County pushes forward on plans
Baldwin County is proceeding with its neighborhood path project despite growing opposition, but there appears to be some efforts in the works to reduce the potential impact in the area most affected.
The county has already received approval to spend $300,000, to be matched 20 percent in local funds, for design work and preliminary engineering for the shared-use path in the Baldwin County Regional Airport area. The 3.6-mile path would go around the airport and on Newport and Lakeport roads.
Final construction costs for the project have not been determined, but estimates in 2018 were approximately $1.2 million. County Manager Carlos Tobar acknowledged that approaching six years later, the cost now will be higher.
He said the county has already set aside $300,000 in SPLOST funds toward its 20 percent match.
The most vocal opposition has come from Newport Road residents. The proposed path will run in front of homes on county rightsof- way that are maintained as yards by homeowners.
“The original plan was to have a five-foot grass section past the ditch and then a 10-foot path,” Tobar said. “That would have put the path at the edge of the right-of-way.”
Last week the county manager announced he had received approval to reduce the width of the path to eight feet on that road.
Adding two feet for the curb would mean a total width of 10 feet from the edge of the pavement for the project, he said.
Tobar was in the neighborhood on Dec. 21 and talked with two residents. Following a discussion with Linda Colwell, he agreed to ask the grant administrator, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), about the possibility of a sidewalk on Newport Road.
“I have already spoken to GDOT,” Tobar said early the following morning. “We should be fine. We do have some paperwork to do, but that is okay. We will be good for the sidewalks there.”
Upon learning of that development, District 4 County Commissioner Henry Craig said he had no problem with that change. Craig is the one on the board advocating the path.
“If I had a better mission statement, and that might not be the right word,” Craig said, “but if I could sell this thing better years ago, if I had said I want to build a sidewalk around the airport for everyone to use, every house to use, everybody would have said yes.
“But,” he went on, “because of the way the grant money is authorized, you can’t say sidewalk, or we didn’t think so at the time. So, we used a multi-use path. It was in the grant opportunities that were available at that time.”
Despite efforts by some residents to stop the work before it starts (see related story this edition), both Tobar and Craig continue promoting the multi-purpose path.
“I became determined to pursue it when I read the emails from the ladies who were hit by the car. That alarmed me,” said Tobar.
Courtney Hitchcock was one of the runners hit at an intersection in the neighborhood by a driver who did not come to a stop and struck her and her friend. She said the vehicle traveled about 30 feet with them on its hood. They were not seriously hurt and did not report it.
Hitchcock was nearly hit on another occasion when running along Newport Road.
“I was running down Newport, and I was on the side of the road. This lady was coming down, and she honked at me like I was in her way. I had to jump in the ditch. She didn’t slow down at all.”
Tobar reiterated his point at the commissioners’ Dec. 5 meeting, pointing out he had received emails from several individuals who were either hit or nearly hit by motorists while walking in the neighborhoods.
Craig also noted that he lived in the neighborhood was an occasional walker along the roadway and had experienced jumping out of the way of vehicles himself.
“Multi-purpose paths have a couple of purposes,” Tobar said.“One is to improve safety, and one is to improve the health of our community. That’s why shared-use paths or multi-purpose paths are built, is for the neighbors in that area to get out and exercise in a safe environment.”
The county manager noted that the rights-of-way of county roads are mowed four times a year and stated through the project the trail will become a recreational facility and will be mowed at least every two weeks. He also noted an alternative of the path being mowed on the same schedule as the airport inside the fenced area.
During a trip around the proposed path route, Tobar recalled the money, effort, and time spent on the east apron hanger proposal before the commissioners decided not to pursue that expansion. He pointed out the county would be breaking a contract by not pursuing the shared-path development.
“But,” he quickly added, “I would rather they do that than spend another $260,000 and later on in 2024 not authorize me to pursue the construction money. That’s probably worse. I’ve told them I’m not going to spend any more money until you guys tell me what you’re going to do.”
Tobar explained that the project is being funded with federal dollars through the Transportation Alternative Program (TAP).
“This Is highly competitive,” he pointed out. “We were one of only two counties in the state of Georgia to get this.” Harris County was the other, he said, receiving a grant to construct a path to Calloway Gardens.
“And, we beat someone else out for this money. Another community wanted this money, and they chose us … If we cancel this, saying we don’t want this money, we’ll never get another TAP grant.”
One of the individuals at a meeting estimated there are 33 power poles and more than 60 guide wires that may have to be moved. Tobar disagreed with that assessment.
“We don’t anticipate any utility relocation,” he commented. “I am pretty sure no poles need to be relocated. There may be some guide wires that have to be relocated “but according to our engineers, guide wires are relocated often.”
Tobar pointed out that there is a stretch 300-400 feet wide at the extreme east end of the airport that will not officially be a part of the path. That narrow strip is in the Runway Protection Zone (RPZ), as declared by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and will remain a grassy area.
Tobar explained that the RPZ regulation is to prevent construction in the area, which would be a safety concern. There is no vertical construction in this case, he said, only in a horizontal direction with a path.
Tobar stated that no further public hearings are planned, explaining that GDOT is satisfied with what the county has done in providing information, including alterations in the plans, sending out emails, allowing input at meetings, and meetings at the commissioners’ office.
“In their eyes, it’s full speed ahead. We’ve cleared all the hurdles,” Tobar said.