Downtown Bainbridge's sidewalks will get an "extreme makeover" sometime during the fourth quarter of this year, when the second phase of the city's Streetscape project commences.

Representatives of the Genesis Group, a Florida-based consulting firm hired to oversee the project's design, updated the Bainbridge City Council at its annual retreat last week.

Streetscape Phase II will revitalize portions of Water, Broad and West streets downtown.

According to City Manager Chris Hobby, the project will be paid for using $500,000 from the federal government's transportation enhancement program and a $200,000 high-priority federal earmark being requested by U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, who represents Georgia's 2nd Congressional District.

The first phase of Streetscape, begun and completed in 2003, improved the overall appearance of walkways on most of Broad Street north of Shotwell Street. Streetscape Phase II could include cosmetic and functional improvements such as new sidewalks, red brick pavers, benches, trash receptacles, landscaping and street lamps.

Jim Sullivan, an engineer with the Genesis Group's Tallahassee, Fla., branch, said Phase II has been split up into two different work schedules because the two sources of federal funding are administered differently. He said that Genesis' consultants "have made progress" getting the project approved by the Georgia Department of Transportation, which has oversight over state routes.

"Phase II should be approved in August and go to bid in August," Sullivan said. "I hope that's a conservative estimate, I hope it's sooner."

Hobby said that timeline could mean work on Streetscape Phase II, which will require replacement of sidewalks and pavement at intersections, may be still going on at Christmas time, when several celebrations are traditionally held downtown.

Specifically, Phase II will include work along the portion of Water Street between Crawford and Clay streets, North Broad Street between Market and Calhoun streets, and West Street between Water and Calhoun streets. The high-priority earmark would be used to fund work along West Street between Broughton and Shotwell streets, according to Bainbridge Community Development Director Amanda Glover.

Project aims to make walkways safe, attractive

Genesis Group consultants discussed some design and safety issues with Hobby and members of the City Council.

In reply to Councilwoman Roslyn Palmer, Hobby said city workers have not yet tested whether asphalt can be effectively scraped off the top of underlying brick streets downtown.

Palmer expressed frustration at the delay, saying she frequently fields questions about the idea to expose the historic streets, first laid in 1912.

Sullivan said that although Phase II would use the same types of aesthetics as the first phase, the Genesis Group was studying the possibility of using stamped concrete with a brick appearance instead of actual bricks.

Glover said Donalsonville, Ga., is using stamped concrete in its ongoing Streetscape project and said she had been told the material was working well.

Hobby said that in hindsight, laying brick pavers on top of sand beds for crosswalks included in Streetscape Phase I was not ideal and noted city officials are applying lessons they learned in the previous project.

According to Hobby and Glover, some of the issues experienced with Phase I's work include sidewalk cracking, pedestrian safety issues and wooden benches that have weathered significantly since being placed around Willis Park in 2003. Glover also said a tree expert has been consulted about maintaining the health of trees in the park and their proper trimming.

City to get grant for historic design guidelines

Bainbridge will receive a $9,000 grant funded by the federal government to develop design guidelines for the city's historic districts, according to a news release.

The money will be used to hire someone to detail the design aspects of historic commercial and residential properties in Bainbridge, Glover said.

The guidelines will help people applying to the Bainbridge Historic Preservation Commission for permission to make major changes to their property's appearance, said Glover, who is an ex-officio member of the commission.

The guidelines, which will be based on the design of historic properties in Bainbridge, will help applicants know how to tailor their proposed changes to fit in with the aesthetics of the city's historic district, Glover said.

The contract for the guidelines' development will be bid out later this year, she said.

Brennan Leathers can be reached by e-mail at blnews@e-postprint.com
or by telephone at (229) 246-2827, Ext. 115.