The Milton City Council voted unanimously to pursue a community development block grant, or CDBG, worth $700,000 which would benefit Gill Bass Park on Canal Street.
In addition to adding street lighting to Canal Street, the grant would also bring renovations to Gill Bass Park, located near the Santa Rosa County School Board building on Canal including a fountain, gazebo and other utilities. The motion to apply for the CDBG grant was passed in the form a city resolution by a unanimous vote from the council.
City Manager Brian Watkins said the city utilized a previously awarded CDBG to renovate Canal Street. Originally, the grant was meant to encompass the roadwork along with landscaping and street lights. However, the roadwork on Canal Street cost more than anticipated.
“Instead of milling and resurfacing, which was in the original plan, we really had to basically tear the whole road up and completely rebuild it,” Watkins said. “So that chewed up a lot more money and we had to drop out the landscaping and part of the lighting.”
Watkins said the city applied for a CDBG last year in order to complete the Canal Street project, however did not receive any grant funding from the application. Since the amount needed to complete the Canal Street project was less than $700,000, the council then decided to add Gill-Bass Park to this year’s CDBG application.
According to a previous article in the Press Gazette, the Gill Bass property − located near the Santa Rosa County School Board building − was given to the city by the Gill and Bass family in 2010.
“We really want to turn it into a very nice park, it is one of main entries into the city coming up Canal Street,” Watkins said.
Should the grant funding go through, Watkins said the park would feature a unique fountain with historical significance. The fountain will feature two millstones, which were from the mill site at Locklin Lake. Watkins is still seeking a third millstone.
“I think it would be a super fountain and it should really go back and connect to Milton’s history,” Watkins said.
The mill site at Locklin Lake is where the City of Milton originated in 1829, when it was founded by Benjamin Jernigan. When in operation the water-powered saw mill led to the eventual formation of Milton.
Watkins said the CDBG application would be turned later this month.
Council votes towards seeking additional land for potential new courthouse
The council also voted for additional funding towards keeping a new courthouse facility in downtown Milton. During the meeting, council members voted unanimously to use up to $175,000 towards purchasing options for three additional property parcels.
In last month’s regular council meeting, the council voted to use $25,000 towards purchasing options on five parcels, near the current courthouse’s location in order to show the city’s commitment in keeping a new facility in Milton.
In addition to the showing the city’s commitment, the parcels would also give HOK, the courthouse facility’s design firm, additional property to work with should a new courthouse remain in Milton.
Although Santa Rosa County residents voted against a sales tax in order to fund a new courthouse in last November’s general election, voters did select Milton as the preferred location for a new judicial facility. Since then, several county commissioners have not committed to the Milton location as the new courthouse site.
While $125,000 of the funding will come from the city’s gas storage and debt service accounts, $50,000 came from the city’s community redevelopment agency.
In the event a new courthouse be built elsewhere in the county, Watkins said the properties would be used towards the city’s master plan along the Riverwalk Park.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Council to pursue grant for Gill Bass Park, properties for courthouse