North Fulton charity celebrates 40 years ► PAGE 6
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Ga. 9 lane-widening delayed in Alpharetta, work moves to Milton By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com METRO ATLANTA — Motorists face an additional year of delays on the state’s Ga. 9 widening in Alpharetta. The $50 million transportation project has run into utility and right-of-way hurdles. Ga. 9 is a major artery for Metro Atlanta and North Georgia drivers, beginning in Sandy Springs and running 86 miles north into Lumpkin County. The Ga. 9 improvement project, which will widen 3.6 miles of the highway from Upper Hembree Road to Windward Parkway in Alpharetta, kicked off in April 2021 with a completion date of spring 2024. In January, the Georgia Department of Transportation, which oversees the project, announced the end date has been pushed back to late 2025. GDOT cited difficulties with utility relocation and changes to design plans to accommodate new subdivisions as reasons for the delay. This month, GDOT crews have worked on constructing sidewalks, concrete islands, curb and gutter, and driveways between Upper Hembree Road and Devore Place in Alpharetta. Widening and storm drain installation between Devore and Maxwell Road is starting.
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
From left, Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson, Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry, Milton Mayor Peyton Jamison and Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin discuss municipal elections March 28 at the Avalon 10000 Building in Alpharetta. City officials are studying whether North Fulton cities can coordinate efforts to run their own municipal elections.
North Fulton cities revive coordinated elections By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — North Fulton County mayors and city officials discussed forming an elections authority that would oversee municipal elections in the future. Such a move would wrest city election oversight and operations out of the hands of Fulton County, which bills the cities for its work. The North Fulton Municipal Association meets monthly, except
during the summer, and includes elected officials and senior staff from the six North Fulton cities. The informal luncheon provides city leaders an opportunity to discuss broader issues involving the county and other agencies, like Fulton County Schools, the Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta Regional Commission and MARTA. The March meeting drew five of the six North Fulton mayors. Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul did not attend, but City Manager Eden
Freeman and Councilwoman Melissa Mular were in attendance to represent North Fulton’s largest city. The group raised the question of how North Fulton cities could coordinate efforts to form an umbrella agency to oversee municipal elections. Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson said the time is now to discuss hiring a superintendent to set up and manage the local elections process for the six North Fulton cities.
See EXPLORE, Page 28
See ROADWAY, Page 21
Caroline Nalisnick C: 404.513.9226 | Caroline@HOMEgeorgia.com
Sam DiVito C: 404.803.5999 | Sam@HOMEgeorgia.com
Allison Kloster C: 404.784.5287 | Allison@HOMEgeorgia.com