Commissioners Approve LED Lights for Courthouse, DASH Funding
On Tuesday, the Troup County Board of Commissioners voted to approve the first phase of LED light fixture conversions within the Government Center. The commissioners also unanimously agreed to help fund an upcoming DASH housing development project in the Hillside area of LaGrange.
The commissioner approved a contract with Bryant Electric, of LaGrange, to replace over a thousand fluorescent light fixtures within the Troup County Government Center with more efficient LED fixtures.
Bryant Electric was the lowest of four bidders, with a bid of lump sum hard bid of $167,042. Special Projects Manager Jay Anderson advised that they also received per-unit bids which can be used for additional fixture conversions in the future.
The biggest cost savings from the conversion is one that you might not expect. The lights are significantly more efficient in electrical usage, but their durability will create the most savings. Not only will replacement lights need to be purchased as less often, county staff will not nave to frequently replace them as they do now.
Anderson says staff spends many hours per month replacing bulbs and repairing ballasts for the courthouse’s many fluorescent lights. The labor savings alone is expected to be enough to justify the replacement fixtures.
“It’s a big building with a lot of lights,” he said, noting that this bid will not cover the more decorative lighting throughout the building.
Commissioner Morris Jones also suggested that the LED light replacements could reduce the building’s air conditioning bills, as they are known to produce little to no heat.
Phase I of the project includes replacing all 2’x4’, 2’x2’, and 1’x4’ fluorescent light fixtures with new LED equivalents, throughout all floors of the Government Center.
The commissioners also agreed to help fund a housing development planned by DASH (Dependable Affordable Sustainable Housing) in the Hillside area of La-Grange. The county pledged $750,000 of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the DASH plan to build 20 single-family homes in the Hillside Community near Beacon Brewery.
The housing development will coincides with another redevelopment effort by DASH to renovate the 87-year-old Ivey and Crook building on Lincoln Street and restore it as five new commercial spaces.
DASH representatives advised at the spaces have already been rented will eventually feature a bakery, a grocery store, and a retail shop to go along with two award winning eateries out of Newnan.
The Oink Joint barbecue restaurant and the Rock Salt Milk Bar ice cream shop out of Newnan have announced plans to start additional locations in the renovated commercial spaces.
The Callaway Foundation agreed to help fund the fund a small housing development to coincide the commercial renovations with a $2 million grant. DASH has committed $750,000 of its own funds, which the City of LaGrange also agreed to match.
DASH advised that the housing development is currently shovel ready with an estimated completion of January 2024. The plan calls for seven detached houses (five with separate garage apartments), along with six townhomes, and a single duplex unit.
The new homes will be approximately 65 percent market rate and 35 percent workforce housing.
In other business, the commissioners approved the annual Capital Improvement Update as well as a Transit Development Plan from Three Rivers Regional Commission.
The commissioners also approved two separate mobile home placements on N. State Line Rd. and W. SR 54 Hwy.
A request to rezone property at 1179 Youngs Mill Road from General Commercial (GC) to Single Family Medium Density (SFMD) in order to sell a house as residential was also unanimously approved.
A beer and wine application was also approved for a new operator at the Shell station on Upper Big Springs Road.
All four measures were approved during public hearings with no opposing comments from the public.
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Tommy Murphy
Staff Writer
