A “tower trail” nature trail construction, from a historic water tower near Oak Street to the elementary school amphitheater can begin construction after the DDA finally acquired all the land as recently as Friday.
“That’s really good news,” said Andy Brubaker, the DDA’s most recent chairman.
Not only did the DDA have to work with residents who owned land along the trail, but a sliver of the proposed area belonged to the U.S. Postal Service.
The city and the DDA received a $100,000 state recreation and trail grant for the trail about two years ago, but the project has been tied up since then with land acquisition. The trail would connect the elementary school with Oak Street and the west side of town and allow for hiking and bicycling. A separate park area also is proposed near the water tower, which once belonged to a cannery, history experts say.
Brubaker, who recently resigned as chairman of the DDA to pursue higher education, said the project will be bid and construction will begin immediately, with expected completion in late October or early November.
The DDA’s annual report to council came out of a retreat DDA members had this summer. One of the goals of that session was to improve communication with council and residents.
The report touted the board’s accomplishments, including the hiring in the last year of Holly Haskins-Fehr, the city’s Better Hometown coordinator who succeeded Toni Striblin. Striblin, one of the original architects of the DDA and a number of downtown events, resigned late last year to spend more time with her family.
Brubaker said the DDA should find out soon if it will receive another grant; it applied for a U.S. Department of Agriculture beautification grant for $50,000 that would help with lighting and landscaping of several new parking lots downtown.
The DDA also has assisted with a new Web site for Hogansville, www. thecityofhogansville.com and maintained its accreditation from the state as a Better Hometown program.
Brubaker told council the DDA had been given property on Boozer Street.
“It’s a good asset for the future,” he said. “Rather than let it be sold privately, the city may want that property one day.”
The DDA also has a presence on new social media, including Facebook and Twitter.
In the next year, Brubaker said DDA members want to develop business and property owner welcome packets for newcomers to downtown, which will answer questions like what utility and phone service is available and who to call for other services.
“We want to continue being ‘the city of friendly people,’ ” Brubaker said, invoking Hogansville’s motto.
Jennifer Shrader can be reached at jshrader@l agrangenews.com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 236.
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