Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
The Braselton News
Page 3A
Braselton
Braselton changes rules for watering
Town also looking at a reuse water hydrant
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
Braselton will reduce the num
ber of days that new landscaping
can be watered in the town limits.
On Monday, the town council
approved a watering ban resolu
tion that would limit irrigation
of new landscaping to Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays, from
dawn to dusk.
Current regulations allow the
irrigation of new landscaping for
30 days. The new rules would
reduce that to 12 days.
Town manager Jennifer Scott
said Braselton’s revised regula
tions for new landscaping follows
a similar measure recently adopted
in Gainesville.
New landscape users would be
required to be issued a permit and
town officials could monitor their
water usage, Scott said.
Violators of Braselton’s outdoor
watering restrictions face a warn
ing after the first offense, a $250
fine after the second offense and
a $450 fine after the third offense.
All subsequent offenses include
a $1,500 fine and service being
disconnected, with another fee for
reconnecting service.
Braselton has taken two water
ing ban violators to court, accord
ing to Scott.
In other drought-related news,
Scott reported last week that
Braselton is trying to get a hydrant
at the town’s reclamation facility
that can provide reuse water.
A reuse water hydrant may be
used to provide water for con
struction materials, such as conce-
atre, Scott said.
Braselton officials hope to have
the purple-colored reuse hydrant
operating in two weeks, fol
lowing approval by the Georgia
Environmental Protection Division
(EPD), Scott said. Trucks that fill
their tanks with the reuse water
will be required to display a pur
ple sticker designating that reuse
water is in the tank, she added.
Those who use the purple
hydrant will also be monitored by
town employees at the reclamation
facility on Josh Pirkle Road and
will pay a fee for the reuse water,
Scott said.
Braselton is also offering resi
dents with homes older than 1993
a free retrofit kit that includes
equipment for low-flow faucets
and toilets. The kits are avail
able at Braselton’s public utili
ties building, located behind town
hall.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the Braselton
Town Council:
•met in a closed-door meeting
for 35 minutes to discuss “pending
or potential litigation.” The coun
cil took no action when the meet
ing was opened to the public.
•amended its sewer agreement
with Oakwood, to remove a con
tingency that required Oakwood to
change its 2005 intergovernmen
tal agreement with Hall County
related to the House Bill 489
(shared services) agreement. Scott
said Oakwood no longer needs to
follow that condition of the HB
489 agreement, as Oakwood has
annexed closer to Braselton along
Ga. Hwy. 53.
•certified the election results
from the Nov. 6 special elec
tion. Voters approved a measure
allowing Braselton to have rede
velopment powers to create a
Tax Allocation District (TAD) in
downtown Braselton.
•approved a request from town
manager Scott to start a per diem
system of reimbursing town
employees for meals while travel
ing on town business. Scott said
Braselton would follow the state
law on employee expenses, which
would allow either $36 or $28 for
three meals a day, based on the
region of travel in the state. Scott
said Braselton doesn’t have a set
amount to reimburse employees
for meals while traveling. The
town council rejected a similar
request in 2002, she said.
•adopted a resolution honoring
Veteran’s Day.
•heard from mayor Pat Graham,
who thanked the Braselton
Business Association for organiz
ing the “Carols of Christmas” fes
tival on Nov. 3.
Barrow County BOC considers impact fees
BY BRITTANY WHITLEY
Barrow County took a step for
ward in the impact fee assessment
process Tuesday night when the
Impact Fee Methodology Report
was presented to the board of com
missioners.
Impact fees are charges imposed
on developers to pay for capital
projects. These fees are imple
mented to accommodate new
development.
In Barrow County, the fees
would be applied to fire protection
and emergency services, librar
ies, the sheriff’s office, emergency
communications (911) and parks
and recreation.
Bill Ross, president of Ross
& Associates, the firm working
with Barrow County in the assess
ment of impact fees, presented the
report giving an overview of what
to expect if the fees were to be
implemented.
The report outlined future costs
that could be met through the use
of impact fees. Ross said that 63
percent of local capital cost in the
public facilities could be met in the
next 19 years using the fees. The
total costs of future projects listed
in the report are $161.3 million.
Around $101.1 million could be
collected through impact fees.
Ross stressed that the county
does not have to charge the full
100 percent of the maximum
allowed through impact fee laws.
Three percent of the cost of a
development is the maximum that
can be charged for residential and
non-residential properties.
Meanwhile, the next step in the
impact fee process will be an open
committee meeting on December
11. The board also wants to hold
a work session to go through each
project individually to determine
the fee for that project if there is
to be one.
One citizen, Scott Hang, spoke
against implementing impact fees.
He was concerned the county could
take money from certain parts of
the community and use the money
elsewhere. Hang suggested service
areas for the money collected so
it would be distributed fairly. He
also said that the fees do not take
into account the money needed for
operation cost and staffing of new
facilities.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business:
•new CERT (Community
Emergency Response Team) mem
bers were recognized. New mem
bers are: Brian Keener, Connie
Keener, Bruce Davis, Gordon
Dyleski, Billy Carver Jr., Brian
Greer, Sarah Roberts Cook, Robert
Cook, Shannon Baxter and Michael
Velasquez. The 30 active members
volunteer along side other emer
gency workers in the county. Each
member received a certificate.
Mark Melvin, the coordinator of
CERT, was also recognized for his
achievements at the meeting.
•the board unanimously approved
a West Winder Bypass agreement
with the Georgia Department of
Transportation. Two agreements
for the bypass were approved
over a year ago because construc
tion was supposed to take place
in two phases. The construction
will now take place in one phase.
At Tuesday night’s meeting, the
board approved a single agree
ment. The new agreement includ-
eds the intersection overpass at
Hwy. 316. Barrow County is still
responsible for preliminary engi
neering, environmental and right-
of-way acquisitions services, but
not right-of-way costs, construc
tion and utility relocation.
• the board voted unanimously
to fund the Barrow Park Drive
Supplemental Agreement No. 1 at
a cost of $230,120. The Barrow
Park Drive and entrance to the
new criminal justice facility must
have a storm water infrastructure
to remove the water from the prop
erty under Barrow Park Drive.
DECORATING IDEAS FOR CHRISTMAS
Guests at the home of Dr. Brian and Leah Pugh will be greeted by one of several rustic-themed
Christmas trees this week during the “It’s a Wonderful House” tour of homes at Chateau Elan.
Photo by Kerri Testement
TOUR — continued from page 1A
the “standards” featured on the
tour of homes at Chateau Elan -
a home movie theatre, gourmet
kitchen, a unique entertainment
area, and outdoor amenities, such
as pools and bars.
But the homes featured on the
“It’s a Wonderful House” tour also
highlight the families’ personali
ties.
For the Pughs, their house
includes a custom-designed bar
that encases Brian Pugh’s first gun
that his father gave him.
The largest house on this year’s
tour - the 15,000 square-foot home
of Markee and Johanna Brown
- features an indoor basketball
court, dance stage, wine cellar and
a special room dedicated to slum
ber parties.
The other privately owned hous
es on the tour include the homes of
A1 and Missy Bartlett, and Grady
and Dawn Cotter.
This year, the tour will also
include a stop at a decorated model
house in Creekside Village, the
newest residential neighborhood
in Chateau Elan. Guests will also
have the opportunity to visit the
nearby Corner Shoppe store for
holiday gifts and decorations, and
the Silver Bell Cafe for lunch, cof
fee or a snack.
And all of the stops along the
tour of homes will mark the holi
day season. Professional decora
tors worked with each homeowner
to design a holiday theme for their
house.
Leah Pugh said when the holi
day decorations were placed in
their house a couple of weeks ago,
their four-year-old son wanted
to know where Santa was. The
tour of homes typically occurs the
week before Thanksgiving to give
guests ideas for decorating for the
Christmas season.
Nancy Friauf, executive director
of the Gwinnett Children’s Shelter,
said she encourages people to take
a break from their busy lives and
enjoy the tour of homes.
The “It’s a Wonderful House”
tour of homes at Chateau Elan has
raised more than $651,000 in five
years for the Gwinnett Children’s
Shelter, Friauf said.
The children’s shelter is now in
the process of becoming a foster
home agency, getting accreditation
and starting “fatherhood services”
in the community, Friauf said.
“It is just tremendous,” she said
of the tour of homes. “It takes
thousands of hours every year to
put on the tour.”
For more information, or
to purchase tickets, visit www.
itsawonderfulhouse.org or call
1-800-514-ETIX. Tickets will also
be available at the Chateau Elan
Winery.
Braselton approves 18 residential building permits
The Braselton Planning and
Development Department issued
18 residential building permits
in October, according to a town
report.
Nine permits were issued in
Jackson County, four in Gwinnett
County, three in Barrow County
and two in Hall County.
Two non-residential build
ing permits were issued in Hall
County and one in Jackson
County.
A building permit for a 632,500
square foot warehouse/distribu
tion center was issued for build
ing J of the “Park 85 at Braselton”
development in Jackson County.
In October, a site development
permit was issued for “Park 85 at
Braselton” for speculative build
ing J.
In Hall County, building per
mits were issued for a 14,291
square foot retail strip center and
for a 3,000 square foot retail strip
center, both located on Spout
Springs Road.
A grading permit was issued
for Braselton Crossing.
Permanent sign permits were
issued to Emma’s Attic, Betty
Sue’s Quilt Shop, Merle Norman
and Maggie’s Spa.
The following items are list
ed by town officials as pending
development permit applications,
preliminary plats or site develop
ment plans: Braselton Village,
located on Ga. Hwy. 211 and
Beaver Dam Road; Reserve at
Liberty Park, phase 2; Liberty
Crossing, phase 2; Discovery
Point; Braselton Distribution
Center, building 12; Braselton
Crossing; Wachovia Bank, locat
ed in front of Publix; Braselton
Academy; CGJ Enterprises,
office warehouse at Bordeaux
Business Park; and Hampton
Inn.
Business licenses approved in Hoschton
Hoschton officials recently
approved several business per
mits.
Business licenses were issued
to: Checkered Flag Performance
(racing performance), 55 Pearl
Ind. Blvd.; Woodall Promotions
(graphic designs), 52B Jopena
Blvd.; and Aunt Annie’s Fabric
(fabrics/sewing lessons), 4219
Hwy. 53.
No building or home occu
pation permits were issued in
October.
Also, the city paid $62,269
in general fund bills, $231,549
from the capital projects
account for bills for the waste-
water treatment plant, $33,578
for the Special Purpose Local
Option Sales Tax (SPLOST)
account and $29,830 in bills
from the city’s water and sewer
fund.
HOLIDAY SAVINGS
Going on now TRUNK SALE
50% Off regular priced Designer Clothing
Inside the Trunk
“The Day After Thanksgiving”
6 cum. -10 a.m. 25% Off alt Designer Clothing
6 cum. - 7 a.m. 15% Off all B. B. Becker Jewelry
7 a.m. - 8 a.m. 15% Off all
Roman Glado/Mooaico Jewelry
8 a.m. - 9 a.m. 25% Off Kim Lou E
Special Dedigno Jewelry
10:00 a.m. - $100 Chez Femme
Gift Certificate Drawing
December 1 “Chriotmcu In Lights ”
at Hodchton Town Center
Chez Femme will hoot a feu h ion dhow.
Bring the kidd to dee Santa and
AIrd. CUuu. Lotd of free fun activitieo.
December 8
Paper Lady Bugd will hodt a trunk dhow
with many more fan too tic gif to for
Chridtmcu.
P. S. Ladieo - the coffee table “bookd” and
collectible Chriotmao ornamentd are in.
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