MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Almost $5 million is going to update the infrastructure for one Baldwin County historic neighborhood.
The County announced the grant, saying it's come from Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to make rural areas a safe place to live.
13WMAZ’s Jessica Cha was there on Friday to see how life is for those in Oconee Heights and how the changes can help.
Oconee Heights is one of Milledgeville's oldest neighborhoods. There are almost no sidewalks in sight and lights are far and few in between. So, what do neighbors think?
“We've been kept in the dark,” says Edwina Hubble.
Hubble has lived here 60 years. She says the neighborhood started to go downhill when Central State Hospital closed.
Now, she says it's not as safe.
“I might want to walk to the store. I can barely see going up the road; it's dark over here,” she says.
Aside from a few lights installed by neighbors, Hubble says there are no lights for folks who must walk to get around.
“I was scared to really come out but I had to go to work,” Hubble explains.
On top of that…
“We don't have sidewalks,” she says.
So the cars....
“They will come off this hill and just shoot past here, and the kids,” Hubble says. “They can’t even ride their bikes.”
Sarranda Scott, who's lived in Oconee Heights for 35 years, says that’s the reality.
“A lot of the times they [cars] don’t stop,” she explains. “People have to jump out of the way. You either jump this way and pray that no car is coming, or jump towards the fire hydrant.”
Scott says the roads are deteriorating while the dangers grow. She says one bridge near the neighborhood is a particularly hazardous spot.
“There’s no guard rails or anything here. As a kid, when I was growing up, we at least had the tin guard rails, but several cars have gone into this abatement before. So, the guard rails– I guess– were never replaced,” Scott says.
Hubble says as their blight grows, so does the neighborhood's negative reputation.
“We don't have this and we don't have that and people don't want to come here anymore."
Three years ago, Georgia College Assistant Professor and director for the Center of Health and Social Issues, Damian Francis, approached Oconee Heights to assess blight.
“We found there is a significant blight in this area,” Francis says.
He says blight directly connects to violence and crime. Issues kept in the dark.
“Some of these communities in Baldwin County are sometimes unheard of in the public forum.”
So, to shed light, Franics and neighbors worked with the county to identify problems and find solutions.
The $5 million grant for Oconee Heights to improve sidewalks, get street lights, and more. It’s more than they expected.
“When people are improved and empowered, it makes a world of a difference in the community,” Francis explains.
Now, Hubble has a smile that brightens up the whole neighborhood.
“I am just so happy! I want to feel safe. I want my grandkids to be safe,” she says.
Baldwin County Manager Carlos Tobar says two-thirds of the grant money will go to improvements in the county and the rest to the City of Milledgeville.
The improvements include road resurfacing, updating the storm drainage system, adding solar powered lights, and sidewalks.