Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Senoia City Council meetings, the old subject of Rockhouse Road resurfaced Monday night.

This time, residents learned the city may have to pay up to $40,000 to have the road realigned.

Mayor Joan Trammell, who was visibly mad over the news, told the residents the distressing news.

“This is a clean-up project,” she said.

The mayor showed the residents a thick book that contained all the discussions concerning the road over the last three years. Originally, the city was not supposed to contribute any amount to realigning the road and making it safer.

But Trammell said a vote by the City Council in October 1996 left the door open for the city to have to pay for the road and now the bill is coming due since the state Department of Transportation has issued a contract for construction.

“You only have to travel out there to see how congested it is. This is a safety issue,” she said.

John Meiller, who developed a small shopping center at the intersection of Rockhouse Road and Ga. Highway 16, has committed $10,000 toward realigning the road.

“He's hired a lawyer to tell us that he only committed to $10,000,” Trammell said.

The road has been discussed in minute detail for the last three years. When it was announced the road would align with the entrance to the Cumberland subdivision instead of Howard Road, Cumberland residents petitioned the city to change its mind.

But Trammell stuck with the DOT's recommendation and left the road aligning with Cumberland. Now, the city faces an unexpected expenditure in getting the road fixed for safety purposes.

The council voted to spend the funds, but all hoped the actual costs would come in significantly lower.

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