to waive any liens that it has on the property. The liens resulted from work to clean it up and to remove asbestos. Delinquent property taxes have also been forgiven and the Sims family has agreed to donate any interest it has in this property to the conservancy.
The city of Lookout Mountain, Ga. will have no on-going obligation for maintenance of the property. The conservancy expects to close on the sale in a couple of weeks.
After the close, planning can move forward with landscape architect Matt Whitaker leading the discussions. Public meetings will be held so the community can be included. The area that was previously filled with gardens and stone walls will be brought back and decisions will be made whether to preserve any structures. A connector trail will join the new park to the city hall. One path it may take will require the city to acquire several easements. Recalling the property as it used to be with flowers, rose gardens, a pool and shuffleboard courts, Council Member Taylor Watson said she could not think of a better use for the property.
Additional gardens near city hall have also been designed and soon will be built at the intersection of Red Riding Hood Trail and Lula Lake Road. Dennis Bishop from Going-Native Landscape, along with community volunteer Jimmy Campbell and the garden clubs on the mountain, have planned the low maintenance gardens to have an Irish Fairy Rings theme. Large boulders will form rings that are filled with colorful flowers in Joe Wilson Park and on both sides of Lula Lake. Flowering trees, shrubs, ferns and woodland perennials will fill out the perimeter of the park area. Phase two will extend the gardens along Lula Lake Road in front of the municipal buildings. Fundraisers will be held to help with the cost of this park.
In his report, City Manager Kenny Lee gave the schedule of road closures that will be necessary for repairing the landslide area near the top of the Ochs Extension to Rock City. During the last month, GDOT designated the repair as an emergency site and moved the timeline from one year to next month. From Sunday night, April 25, the road will be closed for four-to-six weeks from Mockingbird Lane down to where Ochs Highway turns up to Fleetwood on the Tennessee side of the mountain. The work will include building a retaining wall on the brow side, installing stormwater culverts and repaving the section of the road impacted by the landslide. Mr. Lee recognized the importance of the city of Chattanooga paving Ochs Highway and installing a new guard rail before this work starts.
Large signs will warn the drivers of big trucks and tour buses that they cannot use the road. These vehicles are too large to navigate the curves and there is no place for them to turn around if they do start up the mountain. It may be necessary to get flaggers at the bottom to get their attention. Some dangerous trees may also be removed along the roadway while it is closed. It is hoped that the work will be complete before tourist season begins on Memorial Day.
During the construction, traffic on Ochs Highway will be directed through the Tennessee roads. Council Member Taylor Watson, liaison with the fire and police department, noted that traffic laws will be strictly enforced in Tennessee and violators will be stopped and ticketed. She asks Georgia residents to respect the laws. She also emphasized the importance of locking doors of houses and cars to prevent break-ins from “unusual visitors.” Leaving them unlocked, she said, is an open invitation.
Kevin Leckenby, the council member in charge of the public works department, said the new parking lot on Oberon Trail across Lula Lake from city hall is underway with expectations that it will be finished by mid-May. And fencing between Garden Walk and the city hall is now in place. Sidewalk repair will begin as manpower and time allows, he said, as well as making spot road repairs. The SEC gas company is now connecting homes to the main line and should be finished by the end of June. Public Works hopes to have all brush picked up for Memorial Day. The next dumpster day will be Saturday, May 7.
Councilman Tony Towns who is heading the city’s response to stormwater problems, said that the city will be requiring permits for certain construction projects. The requirement to obtain a permit is expected to prevent some of the stormwater issues. It has been determined that some problems are being caused by the way some driveways are built and that other problems to neighbors and to creeks are being caused by heavy trucks running over and crushing drain pipes in the city’s rights-of-way.
One of Fairyland School’s three fundraisers, the Fairyland Festival, will take place Tuesday, May 3, with a rain date of May 5. Caroline Williams, representing the school, said the effects of not being able to have the festival for two years have been felt. She said the school is happy to accept donations which helps it offer enrichment programs and additional teachers. A farmer’s market at the school is planned for May 1 where the students can showcase the Aquaponics lab. Everything is almost back to normal considering the COVID pandemic, she said.
The city’s sewer system is again facing problems. Wes Hasden with the sewer board told the council that a 22-year-old generator failed recently and a temporary one is being rented now that is necessary for the system to work before building the new pump station. A replacement generator will cost the city $200,000.