SNELLVILLE – The city council approved a measure Monday, which will help pay for the bulk of the new Oak Road Park and the proposed Towne Center Multi-Use Trail.
The city will use a maximum of $1 million in County Special Local Option Sales Tax funds to pay for a majority of the costs of the two projects. Oak Road Park had a price tag of $400,000 while the trail system is expected to cost $1.25 million.
The trail is expected to offer a path for pedestrians and cyclists to and from the city's proposed Towne Center which will feature commercial, residential and business space.
Beginning at Scenic Highway on the west side of the downtown area at a new trailhead, the proposed 1.25-mile multi-use trail will travel east crossing North Road. It is designed to include park space at many points along its path and will incorporate needed stormwater features that double as scenic lakes/ponds. The trail is slated to traverse the entirety of the proposed Towne Center area and become part of the city's Greenway system.
The trail will serve a larger purpose than just general recreation use as it will be an integral part of the city's Towne Center development tying together residential, retail and education aspects of the development creating a new downtown Snellville.
City officials said the trail would be constructed ahead of or in conjunction with the Towne Center project.
Oak Road Park was envisioned first in 2003, when a 4.67-acre tract of land was acquired by the city on Oak Road which included the stipulation that it could only be used for greenspace. In 2015, a united Mayor and Council agreed on how it should be developed as a neighborhood park. This plan included working with the county on building a sidewalk from Scenic Highway to Mountain View Road, also with joint SPLOST funding, to make the park easily accessible to downtown and nearby neighborhoods. The city hired the engineering firm of Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood to design the park and oversee construction.