Newspaper Page Text
Page 2A
The Braselton News
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Hoschton
Church seeks zoning approval for move
RABIES CLINIC DRAWS LARGE CROWD
Phillip Bryan holds his dog as John Cassidy of the Commerce
Veterinary Hospital gives the dog a rabies shot on Friday in
Braselton. A rabies clinic was held in Braselton and Hoschton
on Friday. Commerce Veterinary Hospital and Jefferson Animal
Hospital vaccinated 2,550 pets during a four-day rabies clinic
held in locations throughout Jackson and Banks counties. Also
shown are Brenda Dennis, Braselton, and Christopher Dennis and
Katelyn Dennis, both 6. Photo by Kerri Testement
Winder
No turnout for Winder
fire tax, budget hearings
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
growing West Jackson
church may soon move its
ministry to a former school
house and factory in Hoschton.
New Community, a Christian
church, plans to relocate to a 26,000
square-foot on Ga. Hwy. 53 in
Hoschton. The building once housed
a school, factory and an automotive
accident investigation business.
New Community has been meet
ing at West Jackson Primary School,
where the church has been leasing
space for worship services.
“It’s been a great launching pad
for us, but we need more space,’’ said
Christopher J. Hoffman, lead pastor
and president of the church.
The church started at WJPS in
February 2007, and welcomed more
than 220 people for its Easter wor-
Braselton
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
Two requests to grant relief from
Braselton’s Ga. Hwy. 211 overlay
district standards were denied by the
town’s zoning board of appeals last
week.
Century Gateway, LLC asked the
board to a grant variance from requir
ing the company to install sidewalks,
streetlights and trees along Hwy. 211,
near Beaver Dam Road. The 8.8-acre
property in Barrow County is owned
by Dick Gray.
Gray contended that the infra
structure improvements Braselton is
requiring for the development would
be placed in the state rights-of-way of
Hwy. 211.
Dick Gray’s son, Chris, told the
board that should Hwy. 211 be wid
ened, the company’s investment of
sidewalks and other improvements
in the state rights-of-way would be
removed.
The Grays and town officials have
debated the issue of infrastructure
improvements along the state high-
Barrow County
The Barrow County Chamber of
Commerce Governmental Affairs
Committee will present a “Night
with the Candidates” on Monday,
June 23, at 6:30 p.m.
The political forum will be open
to any candidate that is running in a
contested race in Barrow County.
Each candidate will be given
the opportunity to answer three
questions asked by panelists made
ship service this year, he said.
Hoffman told the Hoschton
Planning Commission on Monday
that opening in the red brick facil
ity on Hwy. 53 would provide more
space for the church.
“We believe we can grow it to 400
people in one service with this facil
ity,” he said.
New Community plans to renovate
the interior of the building in June
and open its doors for services in
September, according to documents
given to the city.
The church also plans to add more
parking to the three-acre property.
New Community has a four-year,
lease-purchase agreement for the site.
Sri Kumar is the property owner.
Hoschton doesn't allow businesses
to sell alcohol within 200 feet of a
church. When questioned about the
way in the overlay district for more
than three years. The issue has also
been the subject of a lawsuit.
“This has been a long debate on
this particular property,” Chris Gray
said.
In November 2004, Braselton
annexed 26 acres on Hwy. 211 and
Beaver Dam Road for a retail and
office project called Century Center
at Braselton. The project was the first
to be developed under the town’s
Hwy. 211 overlay district.
Dick Gray said he favors the Hwy.
211 overlay district standards, but
takes offense that it requires develop
ers to spend money in state-owned
rights-of-way.
“We think this overlay district is
fatally flawed because of this,” he
said.
Gray also said he believes the town
is discriminating against the develop
ers, since several newer retail devel
opments in the overlay district didn’t
have to meet the same standards.
Town planning director Kevin
up of members from the Barrow
County Chamber of Commerce
Governmental Affairs Committee.
Politicians from non-contested
races will be invited to attend the
forum and will be available at the
conclusion for questions.
Citizens from Barrow County
are welcomed to submit their
questions for the candidates to
the Barrow County Chamber of
regulation, Hoffman said he was fine
with nearby businesses selling alco
hol. A retail center is located across
Hwy. 53 from the facility.
The church’s proposal would
require approval of a special use
permit. Hoschton’s zoning ordinance
doesn’t allow churches in commer
cial or industrial zoning districts,
except for special use permits.
The Hoschton Planning
Commission recommended approval
of the request. The Hoschton City
Council is expected to discuss the
proposal on Thursday, May 29, at 7
p.m., and vote on Monday, June 2,
at 7 p.m.
The facility located at 3955 Hwy.
53 has recently been the site of Safety
Storage. The building was once
the Hoschton Elementary School,
according to the city’s website.
Keller said those developments men
tioned by Gray are exempt from the
Hwy. 211 overlay district standards
because they are part of larger proj
ects that were approved by the town
council prior to adopting the overlay
codes.
In a 3-1 vote, the Braselton Zoning
of Appeals sided with the town plan
ning department’s recommendation
to deny relief from the improvement
standards.
Board members Charlie Patterson,
Jim Mallory and Elmer Hopper voted
to deny the request, while Gail White
voted against the motion. White’s
prior motion to approve the request
died for lack of a second from the
board.
In a second vote, the board voted
unanimously to deny a request from
Century Gateway to grant a vari
ance requiring inter-parcel access on
Beaver Dam Road. The Grays also
contended that the property was not
subject to the town’s overlay district
standards.
Commerce office. The deadline to
submit questions is June 4.
Submit questions by visiting
www.barrowchamber.com or fax
ing items to 770-867-6366.
The event will be held at the
Colleen O. Williams Theatre,
located at 105 E. Athens Street,
Winder.
For more information, call the
chamber at 770-867-9444.
BY KRISTI REED
Winder finance director Leslie
Ginn came prepared Monday night to
answer any questions citizens might
have about the city's proposed budget
for the 2009 fiscal year. Fire Chief
Ray Mattison was on hand to address
citizen concerns about the proposed
fire tax increase.
But there were no questions, com
ments or concerns - and no citizens.
Despite weeks of public notice
in several media outlets, no citizens
attended Monday's hearings on the
2009 budget or the proposed fire tax
increase.
Mattison chose to look on the bright
side saying his department has worked
extremely hard to show the citizens of
Winder that they get a lot of service for
their fire tax dollars.
“Fire tax is one thing that if you give
us a little, we’ll give you a lot back,”
he said.
The fire department has continued
to add personnel and make improve
ments as the city has grown. The
water department has also made
improvements which contributed to
the improved rating. The combined
efforts of the two departments resulted
in the city’s ISO rating being lowered
from class 4 to class 3. On a $150,000
home, that results in an annual savings
of $48 on homeowner’s insurance.
The fire tax increase will help the
city maintain the class 3 rating.
“We have worked very hard to
obtain the class 3 insurance rating and
we need to make sure we maintain that
rate,” Mattison said. Only 2.8 percent
of all fire departments in the nation
have a class 3 rating or better accord
ing to Mattison.
The current fire tax rate provides
approximately one third of the depart
ment’s operating budget. The new rate
will increase the fire tax millage from
2.15 to 3.0 or approximately $34 a
year on a $100,000 home. The last
time the fire tax was increased was
in 2005.
The third and final hearing on the
proposed fire tax increase will be
held May 27 at 6 p.m. at the Winder
Community Center, 113 East Athens
Street in Winder.
CITY BUDGET
The City of Winder has proposed
a $34.7 million operating budget for
2009. The budget is approximately
$900,000 more than last year’s bud
get.
The bulk of the budget, $22 mil
lion, is devoted to the operation of the
Winder utilities departments. General
expenditures comprise $9.9 million
of the budget. The rest is allocated
among items such as the Community
Center, Cultural Arts Center, fleet
maintenance and the downtown devel
opment authority.
The city also presented an $11.4
million capital budget. The capital
budget includes items such as equip
ment, facilities and other fixed assets.
See WINDER on page 3A
Statham gets
grant for sewer
upgrade project
The city of Statham was approved
for a Georgia Fund sewer grant of
$100,000 this week to help finance a
sewer extension to residents who are
currently on septic tanks.
Gov. Sonny Perdue's office said
Tuesday that 153 homes in the area
will be able to discontinue the use of
septic tanks.
The total projectcostis $3,036,273,
with the Georgia Environmental
Facilities Authority (GEFA) pro
viding $2,790,000 in a previously-
approved Georgia Fund loan and
the city providing $146,273 in local
funds.
Jackson
chamber to
meet Thurs.
at Traditions
Some lucky attendee of Thursday's
Chamber Business After Hours at
the Traditions of Braselton Golf
Course will win three nights at the
Paris Hotel.
That's in Las Vegas, not France.
The accommodations —
and round-trip airfare for two,
will be given away during the
Jackson County Area Chamber of
Commerce's Business After Hours
Thursday from 5:30 to 7:00 at the
golf course.
To qualify for the prize, the
attendee must be present and must
fill out a registration form at one of
the new homes at Traditions.
The chamber will also unveil its
new logo, and all attendees will
receive a prize with the new logo on
them — not to mention a chance at
a host of other door prizes.
News offices to
be closed Mon.
The offices of MainStreet
Newspapers, which owns The
Braselton News, will be closed on
Monday, May 26, in observance of
Memorial Day.
The deadlines have been moved
up due to the holiday. The deadline
for classified and display advertis
ing — as well as social and church
announcements — will be noon on
Friday, May 23. Items received after
the deadline may not be published.
Appeals board denies requests for Hwy. 211 project
Citizens can submit questions for political forum
We Buy All
Gold & Silver
Including:
Class Rings • Wedding Bands
• Coins • Broken Jewelry
• Dental Gold
Xtaine&oiffe
770-532-2592
1020 Jesse Jewell Pkwy. • Gainesville, GA
Mon. - Thurs. 10-6:30 • Fri. - Sat. 10-7
/■
Bring In Your
10k and 14k
Scrap Gold
N
And receive Top Dollar Value
EVANS JEWEL BOX
55 N. Broad St. • Downtown Winder
770-867-3761
V
✓
Independent Living Retirement Community....
at ^a^aio/ta (odtated
Now offering a
MOVE-IN Special
with a full 1 year guarantee.
Come experience what true active
Senior Living is all about.
Call 770-867-4256 or email us at magnoliaestates@alltel.net
624 Gainesville Hwy. • Winder, GA
Would you like to be free from
your monthly cycle and PMS?
In-Office NovaSure® Endometrial Ablation
~ Freedom from monthly cycles
~ Hysterectomy alternative
~ Covered by most insurances
Hormone Therapy and Pellet Injections
~ Fatigue, Sleeplessness, PMS,
Sexual Dysfunction, Depression
Clinton B. Ashford, MD ~ Rebecca C. Ashford, MD
Women’s Gynecologic Healthcare
1750 South Lumpkin St., Athens
706-353-2550
321 Pottery Factory Drive, Commerce -- across from OUTBACK STEAK House