During this “economic downturn” some are saying Hall County needs to halt infrastructure improvements while other think that infrastructure improvements are vital to the future of Hall County.
It’s no surprise to anyone who drives down Mundy Mill Rd. or Atlanta Hwy. that there’s a lot of construction going on. Everywhere you look there are orange cones, DOT machinery and best of all, lane closures. This project has been long overdue and much anticipated. We weren’t ready for the explosion of growth in the last few years and that’s how we’ve ended up in the traffic nightmare that we are in now.
Some folks think we need to nix some projects, take a step back and wait on the economy. As I was at the last Hall County Commissioners meeting Mr. Craig Lutz said the following to the Board;
…we are not in an urgent economic position where the infrastructure has to be done now. I believe this would be a good time to pause and calibrate the needs in South Hall.
Lutz is a Flowery Branch City Councilman and apparently opposes infrastructure improvements during this bad economy. I disagree. We need to put folks to work. With the largest unemployment rate in 15 years, I don’t think it will hurt to improve the quality of life here in Hall County. If we don’t brace ourselves for even more growth after the recession then we will again be blindsighted and face congested roads, over crowded schools and lack of sewer services. If SPLOST is approved in March then why not go ahead with infrastructure and improve the quality of life for Hall County citizens?
Here’s an excerpt from an article in The Times regarding Chairman Tom Oliver’s opinion of infrastructure improvements.
Oliver said a good way to lay the groundwork for the county’s growth is through the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, which will be up to voters on the March 17 ballot.
“It’s our road map to the future,” Oliver said of the upcoming SPLOST.
You can read the entire article here.
