Pembroke has received the Affordable Rental Housing Award from the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing, City Councilwoman Tiffany Walraven announced during Monday’s council meeting at City Hall.

According to a news release, Pembroke earned the award because of the city’s Sawmill Landing project, which is under construction on Surrency Street. The $9.5 million affordable-rental project will add 60 townhouse units, 30 three-bedroom units, 21 two-bedroom units and nine one-bedroom units. Ground was broken on the project May 7.

“We really have made great accomplishments in that area and hope that will continue,” Mayor Mary Warnell said.

Also at Monday’s meeting, the council unanimously approved a resolution for a closure of the crossing at Buck Lane with the Georgia Central Railway.

Warnell said the issue of safety at the crossing has been brought to the city’s attention “numerous times.” According to the resolution as read by Warnell, the crossing is a “hazard to well-being and safety to the citizens and visitors traversing the thoroughfares of the city.”

The resolution also states that the crossing will be closed with a barricade until completion of the demolition and grading of the area.

Street Superintendent Larry Todd said there are no time limitations on closing it and changing it from a three-way stop to a two-way stop.

“It would just be whatever we feel comfortable with and what the public feels comfortable with,” he said.

Todd said the crossing is not used that often, but there is a lot of traffic that runs the stop sign on Railroad Street.

The change also will improve drainage on the Buck Lane side, Todd said.

“We have water that comes around that intersection and runs through the street before it can get on down to where a drain is located,” he said.