Newspaper Page Text
The
Vol. 3 No. 51
Your only locally-owned community newspaper
Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Mill Creek, West Jackson and Barrow County
Wednesday, April 9,2008
A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. BraseltonNews.com BarrowJournal.com
Member of the
Georgia Press Association
250 copy
26 pages, 3 sections
Inside
•Mill Creek student art
to be displayed at High
Museum in Atlanta
page 7B
BARROW COUNTY
•An in-depth analysis of
Barrow’s audit
page 5A
HALL COUNTY
•Residents oppose
retail, warehouse plans
for Ga. Hwy. 211
page 2A
Sports:
•Hawks ranked No. 7 in
state page 1B
Opinion:
•‘Barrow finances look
strong, but tough deci
sions are ahead’
page 4A
Public safety:
•Braselton police end
chase on 1-85 of gas theft
suspect
page 7A
•Church events
page 4B
•Obituaries
page5B
PETCO to open distribution center in Braselton
Company to occupy vacant building on Ga. Hwy. 124
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
PETCO — a national retailer of pet food, supplies and
services — plans to open a large distribution center in
Braselton.
The San Diego-based company is slated to open its
distribution center in a vacant 506,200 square-foot facil
ity on Ga. Hwy. 124, near Ga. Hwy. 211. The building
is located in the Braselton Business Park in Barrow
County.
“We are delighted that PETCO has chosen Braselton
as the location for their new distribution facility,”
Braselton mayor Pat Graham said in a statement on
Monday. “We appreciate their investment and the new
jobs they are bringing to Braselton.”
Gov. Sonny Perdue's office reported on Monday that
PETCO is expected to invest $33 million in the Braselton
distribution center that will serve the Southeast. At full
capacity, the company plans to have up to 277 employ
ees, according to a statement from the governor.
“Georgia’s strength in logistics makes it a top choice
for national retailers like PETCO,” Gov. Perdue said in a
statement. “Our robust transportation network and ready
workforce are a natural fit for distribution centers.”
Dave Watson, senior vice president of Grubb and Ellis
Company, said he expects PETCO to move into the
building in 120 days. PETCO signed a 12-year lease for
See PETCO on page 6A
PETCO’S FACILITY
PETCO will move into a 506,200 square-foot building on Ga. Hwy.
124, near Ga. Hwy. 211 in Barrow County. A Sears distribution
operation moved out of the building last year and relocated to
Pendergrass.
Firefighters among those honored
BRAVED FLAMES
Mayor Chip Thompson presents an award to Winder firefighters Barry Garrett and William Reidling.
The city honored several employees and citizens on Tuesday. Garrett and Reidling volunteered to
travel to south Georgia last year as part of the effort to combat the largest forest fire in the state’s his
tory. For more photos, see page 3A. Photo by Kristi Reed
Not enough interest in
new Hoschton sewer line
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
Hoschton is “closing the curtain”
on its effort to have existing busi
nesses help fund a new sewer line in
the city’s industrial area, according
to a council member.
Two months ago, the city council
approved a $118,000 bid to install
a new sewer line along Ga. Hwy.
53, from Jopena Blvd. to Nancy
Industrial. The sewer line would
serve several existing businesses
currently using septic tanks.
However, the city council agreed
that it would have to receive $59,000
from the businesses that could con
nect to the sewer line by March 20.
And when that deadline passed,
the city only had 60 percent of
the funds from those businesses in
Hoschton’s bank account.
“We got a lot of good inten
tions, but not enough checks,” said
Richard Green, chairperson of the
city's water, waste and environ
mental services
committee.
Hoschton
will hand those
checks back to
the businesses
— and take a
second look at
enticing com
panies to help
bring sewer
service to the
industrial area. Green said.
“We’re going to end this action and
start again,” he said on Thursday.
Green said installing the sewer
line to the industrial area would be
a cheaper project now than waiting
until later.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the Hoschton
City Council:
•learned that the additions to the
See SEWER on page 6A
GREEN
Winder council considering large fire tax hike
BY KRISTI REED
inder's fire tax millage rate could soon
increase 39.5 percent if the city council
approves the rate change as part of the
2009 budget.
The council voted Tuesday to notify the public that it
is considering raising the millage rate from 2.15 mills to
3 mills. City Administrator Bob Beck said the amount
would represent a tax of approximately $34 per year on
a $100,000 home.
The city collects between $650,000 and $700,000
annually from the fire tax. That amount is used to sup
port the operations of the Winder Fire Department.
Currently, the fire tax provides approximately 37 percent
of the fire department's operating costs. If the new rate is
approved, the percentage will increase to 47 percent.
Last year, the City of Winder hired three new firemen,
which improved the city's ISO rating from Category 4
to Category 3. In addition to funding the additional sala
ries, the fire tax revenue will be used to offset the cost of
replacing the department's 1975 ladder truck.
The city will hold three public hearings over the next
few months regarding the proposed tax increase.
PAWN SHOP FEE
Another revenue item under scrutiny is Winder's pawn
shop fee. The city increased the fee for a pawn license
from $200 to $1,200 in February 2007.
According to Chief of Police Stanley Rodgers, this
increase only partially covers the costs incurred by his
department in policing the activities of the nine pawn
See WINDER on page 3A
Garbage rates to increase
BY KERRI TESTEMENT does allow an annual rate increase.
Residential garbage rates in
Hoschton will slightly increase, start
ing next month.
The city council approved an
increase on Monday for residential
waste pick-up from $14.50 to $15 a
month, effective May 1.
The move comes after a request
from the city's garbage provider.
Waste Pro, to increase the rate it
charges the city from $ 11.69 to $ 12.25
a month. Hoschton also charges its
customers an administrative fee.
Council member Richard Green
said the city's contract with Waste Pro
Mayor Bill Copenhaver said the
company has been finding ways to
conserve fuel amid rising gasoline
costs, but still needed a rate increase
from its customers.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the Hoschton
City Council:
•learned that the city is awaiting
the final documents from the Georgia
Department of Transportation related
to the re-alignment of Ga. Hwy. 332
at Towne Center Parkway.
See TRASH on page 6A
Building permits drop in Braselton
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
The number of new residen
tial building permits in Braselton
issued during the first quarter of
2008 dropped 52 percent, compared
to the same time last year.
Overall, the number of new resi
dential permits issued in Jackson
County fell more than 60 percent
during the first three months of
2008, compared to the first quarter
of 2007.
An analysis of building permits
issued in the county and its nine
cities shows that the new residential
market in Jackson County is slow
ing down.
In the first three months of 2007,
there were 337 new residential
permits issued: for the same time
period in 2008, that figure fell to
132 — accounting for a 60 percent
drop.
In Jackson County, cities issue
their own building permits while
the county approves permits for
unincorporated areas.
The three largest government
agencies that issue building permits
— Jackson County, Braselton and
Jefferson — also reflect a sharp
decline in new residential growth.
In the first quarter of 2008,
Jefferson issued 10 new residential
permits, compared to 63 during the
same time period in 2007, marking
an 84 percent drop.
Unincorporated Jackson County’s
permits declined by 56 percent,
from 134 issued in the first quarter
of 2007 to 58 in the first quarter of
2008.
Braselton issued 102 building
permits in the first quarter of 2007,
and 48 in the first quarter of 2008,
a 52 percent decline. Braselton’s
See PERMITS on page 3A
First Quarter Building Permits
Area/Town 2007 2008
Unincorp. Jackson Co. 134
Braselton 102
Jefferson 63
Pendergrass 18
Commerce 9
Maysville 5
Hoschton 4
Arcade 1
Talmo 0
Nicholson 1
58
48
10
0
4
6
2
0
0
4
*The first quarter includes January, February and March.
