In 1996, then-Mayor Chuck Martin of Alpharetta asked if I would chair the city council committee to educate the public on a $26 million dollar bond referendum to build a new police headquarters, Webb Bridge Park and the middle section of Westside Parkway.  The bond passed with 82 percent of the vote.

The goal was to build a parkway on the west side of GA 400 that would mirror North Point Parkway.  We felt if we could keep motorists off GA 400 that were traveling from Mansell Road to Windward Parkway we would reduce congestion on GA 400 at peak travel times. At the outset we did not have any state highway dollars to help fund the new road. But the GDOT Commissioner at the time, Wayne Schackleford, promised that if we built the middle section of the parkway first he would find state money to connect to the northern and southern ends. Well, Commissioner Schackleford retired and the new Commissioner, Tom Coleman knew nothing of the previous commitment. Coleman said he did not have the money and it was not a priority in his plans moving forward.

A FAMILY AFFAIR

When we could not get the southern end of Westside Parkway funded, Tom LaDow, Bob Regus and I took the lead to create the North Fulton Community Improvement District.  The NFCID is a self-taxing commercial district that uses its money as the catalyst to attract additional state and federal funding for  infrastructure improvements. A 10-member board of commercial property owners that are elected by their peers governs the NFCID.  Once the NFCID was created we took the lead to do design and right-of-way acquisition that was the lynchpin to receive state and federal funding. We then landed $4.6 million from Congressman Tom Price and Senator Johnny Isakson.

HURRY UP AND WAIT

People often ask me why the southern end took so long to finish.  When you accept federal dollars and you are building a bridge over a federal protected creek you have to do the most intense environmental study. These studies can range from three to seven years.  Ours took five years and during that evaluative period we were not allowed to do any other work on the project.  Once we received environmental clearance, we had to acquire 36 parcels of "right-of-way" that took an additional year. What this six-year process did to the project was take it from an original cost of $16 million to $25 million. Call it $9 million for the joy of waiting. This process must be streamlined.  We could have improved a lot of roads and intersections with that $9 million.

I would like to point out that once the design, environmental, right-of-way and utility relocation was completed and we put a shovel in the ground the bridge was opened five months ahead of schedule.

GO NORTH, YOUNG MAN

On the northern end, we are waiting for the portion of land on the Prospect Park project to be deeded to the City of Alpharetta and we can then complete that section and have full access from Mansell Road to Windward Parkway.  We cannot spend tax dollars on private property. Right now Prospect Park is in litigation –but its still private. Time is of essence. Please send comments, questions or suggestions to brandonlbeach@aol.com.