Berkeley Lake to build new city hall, park

Berkeley Lake city officials have agreed to spend up to nearly $1.5 million on a new city hall and accompanying park.

The construction company, W.H. Bass Co., will begin building the city’s new municipal headquarters overlooking the lake at Bush and Berkeley Lake roads once final details have been sorted out, City Administrator Tom Rozier said. A groundbreaking date has not been set, but it’s expected to be in mid-January, he said.

Berkeley Lake City Council on Thursday approved the amount to be spent.

For months, city officials had been looking to reduce costs of certain features of the 4,000-square-foot, Craftsman-style building. Those features included windows, doors, lighting and wood type.

The Architectural Design Committee suggested $94,781 in savings, which included eliminating basement windows in the back of the structure.

That stirred debate among council members. Councilwoman Rebecca Spitler questioned the need to jettison those windows, given savings of only about $2,200.

Committee Chairwoman Barbara Carroll countered that to create a building to match what residents wanted, “you end up addressing the smaller things … but it all adds up.”

Mayor Pro Tem Walter Anderson said windows could be added later on, possibly at a lower cost.

Mayor Lois Salter said the back of the building would lose its charm without windows. “I think we should have the windows … but I don’t have a vote.”

The council agreed to keep the windows, setting the guaranteed maximum price for the building and park at $1,479,639, with additional costs such as furniture.

Councilman Frank Lombardi was absent from the meeting.

The last day of business at the old City Hall will be Dec. 30. City operations will reopen Jan. 5 in temporary offices at 4729 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.

The old one-room City Hall, once a bait shop, will be torn down to make way for the new City Hall and accompanying park.