Newspaper Page Text
Page 2A
The Braselton News
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
O
O
Lookback continued from 1A
Don Panoz, is no longer be
ing developed in Braselton, it
was announced. The Braselton
Town Council approved a re
quest from Fountainhead De
velopment on March 11 for the
new planned unit development
site plan.
•Plans changed for the
former Atlanta Riverwalk
property near Braselton. Ro
tunda Land Group, LLC, the
new developer of the property,
took its first steps toward a zon
ing change for the 512-acre lot
off SR 211 near Union Church
Rd. The group filed a Devel
opment of Regional Impact
application.
•Ron Johnson reportedly
gave a letter to Jackson County
officials, resigning as chair
man of the Jackson County
Board of Elections. But when
asked for a copy of the resig
nation letter, county attorney
Chris Hamilton declined to
release it. Johnson resigned ef
fective March 31.
•By a margin of 58-percent
to 42-percent, Jackson Coun
ty School System voters ap
proved a $52 million bond
referendum. The final vote
was 632-457 in favor of the
referendum.
APRIL
•A new chairman of the
Jackson County Board of
Elections was set to be nom
inated by the grand jury,
county attorney Chris Hamil
ton said.
•Hoschton leaders planned
an upgrade for the city
square sidewalks in down
town.
•Northeast Georgia Health
System’s plan to develop a new
surgery center in Braselton got
one step closer to becoming
reality. The Georgia Depart
ment of Community Health
approved NGHS’ Certificate
of Need application for an
ambulatory surgery center.
Ambulatory surgery centers
typically provide less complex
procedures compared to hospi
tals, which can result in lower
costs and patients going home
the same day as surgery, hospi
tal leaders state.
•A public hearing on a pro
posal to allow townhomes
and a handful of detached
residences at Chateau Elan
was again deferred. The Bra
selton Town Council was set
to hear the request at its April
4 meeting.
•Braselton leaders approved
a change to its alcohol ordi
nance to allow frozen con
sumables.
•Hoschton leaders faced a
backlash from some residents
on social media after an appar
ent mistake with the town’s
garbage pickup contract
•Chateau Elan Winery
and Resort announced plans
for a major upgrade. The $25
million project was slated to be
complete by November.
•Hall County leaders voted
to table a hearing on zoning
changes for a major pro
posed development in the
Braselton area. The Hall
County Planning Commission
tabled the request from Rev
eille Development Partners,
which wanted zoning changes
for the former Atlanta River-
walk property.
•Hoschton announced the
names of three finalists for
city administrator, including
Jason Streetman, Dale Hall
and Justin Kilgore.
•Work on the development
of the massive Twin Lakes
residential community was
slated to begin soon after ac
tion by the Hoschton Planning
and Zoning Commission. The
planning board approved two
preliminary plats for the proj
ect in April.
•The Braselton Planning
Commission voted to approve
a proposed concrete recy
cling facility. Shadbum Ferry
Investments, LLC requested
conditional use for a 7.33 acre
recycling facility to be located
along Highway 124.
•A planned development
of townhomes in Hoschton
got the green light from the
Hoschton Planning and Zon
ing Commission to expand
its number of units and re
locate its entrance. The plan
ning board approved rezoning
nine additional acres for the
development off of Hwy. 53
south in downtown.
MAY
•The Braselton Town Coun
cil continued searching for
ways to keep up with growth
in the area. Their ideas were
discussed and brainstormed
in a lengthy planning session
hosted in Athens by the North
east Georgia Regional Com
mission.
•Hoschton named Dale Hall
as its sole finalist for city ad
ministrator.
•An online petition garnered
over 200 signatures against a
proposal for townhomes and
other residences near the
Chateau Elan winery.
•Developers renewed their
push to bring a massive mixed-
use development to the Cha
teau Elan area. HECE, LLC,
requested a change to the
master plan for 230 acres
around the Publix on Hwy.
211.
•A story broke alleging that
Hoschton mayor Theresa Ken-
erly didn’t include the resume
of a candidate for city admin
istrator because he is black and
she didn’t know if the city was
“ready for that.” Mayor Pro
Tern Jim Cleveland defended
Kenerly in a news story and
expressed his views against
interracial marriage. Multi
ple citizens began calling for
Cleveland’s and Kenerly’s
resignations. A candlelight
vigil was held for the town lat
er in May.
•An 80-acre mixed use de
velopment was proposed on
Hwy. 53 in Braselton. Stolz
Partners submitted a DRI
study for the project named
Braselton Circuit. A mix of
industrial, multi-family units
and commercial parcels were
proposed.
•A public hearing on a pro
posal to allow townhomes
and a handful of detached
residences at Chateau Elan
was deferred again.
•Braselton leaders gave the
go-ahead for a concrete recy
cling facility off Hwy. 124.
•The Hall County Planning
Commission gave the initial
nod to Reveille Development,
for a large project on 508 acres
near Road Atlanta. Developers
proposed 482,400 sq. ft. of re
tail; nearly 1,970 residences;
8.4 acres of outparcels; and
175 hotel units in one hotel.
•A Nicholson man was
killed in a Braselton ware
house accident involving a
forklift.
•Developers deferred a
public hearing for a massive
mixed-used development on
230 acres around the Publix
on Hwy. 211. HECE, LLC,
deferred the request, which
would allow developers to
construct 460 single-family
homes, 202,250 sq.ft, of retail/
commercial building and other
commercial outparcels.
•A group of citizens began
pursuing ethics complaints
against Hoschton mayor The
resa Kenerly and mayor pro
tem Jim Cleveland. Over 80
ethics complaints were filed.
•A Colorado man who was
critically injured by a Braselton
woman died. Monique Lynette
Pinckney, of Braselton, was
initially charged with aggra
vated assault after allegedly in
juring James Patrick Pritchard
Jr. Pritchard later died, and
Jackson County Sheriff Ja
ms Mangum said the charges
would be upgraded to mur
der.
•Two large West Jackson
residential projects got the
nod from the Jackson County
Planning Commission. Plan
ners approved a map amend
ment change for a 130-acre
tract on Gum Springs Church
Rd. and for a 43-acre tract on
Hwy. 124 West.
JUNE
•Hearings on a request to
allow townhomes and other
residential units at Chateau
Elan were again deferred.
The Braselton Town Council
deferred the hearing to July
3 (it was previously planned
June 6). Chateau Elan Resorts,
LLC, is requesting a change
to its master plan that would
allow 115 townhomes and 16
detached single-family resi
dences.
•Two Hoschton leaders
faced continued calls for
their resignation during the
city council meeting. Citizens
again packed the Hoschton
Depot, calling for Mayor The
resa Kenerly and Mayor Pro
Tem Jim Cleveland to resign
following alleged racial com
ments made during the recent
city administrator search.
•A change to Hoschton’s
ethics ordinance was pro
posed amid continued contro
versy and calls for the town’s
mayor and mayor pro tem to
resign.
•Developers of a massive
Braselton-area project have
asked Hall County leaders to
table action on the matter. The
request for the former Atlanta
Riverwalk development was
ultimately tabled.
•Hoschton leaders are put
ting trash pickup services
hack out to bid.
•The Town of Braselton
awarded a $2.09 million bid for
improvements to the town’s
northwest sewerage system.
The bid was awarded to Griffin
Brothers, Inc., of Maysville.
•Hearings on a large devel
opment off Hwy. 53 in Bra
selton were deferred. The an
nexation and rezoning request
from Stolz Partners, LLC, for
77 acres off Hwy. 53 at Bra
selton Pkwy. was deferred until
August.
•A physician with a clinic
in Braselton was sentenced
to nearly three years in fed
eral prison for illegally pre
scribing drugs to non-patients.
Dr. Johnny Di Blasi, 46, of
Braselton, was sentenced to 33
months in prison after plead
ing guilty to conspiracy to un
lawfully dispense controlled
substances (Oxycodone), said
Bobby L. Christine, United
States Attorney for the South
ern District of Georgia.
•Hoschton planners gave
the initial nod for a mixed-
use project at the Creekside
neighborhood. The Hoschton
Planning and Zoning Com
mission approved a request
from UTR Hoschton, LLC. to
rezone approximately seven
acres at the comer of Hwy. 53
and Eagles Bluff Way.
•A rowdy, but mostly
good-natured crowd from
West Jackson made it
clear that they don’t want
high-density housing in their
community.The crowd of
around 160 people wearing red
shirts packed the meeting room
of the Jackson County Board
of Commissioners to oppose a
proposed zoning map amend
ment for 43 acres on Hwy. 124
near the intersection of Hwy.
60.
•A man who dragged a
Barrow County deputy a
short distance down the road
during a traffic checkpoint
in late April was captured by
the Jackson County Sheriff’s
Office. Samuel William Brock.
23. was arrested on several
outstanding Barrow County
warrants.
•A proposed mixed-use
development on Hwy. 211
cleared the first hurdle, but
the results weren’t what de
velopers were hoping for. The
Braselton Planning Commis
sion approved amending an
existing planned unit develop
ment master plan for HECE.
LLC, for 229 acres to allow
for a mix of commercial and
residential development. But
with its approval, the planning
board increased the minimum
residential lot size, lot width
and home square footage sizes.
JULY
•Some reported misinforma
tion spread on a social media
site led a number of people
to attend the Jackson County
Planning Commission meet
ing about a rezoning that had
not been controversial in the
past. Around 25 citizens, some
wearing red shirts, attended the
meeting where JCDB Proper
ties had two rezoning and two
special use actions on the agen
da for two small tracts of land
on Hwy. 124 across from the
Traditions of Braselton sub
division. The planning board
unanimously voted to recom
mend approval of the rezoning
and special use permits.
•A vote on a massive Bra
selton area project was again
delayed. Developers of the
Reveille project, a proposed
master planned development
on 508-acres in South Hall,
again requested the item be
tabled.
•Lxical citizens again packed
the Hoschton City Council
meeting following alleged ra
cial comments by the town’s
mayor and mayor pro tem.
Many of those citizens contin
ued to press the two leaders
to resign, while others were
critical of the citizens’ attacks.
•Hearings on a request to
allow townhomes and other
residential units at Chateau
Elan were again deferred.
The Braselton Town Council
deferred the hearing to Aug. 8.
•Hoschton leaders voted to
table a change to the city’s
ethics ordinance.
•Braselton has joined civil
action that will allow cities in
Barrow County to pursue state
permits and funding while
negotiations continue on the
county’s service delivery
agreement.
•After months of low-key
discussions and debates, a
name was selected for the new
high school facility in West
Jackson. And it’s not much of a
change. The school, which is a
relocation of the existing Jack-
son County Comprehensive
High School, will be named
“Jackson County High
School” following action on
July 11 by the board of educa
tion.
•The City of Hoschton end
ed 2018 in the black and con
tinued to build its unrestricted
reserve funds to over 165 per
cent of a year’s expenses, it was
announced.
•Jason Wester was named
interim principal at Jack-
son County Comprehensive
High School beginning in July
of the 2019-20 school year.
•The Jackson County Board
of Elections and Registration
voted July 10 to move the
voting site from Northeast
Church to the Historic Bra
selton Gym.
•Developers cleared the
first hurdle July 15 toward
bringing a new subdivision
to Gum Springs Church Rd.
in the West Jackson area.
The Jackson County Board of
Commissioners unanimously
approved two map amend
ments for a 130-acre tract on
the road. Property owners will
now have to pursue a re-zoning
of the property if they want to
develop it as a subdivision.The
project has drawn some push-
back by area residents who
have reportedly been active on
social media in opposing the
proposal.
•In a move that had the po
tential to delay construction
of its new high school facility
in West Jackson, the Jackson
County Board of Education
tabled a recommendation July
22 on hiring a construction
manager (CM) for the project.
The move came as the board
split 2-2 over whether or not
to proceed with a staff rec
ommendation to hire Carroll
Daniel Construction to oversee
the project as CM. In a later
meeting, the BOE approved
Carroll Daniel as CM in a 4-1
vote with Don Clerici opposed.
•A massive $600 million
development on Hwy. 211
next to Road Atlanta near
Braselton could begin work
following action July 25 by
the Hall County Board of
Commissioners. The Hall
BOC approved adding 21
conditions to the controversial
Reveille development. Many
of the changes were added by
the developers, Rotunda Land
Group.The 508-acre develop
ment is a revival of the failed
Atlanta Riverwalk project,
which didn’t attract enough in
vestment to get off the ground.
•A Braselton man was
killed in a shooting during
an argument on Friday, July
26. William Halbman died
following the incident which
occurred around 4:50 p.m. at
8865 Hwy. 53, Braselton. The
alleged shooter, Allen Bredig,
was charged with murder and
aggravated assault.
•Developers of a proposed
subdivision in Braselton
cleared the first of several
hurdles. The Jackson County
Planning Commission voted
July 25 to recommend approv
al of a map amendment for
73.76 acres at 8308 Hwy. 53,
Braselton. McKinley Homes
US, LLC. requested a map
amendment for a suburban
character area and residential
land use. The group planned
to construct an open space
residential subdivision on the
73.76 acres and an adjoining
property.
AUGUST
•Braselton police were in
volved in an officer-involved
shooting during a search for
a kidnapping suspect who
allegedly pulled a knife on a
woman in a previous incident.
The suspect, Aigon Andrew
Wallace, 25, was killed after
he attempted to flee and re
sisted arrest. He reportedly
tried to draw two knives from
his pockets and was shot, later
dying from the wound. No of
ficers were injured.
•Hoschton again tabled
changes to its ethics commit
tee ordinance, raising criti
cism from some residents who
said the city is stalling.
•Two major Chateau
Elan-area projects failed to
get approval by town lead
ers. The first request — which
would have allowed townho
mes and single-family units
at Chateau Elan — was sent
back to the Braselton Planning
Commission after changes
were made to the project. The
second request - for a mix of
residential units and commer
cial space near the Publix on
Hwy. 211 — was denied.
•Braselton leaders took ini
tial steps that would allow a
senior living, assisted living
and memory care develop-
from ourfamiCy to yours...
3~[apj)\j New year
Dr. Courtney Glenn
OKofeou
Foot and Ankle Center
A
Dr. Gemma English
Chateau foot and JCnkCe
MecCicaCTCaza 1, Ste 370
1515 Biver TCace, 'BraseCton, CjJA 30517
770-648-5040