Flowery Branch is gearing up for a project to increase water pressure and fire protection for a residential area near Lights Ferry Road.

City Council voted Thursday night to spend no more than $248,031 on the project, which would serve about 50 lots along Lights Ferry and Morrow Drive.

“This is one of the few areas where we serve water in unincorporated Hall County,” City Manager Bill Andrew told the council.

The work would involve replacing a 2-inch water line with 6-inch and possibly 8-inch lines.

Officials will work to determine whether the 6-inch lines will be sufficient, a move that could cut costs, Andrew said.

“A 2-inch line … is not capable at all of providing fire hydrant volume of pressure,” he said, adding that five fire hydrants also will be installed as part of the project.

“In the past, we’ve had to have (fire) trucks come in here with tanks and pumps to get water to a fire,” Andrew said. “So, this will be a big upgrade.”

The project would be funded mostly from the city’s special purpose local option sales tax fund, with money also coming from the water/sewer capital cash account, Andrew said.

Flowery Branch first looked at doing the project in 2007 and was unsuccessful at the time in getting a federal Community Development Block Grant.

In seeking to do the project under the SPLOST funding, Mack Jones Enterprises submitted the $248,031 bid.

“Mr. Jones is a local contractor and has recently done some work for us on water lines in town, and he did a good job,” Andrew said.

The project would be the latest in a series of improvements on Lights Ferry Road.

The city recently opened a roundabout at Lights Ferry and Mitchell Street, giving motorists a straight shot between two major traffic arteries, McEver Road and Atlanta Highway/Ga. 13.

Also, development is underway on 85-lot Harbour Lights subdivision.