The city of Lookout Mountain, Ga. has received $200,000 from the Georgia Department of Transportation that will be used for road improvements. The last few miles of Lula Lake Road on the south end of town will be paved and Lula Lake Road will be restriped with that money. After the striping is finished, the city will add reflectors. That work is expected to begin in six to eight weeks.
In June, patching was done on Wood Nymph Trail and Cinderella Road by the public works department and they have been repairing culverts along residential roads which have sustained damage from erosion. Council member Kevin Leckenby, the council liaison with the public works department, reminds residents that the upkeep of the right-of-way in their yards is their responsibility so that the city can have access when needed.
The curves near the top of Scenic Highway are a continuing matter for concern. Councilman Leckenby has witnessed close calls with trucks that are unable to make the tight curves without crossing the center line. He suggested that the city post warning signs before those dangerous places in the road. Because it is a state highway, GDOT is responsible and would have to put up signs there, said City Attorney Bill Pickering. Arrangements will be made to have a GDOT representative meet with town officials and discuss what to do to reduce the on-going danger.
Other projects that the public works department has been working on this summer include clearing clogged drains and ditches and cutting back vegetation that is overhanging roads to increase visibility. Work on the light posts along the sidewalk is also being done as time and staffing allows. Public works is also making repairs to the debris truck so that it is dependable and ready for leaf season.
Atlanta Gas is in the process of doing a final walk-through to make sure that there are no remaining property issues from the installation of all the new gas lines throughout the city. The next phase of the gas line restoration project has begun. Starting on Apollo Road just below Covenant College, the replacement of gas lines will continue south down Scenic Highway to the state line. There will be lane closures that will impact traffic flow during this work.
The next day that the dumpster will be in Georgia is Saturday, Aug. 5. Councilman Leckenby said it is for use of residents of the city, so people should have an ID available if asked for it.
The fire and police activity during June includes patrolling 2,477 miles, making 21 traffic stops,and giving six citations and 22 warnings. There were nine wrecks during the month and response was made to 32 burglar alarms. Six suspicious vehicles were checked and five suspicious persons. There were four thefts stemming from car break-ins, and Council Member Taylor Watson reported that most of what was stolen has been recovered. The police dealt with five ordinance violations and six civil matters. They assisted six citizens, three motorists and the Tennessee LMPD six times during June. Additionally, there were 18 fire calls and 13 medical calls during the month. Councilwoman Watson asks again for people living on the mountain to please be sure to lock their cars and their houses.
Speeding is a continuing problem in the city, prompting Lavens Brooks, homeowner on Princess Trail, to come to the council meeting with a petition signed by people who live on the street to ask the city for help. That road has many young children, pets and walkers, and traffic and speeding has increased. Vehicles now have moved over to Princess Trail to avoid Hardy Road where stop signs were put up to slow cars. There is also the problem of drivers being distracted by using their cell phones, she said. The council is willing to build speed bumps to slow traffic, but will gather data for the next month before making a decision.
The city’s new budget for 2023-2024 has passed. Mayor Bennett said there will be no overall increase in property taxes this year.