By Rebecca Gaunt

Thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Design, the Kencrest neighborhood off Knightsbridge Road in Kennesaw will receive improvements to the infrastructure.

HUD will administer the city’s grant of $1 million dollars of Congressionally-approved Community Project Funding. Kennesaw’s Neighborhood Improvement Project, which is focused on updating older neighborhoods for safety and walkability, intends to use it to improve drainage, resurface streets, and install sidewalks.

“I’ve had a lot of people down Knightsbridge ask me about repaving and stuff like that, so I’m kind of happy to hear there’s some money going into their neighborhood,” said Councilman Pat Ferris.

The agreement with HUD is on the agenda for approval at Monday’s regular City Council meeting.

Also on the agenda and expected to receive approval is a contract with Signature Tennis Courts, Inc. for the Adams Park Tennis Court rehab, covered by 2016 SPLOST funds.

The $115,000 contract covers the removal and disposal of the existing court surfaces and perimeter fencing, subsurface gravel leveling and compaction, new asphalt surface, new black vinyl coated fence posts and fence mesh, color coating of new court surfaces, new court striping that accommodates both tennis and pickleball, and new nets and posts.

City staff are also in the early stages of working with a security consultant to assess all of Kennesaw’s parks for the installation of security cameras, specifically Swift-Cantrell and Adams Park, and Depot Park, on the amphitheater side.

The estimate for the security equipment is currently at $250,000 and could rise if it’s determined additional items are needed. Assistant city manager Marty Hughes told the council at Monday’s work session that labor is expected to be the largest expense in the project.

The project was on the agenda as a discussion-only item. Mayor Derek Easterling gave Hughes the go ahead to continue the research and put together a request for proposals from security companies. Any future contracts for equipment purchases and installation will require a vote by council.

Rebecca Gaunt earned a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in education from Oglethorpe University. After teaching elementary school for several years, she returned to writing. She lives in Marietta with her husband, son, two cats, and a dog. In her spare time, she loves to read, binge Netflix and travel.