CANTON — The Canton City Council unanimously approved a development agreement with Northside Hospital for phase two of the Commerce Boulevard extension during its work session on Thursday.

Commerce Parkway runs from Highway 20 through Canton Marketplace shopping center and will eventually connect to Highway 140.

The road’s development cost will be split three ways. The Georgia Department of Transportation will pay $4.3 million, Cherokee County will contribute $1.4 million and Northside Hospital will pay the balance of the project.

The extension will help make way for the new 84-bed hospital Northside Hospital-Cherokee is preparing to construct on land it owns adjacent to the shopping center.

Don Hausfeld with the Landon Group, the developer Northside is working with on the project, said the company received the bids for the project and believes it could be approved by July.

The contract with GDOT could be approved by the second week of July and construction on the hospital could begin as early as August.

The council also:

* Heard from local historian Richard Wright, who encouraged the city to consider a celebration to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War’s end;

* Reviewed irrigation meter tap fees;

* Discussed methods to save money with the city’s employee retirement benefits and pension fund;

* Discussed an Americans With Disabilities transition plan and a request to hold a public hearing on June 21;

* Discussed the Community Development Block Grant application for 2013 and a resolution endorsing the application and proposed projects;

* Heard from resident Thomas Weaver, who asked the city to amend its ordinance to make sure it is in compliance with a new state law that pre-empts cities from passing ordinances to restrict the use of knives that would conflict with state law; and

* Heard a presentation from residents in the Villas at RiverStone and Pinnacle Place.

Councilman Glen Cummins was not present.