Newspaper Page Text
Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson 500 copy
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Vol. 10 No. 35 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 20 pages, 2 sections
DDA group briefed on new Braselton businesses
By Alex Pace
Braselton is at a peak in development,
according to the town's planning director.
And with the new businesses popping up
near Northeast Georgia Medical Center and
throughout the town, that growth doesn’t
appear to be lessening.
Planning director Kevin Keller updat
ed the Braselton Downtown Development
Authority's economic vitality committee
on new developments at its Friday meeting.
“There's a lot of development on our desk
right now," he said.
Among those is a La Quinta hotel planned
on Hwy. 53. Keller said developers are
close to getting all their permits for that
project.
“That’ll start going up pretty soon,” he
said.
While other properties are reportedly
being marketed for hotels (including a
parcel behind Cracker Barrel). Keller said
the La Quinta is the only one planned right
now. But Keller noted hotel developers have
been looking in the area.
The group also discussed multiple proj
ects outside the downtown area, including
the RaceTrac planned across Hwy. 211
from the Shell convenience store, and the
Chick-fil-A recently approved in the High-
pointe Development. (Highpointe is located
on Hwy. 211 between Thompson Mill Road
and Hwy. 347.)
Keller said the Chick-fil-A should be get
ting its permits soon.
Meanwhile, Highpointe developers are
working to get the parcel ready for the pop
ular restaurant chain.
“For a business like Chick-fil-A or
Dunkin' Donuts, they want to come in to a
pad-ready site,” Keller said. “...That’s why
you see them working real hard up there
right now.”
HIGHWAY 211 WIDENING
Hwy. 211 has become a hub of growth in
the Town of Braselton in recent years, along
with Duncan Comers, according to Keller.
Widening the already busy Hwy. 211
may become more time-sensitive as more
businesses pop up in the area.
The town plans to take on part of the
Hwy. 211 widening while using some state
funding.
The first phase will widen Thompson Mill
Road to Friendship Road, followed by the
second phase from Liberty Church Road
to Thompson Mill. The remainder will be
done in pieces, according to Keller.
The Georgia Department of Transpor
tation will replace the bridge, due to the
complexities of the project. While that will
likely be the last piece of the project. Keller
said widening the other sections may “help
the bottleneck” of traffic traveling from
Hwy. 211 to Friendship Road.
Keller said the town is waiting on final
site plans and could put out contracts by the
continued on page 2A
Man upset with
code enforcement
grabs baseball bat
A man who was apparently upset that code enforcement
officers were on his property was arrested last week after he
pulled out a baseball bat.
Jeffrey Irvan Ramey, 51, 150 Cooper Bridge Road, Bra
selton, faces charges of simple assault.
According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office inci
dent report, a code enforcement officer went to a Cooper
Bridge Road residence to notify the owner that they were
violating the county’s junk yard ordinance.
When the code enforcement officer got out, Ramey
reportedly approached him and asked what he was doing
there. After he told Ramey his reason for being there, he
allegedly told the officer he “wasn't serving him with
anything.” asked if he had a warrant and demanded him to
leave.
The officer said he got into his car and Ramey came
towards his vehicle with a baseball bat raised in the air. The
enforcement officer said he feared for his safety and called
the JCSO.
Ramey told JCSO deputies that the code enforcement offi
cer didn’t have a right to be on his property, so he ordered
him to leave. He said the officer told him he didn't have to
the leave, so Ramey grabbed a baseball bat to “ensure (the
code enforcement officer) left without jumping him.”
He denied raising the bat over his head.
Hoschton plans
‘Bubble Day ’ event
Hoschton will host Bubble Day on Saturday, Aug. 12, at
11 a.m.. at the green space on City Square.
The free event will feature live music by Highway 53,
a food tent fundraiser by the Shriners, a water slide, foam
bubble show and water splash by the West Jackson Fire
Department. Attendees can also participate in free give
aways (including water guns, bubbles and popsicles).
“Bring your goggles, bathing suits, water shoes and tow
els and let us do the rest,” organizers state.
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School bells ring again
Quiet in hall
Children were quiet in the hall as they lined up for a restroom break Friday morning during their
first day back to school. Shown are Presley Carter, 4, Jayden Bowen, 4, and Kendall Donaldson,
4. Andrea Clinkscales is their Pre-K teacher at West Jackson Elementary School.
Photos by Wesleigh Sagon
Goodbye summer
West Jackson Elementary School students waited in line for car rider check out Friday after their
first day back to school. See more on page 3A.
Hoschton council O.K.s subdivision
By Alex Pace
A preliminary plat for a 39-lot
subdivision in Hoschton got the
green light on Monday.
The Hoschton City Council
approved the Winterset Plat for
18.51 acres on West Jefferson
Street at Jefferson Avenue.
Developers plan to construct a
single-family subdivision with
open space.
Discussion was minimal at the
council’s Monday meeting.
The council discussed a condi
tion requiring developers to grade,
level and sod both of its greens.
It also discussed eliminating extra
pedestrian lighting around the
green space since that area will
already by lit by street lights.
OTHER BUSINESS
Also at its meeting, the council:
•discussed lowering the depot
rental rates back to what they were
before the council raised them.
There has been a dip in rentals. The
council also approved allowing city
council members and staff one free
annual event at the depot.
•approved allowing the Angel
Ride to use the depot free of charge
for its event Oct. 14. This is the
seventh year of the event for the
nonprofit. This year’s proceeds will
benefit a veteran and firefighter
who has throat cancer. Last year's
event raised almost $11,000 for a
different community member.
•approved several mid-year bud
get amendments.
•following a 20-minute closed
session, approved a $1,200 pay
increase for Karen Butler due to
“extended work duties.”