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Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson $1.00 copy Wednesday, December 11, 2019 Vol. 13 No. 1 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 16 pages Hoschton recall vote set Jan. 14 Cleveland says he will resign The Hoschton City Coun cil has officially called for a Jan. 14 recall vote on wheth er or not to remove Mayor Theresa Kenerly and mayor pro tem Jim Cleveland from office. But according to a story in the Dec. 10 issue of the Atlanta Journal-Constitu tion. Cleveland plans to re sign before that happens. The council made the recall election official in a called meeting Dec. 5. But the measure was hung in limbo for about 10 minutes during the meet ing after council members realized they didn’t have enough votes to move for ward. Neither Kenerly nor Cleveland could vote on the measure, according to city attorney Thomas Mitchell, and council member Adam Ledbetter was absent. A phone call was made to Ledbetter, who was at work, and he arrived at the meeting a few minutes later, making the quorum and allowing the call for the special elec tion to move forward. The election had earlier been certified by the Jack- son County Board of Elec tions. Voting timeline: Early voting for the special recall election will begin Dec. 23 and run through Jan. 3 at the Jackson County Elections Office in Jefferson. Early voting will then move to the Braselton pre cinct location on Jan. 6-10. That precinct is closer to See Recall, page 3A Braselton defers action on massive Hwy. 211 development Action on a controversial and legally contentious rezon ing proposed for property across from Chateau Elan on Hwy. 211 was deferred by the Braselton Town Council on Dec. 9 until a called meeting on Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. The plan for a massive housing and commercial develop ment on 230 acres around the Publix shopping center was turned down by the council in August. A subsequent law suit against the town remanded the case back to the council for another hearing. The council held that hearing Dec. 9 during its regular council meeting. An attorney for developer HECE. LLC. argued that the council should now go ahead and approve the rezoning with conditions that had been worked out be tween HECE and the city. But one citizen who lives at Chateau Elan said that the project should now go back before the town’s planning commission for more public input before the council takes any final action. An attorney for the developers of the Publix shopping center also opposed plans by the Georgia Department of Transportation for a traffic signal design at the site. RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT GETS NOD Braselton council members also voted Monday, Dec. 9, to approve a large residential project on a former vineyard. The council approved a master plan change for 57 acres off Hwy. 124 with a number of conditions. Fountainhead Residential Development plans a mix of residential uses on the property, including 118 multi-fam ily units, 24 townhouses and 114 detached single-family units. OTHER BUSINESS In other business Dec. 9, the council approved: •several 2020 alcohol license applications for Vincent Venturo Squillance with Gas Express for the Circle K con venience stores at 983 Hwy. 124 and 1975 Hwy. 211; and for Neville Erasmus with Merritt Hospitality for Paddy’s Pub, The Spa at Chateau Elan, Hampton Inn & Suites. Marc at Chateau Elan and The Inn at Chateau Elan. •hazard mitigation plans with Jackson and Gwinnett counties. •an easement request from Atlanta Gas Light as part of the town’s project to add a lane to Chardonnay Trace. •a change to its alcoholic beverage license ordinance to streamline the process. •a change to its floodplain management regulations to conform to state standards. Duncan Creek Rd. residential development deferred A second public hearing on a residential develop ment in Braselton was de ferred last week. Meritage Homes of Geor gia requested deferral of its request shortly before the Braselton Town Council was set to hear it on Dec. 5. Meritage is requesting annexation, rezoning and a master plan change for a planned unit development off Duncan Creek Rd. De velopers plan 326 detached single-family units on 141 acres. The Braselton Planning Commission failed to make a recommendation on the request at its recent meet ing. Planners ultimately decided to defer the re quest. Contact Us • News: news@mainstreet- news.com, call 706-395-2752 or fax to 706-367-8056 •Ads: ads@mainstreetnews. com or call 706-367-5233 Online Like us on Facebook: The Braselton News www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com Santa at the Depot Photos by Kyle Funderburk The Hoschton Women’s Civic Club hosted a pictures with Santa Claus event at the Hoschton Depot Saturday morning, Dec. 7. A group of siblings show off their biggest smiles as they sit with Santa Claus at the Hoschton Depot. A pair of siblings giggle in Santa’s lap while pos- with him Saturday at the Hoschton Depot. See ing for photos Saturday at the Hoschton Depot, more on page 3. Tensions boil over in Hoschton By Mike Buffington mike@mainstreetnews. com Political tensions in Hoschton boiled over at a Dec. 5 council meeting as one of the town’s newest council members became embroiled in a heated dis cussion with embattled Mayor Theresa Kenerly over the form of the meet ing’s agenda. At the beginning of the meeting, Kenerly an nounced that the agenda looked a little different because city officials had discovered that a town or dinance which outlines the order of city council meet ings didn’t allow for the council to do the pledge, a prayer or have time for citizens input. Because the Dec. 5 council meeting was a non-voting work session. Kenerly said the ordinance would have to be amended when the council held its regular meeting Dec. 9. But the council was un able to make that vote Dec. 9 after councilman Jim See Tension, page 3A Hoschton approves budget, waste firm in split votes By Mike Buffington mike@mainstreetnews.com Hoschton adopted its FY2020 budget and de cided on a waste dispos al company at its meet ing on Dec. 9, but both were contentious and required Mayor There sa Kenerly to break a tie vote for the items to pass. The town adopted a $1.4 million general fund budget for FY2020 after council member Hope Weeks made a mo tion to adopt the budget, but with several pro posed items eliminated. The motion carried 3-2 after Kenerly broke a council tie. Weeks and councilman Jim Cleve land voted in favor of the budget while council members Shantwon As- tin and Adam Ledbetter voted against it. Why the budget was cut: Weeks said that the cuts were designed to cover any shortfall if the town’s growth faded next year. “If some crazy thing happens, we would still be OK.” she said of her budget proposal. Weeks’ motion re- See Hoschton, page 3A o