A crowd of community leaders turned out Friday afternoon, Aug. 25, at Adel City Hall in support of the City’s presentation for a site visit to be designated as a PlanFirst Community.
PlanFirst is the Georgia Department of Community Affairs’ (DCA) program to recognize and reward communities that clearly demonstrate an established pattern of successfully implementing their Local Comprehensive Plan (Greater Cook County 2030).
PlanFirst status would allow Adel to apply annually for Community Development Block Grants (now up to $750,000) and to receive 1/2 percent to 1 percent interest rate reductions in loans through the Employment Incentive Program, Redevelopment Fund Program, Downtown Development Revolving Loan Fund Program, and the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA).
Cook County was designated as a PlanFirst Community for 2017-2019. As a result, the County qualified for reduced interest rates on a $2,691,000 Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan and a $1,400,000 Georgia Fund loan. The Georgia Fund loan will finance the construction of four solid waste cells at the Cook County municipal solid waste landfill. The CWSRF loan will finance the installation of liner and highdensity polyethylene pipe as part of the construction of the cells. The cells will provide space for up to 30 years for local garbage at the landfill, said County Administrator Faye Hughes.
The City of Adel, AdelCook County Chamber of Commerce, and Cook County Economic Development Commission made a PlanFirst Community presentation to DCA Planning Outreach Coordinator Adriane Wood, DCA staff, and PlanFirst Community representatives from across Georgia, including Vienna, Liberty County, Douglas, and Gwinnett County.
The program featured a wonderful video produced by Gavin Merwin and Avery Henley. The video shows community highlights ranging from the Historical Society Museum (old post office) to Adel police and firefighters, from the Adel bed race at Christmastime to the new Linde atmospheric gases plant (to be completed in the first quarter of 2019). Linde is the largest economic development project that has ever come to Adel, representing a $45 million capital investment.
State Sen. Ellis Black attended the program, which featured talks by John Stover with Carter & Sloope Engineers, Adel City Manager John Flythe, Economic Development Commission Executive Director Lisa Collins, Adel-Cook County Chamber of Commerce President Jerry Connell, and Adel Mayor Buddy Duke.
The presenters discussed the plan to use funds from the proposed Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) to eventually extend a truck bypass from Alabama Road (near I-75 Exit 39) to I-75 Exit 37 (Old Quitman Road). A 100,000- square-foot replacement hospital facility will be built near Exit 37. Two investors have also expressed interest in building a hotel/conference center at that interchange.
Other future plans:
- The new Adel-Cook Recreation Department complex, expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2019. Phase I will consist of six fields with a walking trail and possibly a soccer field. Phase II will have four additional ballfields.
- Now that Bear Creek Village has opened with 56 units, other major housing development projects are in the works. A 132-unit development is planned for East Fourth Street, at the intersection of Bear Creek Road. The replacement of 18 public housing units built in the 1950s on Ninth Street is being considered.
- A downtown development coordinator, “Main Street” program designation for Adel; a corridor redevelopment plan from I-75 Exit 39 to Highway 41; expanding the borders of the downtown Adel area on the main highway corridors; purchase and rehab of dilapidated buildings for resale or lease, or creation of more green space in downtown Adel.
- Expansion of Broadband capability and Internet infrastructure. Meetings are underway with Broadband providers to improve those services locally.
If awarded, PlanFirst Community status would be announced for the City of Adel at the annual DCA Conference in Savannah on Oct. 4 and 5. The PlanFirst status would begin Jan. 1, 2018.
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