By Rebecca Gaunt

The Smyrna City Council approved a $1.7 million agreement last week between the Downtown Development Authority and the Piedmont Forrest Corporation to purchase the 2.39-acre property at 1088 Concord Road.

The building on the property was formerly used as an administrative office for Georgia Power.

According to Joseph Bennett, Smyrna’s city administrator, the facility will be used for city administrative offices, but it has not yet been decided which departments will relocate to the new space.

The Council also approved two change orders for a pipe replacement contract with Smith Pipeline, Inc. for a cost increase totaling $431,796.

Smyrna is currently in the process of replacing all asbestos cement pipes in the city, an initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.

The project includes replacing approximately 10,800 linear feet of pipe and service lines in the Spring Drive area. Costs increased by $237,900 due to relocating the main water line in the roadway to preserve specimen trees, replacing driveway aprons, and installing sod to restore landscaping conditions at around 200 homes.

The cost for 4,800 feet of pipe replacement in the Lake Court area increased by $193,895 for similar reasons, using 2025 capital improvement project funds.

That brings the new total to $853,280 for the Lake Court area, and $1,619,814 for Spring Drive.

Three matters related to traffic and parking were also addressed.

At the request of residents concerned about cut-through traffic, the city is installing a speed hump on Hill Street, between 1201 Hill St. and 2620 Hill Dr.

“The property owners at both of these addresses are expressing support at this location,” said Mayor Derek Norton.

“No parking” signs will be installed along Reed Street, due to vehicles impeding two-way traffic flow primarily along the west side between Belmont Avenue and Pierce Avenue.

Finally, plans to construct a 44-space surface parking lot at 2688 Atlanta Rd. were scrapped due to unanticipated finds of unsuitable soil and a natural spring under the site. The Council approved the termination of the contract with CSTE, Inc. in order to find a company suited to deal with the requirements of the project.

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.