New sign distinguishes downtown parking lot

A new City of Milledgeville sign stands on East Hancock Street welcoming new customers and frequent visitors downtown. The dual-purpose sign is one of the many projects Public Works is implementing to spruce up and improve the downtown experience.

The new sign originated with Public Works’ need to give the public knowledge of additional public parking in the lot, but Milledgeville Mainstreet’s Farmers’ Market quickly jumped on board with the project.

“We knew about the sign that the City of Milledgeville wanted to put up,” said Warren Moore, market manager and three-year vendor. “We inquired and asked if we could add the Farmer’s Market sign and logo to it and they were agreeable to that.”

Below the main portion of the sign that announces the City of Milledgeville and highlights public parking, a smaller section features the logo, date and time of the weekly Farmers’ Market, all of which was paid for by the market.

“We collect funds from vendors. We charge $5 per tent for rent every Tuesday and that money goes into an account under Milledgeville Mainstreet for the Farmers’ Market,” Moore said.

According to Director of Milledgeville Mainstreet Carlee Schulte, the sign has been a year in the making.

“It started last year when we discussed having a sign for Farmers’ Market. And to just let people know during the week when it is not going on that that’s where it is located,” Schulte said.

The total cost of the sign was over $1,000 and all but $200 was paid by the city.

According to Public Works Director and City Marshal Jack Graham, the department has done much more for the Farmers’ Market than install the new sign.

“Public Works helps a lot with getting the marketplace going every Tuesday,” Graham said. “We provide all the barricades, cones and do the clean up before and after. We keep the grass maintained and the parking area down below behind it. So we do a lot with the marketplace to try to help promote Milledgeville.”

Public Works is also making downtown Milledgeville as attractive as possible for new customers and frequent visitors with the additions of new benches, trash cans, planters and for the first time ever bike racks.

“(People have been) chaining their bikes to the benches and that’s just not a nice thing to see. But that’s all they had in the past,” Graham said. “So we have placed some downtown on each block to avoid that. We don’t want them to be chaining them to the benches… (or) to light posts so that’s why we provided the bike racks.”

Four of the small, single U-shaped bicycle racks are being placed on both sides of Hancock Street outside Digital Bridges and Asian Bistro and on each side of Wayne Street. Graham admits they won’t hold many bikes, but emphasizes that more might come.

“We aren’t sure that we don’t need more bike racks. We may very well end up ordering some more as we see the need that is there,” Graham said.

The new bike racks will soon be accompanied by new signs reminding bicyclists of the city ordinances relating to bicycle use downtown.

“Most of the students aren’t aware of what the city ordinances says about bicycles being in the downtown area, and skateboards too for that matter,” said Graham. “There is a specific city ordinance that says no bicycles are allowed on any sidewalk in the downtown area between Montgomery Street and Greene Street and (between) Clarke and Jefferson Street.”

The penalty for not abiding by these boundaries is high.

“Students should know that the fine for riding a bicycle, first offense, on the sidewalks downtown is $152,” Graham said. “Second offense is doubled or right at doubled. The third offense goes up to $1,000.”

The most anticipated improvement to downtown by Graham, however, is not any of these new additions. It is the resurfacing of the two main downtown blocks.

“It will be the frosting on the cake,” Graham said. “New asphalt with new striping; it will look nice.”