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Supply chain delays drive up project costs for area governments By SYDNEY DANGREMOND sydney@appenmedia.com
Pocket full of sunshine
SYDNEY DANGREMOND/APPEN MEDIA
Members of the Johns Creek Recreation and Parks and Public Works departments gather at the Bell Road Pocket Park labyrinth for the park’s grand opening on Oct. 15. The park is just off the roundabout at Bell and Boles roads.
Johns Creek welcomes its newest park By SYDNEY DANGREMOND sydney@appenmedia.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Just off the roundabout at Bell and Boles roads, the city celebrated the grand opening Oct. 15 of a new 2.5-acre pocket park. Elected officials and community leaders trekked to the tiny oasis for a ribbon cutting ceremony and a walk
through the recently completed park. The pocket park is intended to serve as a passive park for nearby residents, meaning it will primarily be used in an unstructured way, Recreation Manager Kirk Franz said. Inside, visitors can enjoy a butterfly garden, a stone labyrinth and a spacious field. The project has been roughly three
years in the making, Public Works Director Chris Haggard said. After the city acquired the land for the roundabout, they almost immediately decided to use the space for a small park, Haggard said. Just like all parks in Johns Creek, Bell Road Pocket Park will be open from 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week.
This weekend: Johns Creek International Festival, “Taste of the World,” returns. Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. across from the Atlanta Athletic Club.
NORTH METRO ATLANTA — For the past year and a half, government construction projects have faced millions of dollars in added costs and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the obvious increased strain on healthcare infrastructure, the pandemic has had measurable impact on municipal governments and their ability to complete projects for their citizens. Supplies of concrete, steel and other basic construction materials have dried up, and what can be secured comes in at higher prices. Alpharetta Public Works Director Pete Sewczwicz calls it “a perfect storm.” In March and April 2020 many manufacturers closed down with the rest of the world, he said. The lack of production led to a shortage of basic materials. As buying continued, manufacturers have been chasing their tails trying to catch up to demand ever since. In Alpharetta, things like light fixtures — which used to be avail-
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