This is a complete and utter abuse and waste of over 20 million of taxpayers dollars! What standard is the city using to guage 'improvements'? The medians along Spring Road from Atlanta to Campbell Road haven't improved any of the existing neighborhoods, nor resulted in attracting any new, quality businesses. We-buy-Gold shops, pawn shops, smoke shops and mega gas stations don't qualify as 'improvements', in my book.
The only 'improvement' I can figure, is the bank accounts of the contractors and engineers working on the long, drawn out project. Or the improved commute of people that live far outside of the city limits of Smyrna and Smyrna neighborhoods. I would prefer the improvements improve OUR lives, instead of theirs!
Visiting other cities & surfing the web results in an abundance of alternative options that would have greatly 'improved' Smyrna's image & Concord Road, at a much smaller cost and shorter timeframe.
Concord Road IS a neighborhood street that cuts through the center of Smyrna Heights 400 of so bungalows and ranch homes. This neighborhood should have been preserved as just that, a neighborhood.
Is there NOONE in city hall that understands the importance of retaining and enhancing quaint, village-style neighborhoods, as a core attraction to residential home buyers? A mere 2-3 million dollars could have designed a wonderful 10 block, pedestrian friendly corridor w/ 17 million leftover to beautify and design other negleted areas thoughout Smyrna.
What could we have seen done for 3 million , you ask?
If comparing 1,000's of similar sized projects done for between 2 and 3 million, this is what should have resulted by 2007 or 2008 from the 2005 SPLOST.
1) A clean, vibrant corridor that defines sense of place for the neighborhoods along Concord Road.
2) An asthetically appealing commercial corridor for the city of Smyrna.
3) Realigned roadway, w/ clear turnlanes, clear stripping, more marked, enhanced pedestrian crosswalks and buildouts for pedestrian safety.
4) On road, seperated , stripped BIKE LANEs. (these would continue along Spring Road to Cumberland Blvd. in place of the redundant sidewalks at the curb)
5) Pedestrian enhanced walkways w/ benches, landscaping , decorative street lighting and directional sinage.
6) Street trees, street trees, street trees!! (bioswales & native, drought tolerant plantings, too!! No sod along roadway)
7) Facade improvements for existing businesses.
8) Incentives for new 'neighborhood' style businesses & resturants. (this should iclude art galleries, botiques, clothes & accesories, household goods & patio style resturants)
9) Entrance signs for all neighborhoods, including Forrest Hills & Smyrna Heights
10) Left turn on King Road w/ arrow ONLY!This could have already been a completed and attractive asset to Smyrna. As it stands now, and hearing more of the same, 'non anwer' answers from the city officials and engineers,.. this project has turned into the biggest UNimprovement and DRAIN on the city and citizens of Smyrna that will hurt for years to come.
It needs to be STOPPED, CHANGED (w/ the help of the surrounding neighborhoods input) and COMPLETE by the end of 2013!
We don't have a few more years of house value left , to allow this project to continue to look like it does. Enough is enough!!
-Mary Kirkendoll
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Consider the switch to decaf. Concord Road IS a neighborhood street that cuts through the center of Smyrna Heights - The traffic count on Concord is over 30,000 Cars/Day Incentives for new 'neighborhood' style businesses & restaurants. – The medium income for zip 30080 $51,368 – that is not a lot of disposable income. What do you mean by incentives? A mere 2-3 million dollars could have designed a wonderful 10 block, pedestrian friendly corridor w/ 17 million leftover – You should share your feasibility study with your council person. If comparing 1,000's of similar sized projects done for between 2 and 3 million –Examples?
It didn't work in Russia; why would anyone think it would work in America... or Smyrna? Our various mayoral and city council candidates and county commissionn candidates as well as state and federal candidates are elected by 10 to 25% of registered voters in the primaries. The general election is not much better except in a presidential election year. How many people understand the issues, the candidates positions or anything else? And what happens when you have unopposed lousy candidates or even a spate of lousy candidates? The power of government far exceeds what it should be. A lot of the time, it's better to just leave something alone.
Buying up businesses & widening the road will not benefit the neighborhood. Rethinking how we do things in Smyrna could help attract businesses and save millions at the same time.
You can make a difference. Power to the people.
How can you know what type of budget to even ask for if you've not surveyed, appraised and negotiated before submitting your plan? You know what hasn't been slow? Those medians in on Atlanta Road. Those came up quick as a flash! And I'm pretty sure they're made out of concrete. That aspect of your statement doesn't ring true to me. Sorry. And as far as Spring Rd looking "good" you must not have been down it recently. It's anything BUT. That "Linear Park" is nothing but a huge path. And a large number of home owners who's property edge up to Spring Rd along that stretch are anything but enthusiastic about it. But don't take my word for it. Go ask them yourselves. Especially the people who've lived in those homes for 30+ years. I do not agree that Smyrna needs one more so called "park." We have an inordinate amount already. Again, please ask a Smyrna Ranger next time you see one, since they're "responsible" for them about the number we have. With tumbleweeds blowing across most of S. Cobb Drive due to vacancies, and areas that need much more immediate attention than Smyrna Heights, I find the expense, timing, planning and execution of this project poor at best. Negligent and wreckless at worst. But what's done is done. Too bad the rest of Smyrna is going to have to suck up this very expensive error.
Let's hope the city can find the money? According to the mayor the city has money in reserves. (But cancelled the fireworks to save money.) The problem with not being truthful is that you've got to remember what story you told so you can continue with it. Or use people like you to keep the propaganda coming.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/investing/2012/03/22/americas-most-corrupt-states/ http://www.stateintegrity.org/georgia http://www.iwatchnews.org/2012/03/19/8427/georgia-worst-score-country
Maybe IF the GBI, FBI, and State AG actually swarmed Atlanta City Hall and other local city halls the state wouldn't be in the postiion it is. If you don't know who Gene and Herman Talmadge were you know nothing of Georgia's history and therefore nothing of what kind of state Georgia is.
And another fact. Ron Fennel (Ward 7) a lobbyist who worked on state ethics reforms (still having problems wrapping my mind around that one) said "abusers will be weeded out". BY WHOM? With Georgia having the most corrupt state goverment in the country you've got the fox guarding the hen house. http://pba.org/post/state-ethics-reform-view-former-lawmaker-now-lobbyist
Its sad that this site keeps giving Mrs. Kirkendol a podium on which to spread so much nonsense.