The SPLOST committee held meetings in each city in May. Whether the county should pursue widening Jonesboro Road to six lanes was a major topic during the McDonough meeting.
The SPLOST VI committee is tasked to recommend which projects the county should complete in its next SPLOST program. SPLOST is a one-cent local sales tax used to pay for capital projects and road improvements.
SPLOST VI in McDonough
The SPLOST VI committee met in McDonough on Thursday, May 23. This was the final meeting before the committee begins to narrow-down its recommendations. They will meet twice in June to determine which projects they recommend the county to complete.
The McDonough meeting saw only a small handful of residents in attendance. Discussion during the meeting focused on two topics:
- The need for improvements at Richard Craig Park, and whether Henry County or McDonough is responsible to pay for them, and
- Should Henry County widen Jonesboro Road east of I-75.
The county is responsible to maintain much of Richard Craig Park, according to the service delivery strategy agreement. The city has stepped-in to make repairs; however, when the restrooms needed an update. They also resurfaced the basketball court. Henry County parks staff & McDonough officials pledged to continue the dialogue about the park.
Jonesboro Road Widening
McDonough Mayor Sandra Vincent brought up the topic about Jonesboro Road. She spoke about the many upcoming developments on the corridor, and expressed concerns the current four-lane road will not be able to support the traffic volumes. The road frequently experiences congestion now, and much of the new development is still to come.
Henry County has an upcoming project to widen Jonesboro Road west of I-75. This project will widen the road to four lanes between Mill Road and North Mt. Carmel Road. The county plans to start buying right of way this summer. Construction could then follow in about 12–18 months. Henry County staff expressed optimism the widening can relieve pressure off the east side, by eliminating the current bottleneck at Henry Town Center.
Mayor Vincent asked the county to consider some movement towards a widening project east of I-75. This could be engineering or design work to evaluate possible options. Because the roadway is four lanes now, any widening would be to six lanes.
Jonesboro Road New Developments
Since 2019, developers have proposed ten apartment complexes in the exit 221 vicinity. From which, three complexes are complete, two are now leasing and two are under-construction. Projects include the following:
| Project | Number of Units |
|---|---|
| Complete | |
| Carmel Vista | 228 |
| Canyon Springs | 221 |
| Somerset Apartments | 316 |
| Leasing Now | |
| Crofthouse McDonough | 280 |
| Tapestry Overbrook | 260 |
| Under Construction | |
| Oak Grove Vista | 348 |
| Emblem Mill Road | 324 |
| Total | 1,977 units |
In addition, the largest project has not yet broken ground. TPA Residential of Atlanta plans to construct 850 units immediately adjacent to I-75. There are various other projects, such as rental townhomes and new subdivisions, in the Jonesboro Road area as well.
Jonesboro Road Study
Last fall, Henry County sought proposals for a Jonesboro Road master plan. This study would have evaluated the total traffic impact of the forthcoming developments, among other objectives. Croy Engineering, LLC of Marietta, GA provided a quote of $263,170.00 to complete the plan. The board took no action in November 2023 whether to move forward with the study. Henry County staff closed the proposal with no award.
SPLOST VI Next Steps
The SPLOST VI committee began meeting in January. Now, it’s almost time for the committee to conclude its work. Their next meeting will be on Tuesday, June 4, at 6:30 pm. It will be at the county admin building in McDonough. This will be a workshop meeting so the committee can discuss the various projects. They have heard presentations requesting different capital projects and road improvements.
The committee will hold one final meeting later in June. They will make their final project recommendations at this time. It will be on Monday, June 10, at 6:30 pm. This meeting will likewise be at the county admin building.
Afterwards, the county commissioners will consider the project list. They may make changes to the project list before its final adoption. In addition, the county must hold a meeting with the cities. This will be to discuss whether the county and cities wish to enter into an intergovernmental agreement. The IGA, if approved, allows the SPLOST program to be six years in length. Otherwise, the county may only ask voters for five years.
Voters will consider this November whether to approve the SPLOST program. If they approve it, then sales tax collections will begin in April 2025.
Featured image shows Jonesboro Road at Foster Drive. Georgia DOT photo.
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