Plans to add significant landscaping along the northern tips of Ga. highways 85 and 74 may be pruned back due to the economy.

While Fayette County Commissioners approved the pursuit of two $50,000 grants for the landscaping, several balked at the additional costs proposed by county staff.

The proposal was for the county to use the grants and an additional $168,500 for both projects, which would be located at the northern end of both highways at the county lines for Fulton and Clayton counties.

“We have some sort of an economic malaise going on,” said Commission Chairman Jack Smith, adding that the proposed cost “is a little significant during these economic times. Can this landscape plan be pared down to something close that maybe we could afford?”

Staff was projecting a need to spend $10,000 a year maintaining the two landscaped areas through a private contractor because of the difficulty of the task.

The grants have no matching requirement, so ultimately the county could scale each project back to meet the funding amount if any is granted. The funds are coming from money collected by the state from billboard companies who clear landscaping along state highways to make their signs more visible.

Commissioner Eric Maxwell said he didn’t want to commit to either project at this point.

“I have no problem with the application portion of it but I have a real hard time funding it above the $50,000 in state funds,” Maxwell said.