Without even having started yet, it's only fair to warn you that I think this letter is going to be a little bit on the long side. When someone feels strongly about an issue (and the issue is somewhat complex), it can sometimes takes a little bit more to get the complete story out. Please bear with me, as I feel this is very important.

My name is Hal Sewell. I was born and raised in Senoia, Georgia. I am very proud of that fact. Although I do live outside the city limits, my mailing address still reflects Senoia.

My parents, Ray and Edith Sewell, worked most of their adult lives in “beautiful downtown Senoia” when they ran Sewell's General Merchandise until they retired in 1973.

My father helped charter the Masonic Lodge in Senoia, and he was very active in the Senoia Housing Authority which he helped to establish. Ray Street, which runs through a part of the Housing project off of the north portion of Main Street, is named for my father. My mother has been an active member of the community for many years and still proudly calls the City of Senoia her home.

Following a little bit in my father's footsteps, I helped charter a civic club in Senoia. The Senoia Optimist Club was founded in 1985 with 30 + members. The motto of Optimist International is “Friend of Youth.”

We work to provide scholarships and positive outlets for the young people in our community, while also working with the community itself. Our active participation in the Optimist Club allows me and other men and women in the area to “give back to the community.”

Lately. I have been involved in a number of conversations with people from the Senoia area about an issue that is of great interest to many of us.

As part of these discussions, it gives me great pride to hear some of the “non-native” (their words, not mine) residents of Senoia describe the pride that they, too, have in our town. I hear them refer to its “Mayberry-like” qualities, and that reference is especially pleasing to me.

Probably like a lot of area residents, I could consider myself to be somewhat of an Opie Taylor who had the benefit of growing up in a small town with a loving family and friends who helped me develop a set of values that I think have served me pretty well so far. (If anyone ever wants to sit down and watch Andy Griffith reruns, we have the TV recordings of 24-Hours of Andy.)

Part of my upbringing involved attending and participating in activities at the Senoia United Methodist Church where I am still an active member.

I currently serve as a Middle School Sunday School teacher and Chairperson of our Administrative Board. As I was growing up, we would also attend activities at the Senoia Baptist Church. I remember many of that church's members like family, for indeed that is what they were and are.

I've said a lot so far to bring us all to a point. I'm disturbed that people in Senoia think that I and the Methodist Church members are “mean people” and out to cause trouble for the City of Senoia. This is simply not true! Please stay with me as I attempt to explain my understanding of the situation.

Our church learned a few weeks ago that the City of Senoia had voted on January 18 to close the bridge on Bridge Street. I believe the actual date we got the news was February 2, and I learned about it that night at our mid-week service.

When I left the church that night, I saw the new sign at the bridge that announced it would be closed to vehicular traffic effective March 1.

As many of you know, Bridge Street goes by the front door of our church. Naturally our church members as a whole are concerned about the closing of the bridge. This shuts down a direct link that ties us to Georgia Highway 16. This thoroughfare is important not only to our church family, but also to other area residents who use this street. Yes, there are other ways to travel the City's streets, but we would prefer to keep Bridge Street open if at all possible.

After church today, I conducted a special meeting of our Administrative Board. The members there were all in agreement. We would like to go on record that we want to keep the wooden bridge on Bridge Street open by helping to ensure it is safe for people who drive over it.

If this desire on our part means partnering with the City and other civic-minded organizations, we will do that as well. If the bridge needs repairs in order for it to continue to be used as a safe connection, we will offer our services to the City if we can possibly help to raise the necessary money.

Many of you at this point may be saying, “What exactly is wrong with the bridge?”

My understanding of the situation from the council meetings I attended on February 7 and February 21 and from subsequent information that I have gathered and from input provided by other governmental employees and the legal community is as follows.

The Georgia DOT has examined the bridge in question along with other bridges in the state of Georgia and reported that the bridge is “in fair condition with general deterioration throughout the entire structure.”

Their report noted that there are “some deteriorated sections left in the structure that we would recommend the railroad schedule for repair.”

It was pointed out in their report that these “deficiencies, if not corrected, could develop into critical deficiencies within the next two years.”

Finally, instructions in the report stated “At the present time, post this structure for 12 tons H-Truck; 15 tons Type 3; 20 tons Timber Truck; 20 tons HS-Truck; and 23 tons Type 3S2.”

Many of you will probably remember that the Norfolk Southern Railroad repaired the top surface of the bridge (rails, trusses and planks) in 1997. At issue in the report are several pilings that support the entire structure. Some of the pilings have been found to have some deterioration.

In a conversation February 21 with the DOT's State Bridge Inspection Engineer (Bill Duvall), I was advised that the DOT's report that was in the possession of the City is actually from November 23, 1998.

The bridge has since been inspected in August 1999, but the DOTÌs report was only mailed out to the counties on February 16, 2000. Mr. Duvall explained to me that the bridge is not in critical condition and should not be closed based on the DOTÌs findings. He noted, too, that the City presently has the bridge posted for a maximum load limit of only 3 tons, which should even further preserve the life of the bridge.

Since Coweta County had only recently received the new bridge inspection report and not had an opportunity to distribute copies to the affected municipalities, I requested and received copies Feb. 21 under the Open Records Act.

The current report states that it “is in the county letter for information purposes only.” As the previous report had indicated, there is a statement that reads that the structure is in fair condition with general deterioration throughout the entire structure.

There is, however, no reference at all to the earlier comment whereby these deficiencies, if not corrected, could develop into critical deficiencies within the next two years.

I also received further clarification on the weight limits as prescribed in the DOT's reports (the specifications are the same in both reports). The only vehicle that the DOT does not include in their recommendation for using this bridge is the “piggyback” tractor trailer truck (two large trailers hooked together). The DOT's rating, as noted above, does allow 23-ton tractor trailers to go over the bridge.

Again, the city's posting of a three-ton weight limit does seem to be a practical way to preserve the bridge and also restrict the type of traffic that goes through this residential area.

The mayor is currently opposed to any change to the city's previous ruling, and she has indicated that the bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic effective March 1.

An understandable argument that she has deals with the fact that the 1998 DOT report stated that these deficiencies, if not corrected, could develop into critical deficiencies within the next two years.

Soon two years will have passed since that inspection, and no subsequent repairs have been made to improve the bridge's condition. Why then is the new report less critical of the bridge?

Also, I have not been able at this point to provide follow-up documentation from the DOT to verify the comments that were made to me during the conversation with that organization's representative Feb. 21. (Our church's pastor has since requested a letter from the DOT stating that the bridge does not require closing, but so far the DOT has not felt such a letter to be necessary since we now have their newer inspection report.)

I can easily see Mayor Trammell's desire to keep the bridge closed until these issues are further pursued. Again, the church is willing to assist the city in these matters.

There is more to the story. At the Feb. 7 council meeting, I was advised of the serious concern about the potential deterioration that could be caused to the bridge by drivers who speed on Bridge Street with the purpose of hitting the bridge at a high rate of speed. Of even greater consideration is the safety of the residents in the area.

I share in the concern of those who live on both sides of the bridge. I have known many of these residents all of my life, and I respect and share in their desire to live on a safe street.

From the minutes of the Nov. 15, 1999 council meeting, Mayor Trammell stated that stop signs would be put up on both sides of the bridge to prevent speeding. Whereas stop signs were apparently not pursued by the council, I recommended at the council meeting of Feb. 21 another action that was suggested to me that may have even better results: installing speed breakers or speed bumps on both sides of the bridge.

I have mentioned this idea to other area residents, including other members of our church, and have received support for the suggestion. We feel that the installation of speed breakers, along with even greater enforcement of speeding and reckless driving in this area, will provide a safe area for Senoia's citizens while also helping to preserve the bridge and leaving the road open.

A letter dated Jan. 18, 2000 from the Norfolk Southern Railroad to Leonard Thompson (Senoia Public Works) contained the following comments: “Regarding the city's request to convert the existing Bridge Street overhead bridge to a pedestrian bridge only, we take no exception to the city's request and will handle via our Real Estate and Contract Services Department for an appropriate agreement to cover the city's request as well as transfer ownership and maintenance of the existing bridge to the city.”

At the Feb. 21 council meeting, I went on record with a recommendation that the city not sign the contract with Norfolk Southern Railroad that would allow the railroad to transfer ownership and maintenance of the existing bridge to the city.

As a concerned area resident whose mother still lives in town, I personally would not like to see the city take on this added liability and cost. Again, input I have received points out clearly that the railroad is responsible to maintain the bridge.

The Senoia United Methodist Church is not at all out to sabotage the city. We support the residents' desire to maintain the historic flavor of the community and agree that the wooden bridge should be preserved.

We are willing to work with the city of Senoia as appropriate to pursue having the Norfolk Southern Railroad repair the bridge on Bridge Street. If this is deemed to not be a viable option, we are also willing to partner with the city to obtain funds as appropriate for replacing the bridge's pilings that do have some deterioration. The Senoia Home News recently reported that the cost for such repairs has been estimated to be $30,000, although feedback received from at least two council members is that they are not sure what the cost would be.

This is my first letter to the editor. I hope that everyone made it all the way through my message. More importantly, I pray that everyone in the Senoia area is willing to work together on this issue so that we can resolve this matter to the satisfaction of all who are affected.

Hal Sewell
Senoia

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