City OKs pedestrian safety improvements

The Lawrenceville City Council voted Monday to approve the Park Place pedestrian safety improvement project. The purpose of the project is to make improvements to Park Place Drive without shifting traffic volume onto adjacent streets. The project seeks to slow traffic and improve pedestrian safety with the installation of traffic calming devices, curb and gutters, storm drainage improvements, sidewalks, street lighting and bicycle accommodations.

Park Place Drive, which connects between Simonton Road and Grayson Highway/State Route 20, currently has two 12-foot traffic lanes with no curb and gutter or sidewalks.

The project includes site clearing, grading, excavation of existing pavement, demolition of existing concrete driveway entrances and drainage pipe and structures necessary for the installation of 2,130-square-yards of concrete for driveways and 8,800 feet of 24-inch curb and gutter.

The city received five bids for the work and has chosen to give the contract to low-bidder The Dickerson Group Inc. of Lawrenceville. The $2.1 million project will not only improve pedestrian safety for residents in the area, but will correct stormwater drainage issues.

Rules revised to control weeds, overgrown grass

The Lawrenceville City Council voted recently to approve an amendment to the General Code of Ordinances to change the requirements for property maintenance for undeveloped property.

Grass, weeds or uncultivated vegetation may not exceed 12 inches in height on premises and exterior property. Property owners of developed property are required to maintain the rightof-way from the property line to the street curb in the same manner. This regulation is not applied to undeveloped property or to portions of developed property where the intent is to leave the property in its natural state, nor to allow landscape islands or other designed areas to return to a natural state due to a lack of maintenance.

However, undeveloped properties and portions of developed property where the intent is to leave the property in its natural state still must maintain a 12-inch height along the right-of-way frontage at a minimum distance of 20 feet and 20 feet from adjacent developed property.