Decatur, GA — The Decatur City Commission, at its April 1 regular meeting, approved a plan to improve the intersection of Huron and Champlain Streets and approved a grant agreement with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.

The plan uses green infrastructure to narrow the approaches and tighten the turn radii at the Huron and Champlain Streets intersection. It also includes installing two high-visibility crosswalks.

“The intersection improvements at Huron and Champlain Streets are a priority project identified in the 2018 Community Transportation Plan,” Assistant City Manager Cara Scharer said. “The large radius on the southeast corner of the intersection encourages right turns at high speeds, while southbound traffic on Huron Street cuts the corner when turning onto Champlain Street. The scale of the intersection also makes it difficult for pedestrians who are crossing the street.”

The green infrastructure helped make the project eligible for state Environmental Protection Division funding. Georgia EPD has committed $350,000 to the project. The required local match for the grant is $235,000, bringing the project budget to $585,000.

“The project includes a bioretention basin that supports several goals of Georgia’s Statewide Nonpoint Source Management Plan and helps advance the city’s own stormwater management and environmental public awareness objectives,” Scharer said.

The project also includes crosswalks on both streets, a mountable median, a concrete flume outlet, a cobblestone channel, and trees and other plants, according to the plans.

Huron and Champlain Streets drain to a tributary of the South Fork of Peachtree Creek, which is an urban stream with trails, public greenspace and important habitat areas through Decatur, DeKalb County and Atlanta.

“The bioretention basin is designed to collect surface runoff from a total drainage area of 1.2 acres, including street rights-of-way and residential yards,” Scharer said. “The project will reduce impervious surface coverage in the neighborhood and divert and treat stormwater before it discharges into the South Fork tributary.”

The city plans to bid the project in June.

The city of Decatur has proposed using green infrastructure to reduce the turn the radius at the intersection of Huron and Champlain Streets. Photo courtesy of the city of Decatur.

In other business:

– The city commission approved a temporary special event beer and wine license to Amplify My Community for the Amplify Music Festival that will be held on April 12-13.

– The city commission approved a logo license agreement with Decatur FC for limited use of the city’s logo. Decatur FC is a newly formed semi-pro women’s soccer team based in Decatur.

The team is holding tryouts on April 14 and kicks off its inaugural season in the Women’s Premier Soccer League on May 24.

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