The state of recreation areas and city owned buildings will be discussed Tuesday May 31 along with other issues such as a provision to allow for the establishment of tiny homes, a review of the current noise ordinance and a discussion of potential bank failure on the second level of the Augusta Canal.
Much of the action will take place in the Public Services Committee where there are nine alcohol petitions including six applications for Family Dollar stores located primarily in south Richmond County and operated by the same franchisee. There is no indication other Family Dollar stores will add beer and wine to their shelves.
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Parks and Recreation Director Maurice McDowell will address the commission and ask for $1 million in American Recovery Act funds to be used for repairs at two area parks. According to a pre-filed document, McDowell is asking for $750,000 for repairs at Riverwalk and for various non-functioning water fountains in downtown Augusta.
McDowell’s request includes $150,000 for repairs at Diamond Lakes Park and Recreation Center which has had to rely on Port-O-Potties because of faulty plumbing and also for $150,000 in discretionary or contingency funding.
While the Boathouse, located at the Augusta Marina has no allocated funding in McDowell’s request, committee members will discuss finding alternative sources of funding to fix the building which is currently not available for public use due to stability and decay issues.
The Public Services Committee will also discuss allowing people to have so-called “tiny homes” on their property. A tiny home is what the name suggests, an almost one-room loft style structure that can fit on a tiny amount of acreage.
Tiny homes are considered different from homes built on wheels, such as trailers, as they are built on foundations and cannot be moved unless dismantled. Currently, Augusta’s ordinances do not allow tiny homes; however, there has been renewed interest from the public and also the possibility that tiny homes might help alleviate homelessness that is spurring conversation on the commission.
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The Engineering Services Committee will discuss apparent bank failure on the second level of the Augusta Canal, specifically, the area in front of John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School. There are no documents attached to show if bank failure has occurred or if it is merely a concern that requires a plan of action.
The second level of the Augusta Canal, which was created with the deepening and widening efforts in the 1870s, mainly acts as a run-off flow for water not used by Enterprise Mill and other facilities and it connects with the third level that is the primary water return to the Savannah River. Most of the third level snakes throughout downtown Augusta without the notice of most passersby.
However, the second level of the canal is a major component to flood control for the medical district. In fact, Augusta’s last few recorded floods downtown were where the banks were breached on the second level.
In related news, an ordinance that almost always comes up for discussion after a holiday that involves fireworks, is the noise ordinance. Coming a day after a soggy Memorial Day, it is likely the matter will routinely be discussed and then discarded, or “taken as information,” as commissioners like to say.
Scott Hudson is the senior reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
