Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
The Braselton News
Page 3A
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Lookback continued from 2A
ment in town. The Braselton
Town Council approved a
master plan amendment for
The Village at Chateau Elan to
add “specific allowable uses”
for property on the comer of
SR 211 and Thompson Mill
Rd. on Aug. 12.
•A controversial request
to construct town homes
and additional residences at
Chateau Elan was again set
to go before town planners.
The Braselton Planning Com
mission was set to consider
Chateau Elan Resort, LLC’s
request for a map amendment
to allow 68 townhomes and
55 single-family units at its
Aug. 26 meeting. Developers
planned to construct the resi
dences on 48 acres in the exist
ing vineyards and at the par 3
golf course.
•The first hurdle toward
building a new subdivision
in West Jackson got approval
by the Jackson County Board
of Commissioners on Aug.
19. The BOC approved map
changes for 74 acres at 8308
Hwy. 53 in Braselton from
agricultural to suburban and
residential. McKinley Homes
US is planning to build 151
single-family homes on the
property if the rezoning is ap
proved. Developers say the
homes will have a minimum
1,400 sq. ft. and the price-point
will be in the mid-$200s.
•Four qualified for two
seats on the Nov. 5 ballot in
Hoschton, including Shant-
won Astin, incumbent Mindi
Kiewert, Adam Ledbetter and
Suzanne Owens (who later
withdrew). Incumbent Susan
Powers did not seek re-elec
tion.
•Five qualified for two seats
on the Nov. 5 ballot in Bra
selton including: District 1,
incumbent Becky Richardson,
Richard Mayberry and Joy
Basham; and District 3, in
cumbent Tony Funari and Jim
Joedecke.
•Organizers seeking to re
call Hoschton mayor There
sa Kenerly and mayor pro
tem Jim Cleveland officially
initiated the effort. The recall
group filed an application in
August and began collecting
signatures.
•Efforts by Chateau Elan
to build townhouses and
some additional single-fami
ly homes in its development
were again shot down by Bra
selton leaders.The Braselton
Planning Commission voted
to recommend denial of Cha
teau Elan’s request to change
its master plan and a variance
to allow 68 townhomes and 55
single-family homes at its Aug.
26 meeting.
•A memo done by the top
security administrator for the
Wisconsin Elections Commis
sion claims the March 2019
ransom ware attack on the
Jackson County, Ga. com
puter network was due to the
failure of the county to install
a 2017 security update.
SEPTEMBER
•Organizers seeking a recall
against two Hoschton offi
cials crossed the first hurdle.
A recall petition application
was filed Tuesday, Sept. 3, with
the Jackson County Board of
Elections and Registration Of
fice. Over 130 signatures were
collected on the application,
which was submitted by chair
person Mary Morrison. Orga
nizers sought a recall against
Hoschton mayor Theresa Ken
erly and mayor pro tem Jim
Cleveland following alleged
racial comments.
•Hoschton was awarded a
$600,000 state grant for sew
er improvements on Panther
Ct.
•Two Braselton residents
were indicted for murder
by a Jackson County grand
jury. The two cases were un
related. The jury indicted Allan
Heinz Bredig, 62, for murder
and felony murder for killing
an unarmed man at his resi
dence on July 26. Bredig and
the man, William Halbman,
52, Braselton, had an argu
ment which ended with Bre
dig shooting Halbman. EMS
transported Halbman to North
east Georgia Medical Center,
where he was pronounced
dead.The jury also indicted
Monique Lynette Pinckney,
52, for felony murder and three
counts of aggravated assault
for an assault on May 8. Pinck
ney brutally assaulted a man,
James Patrick Pritchard Jr., 29,
Durango, Colo., at her resi
dence and left him in a bathtub.
He later died.
•After months of wrangling,
the Braselton Town Council
approved Chateau Elan’s
controversial plans to build
68 townhomes and 55 sin
gle-family homes. The action
came at the council’s meeting
Sept. 9.
•LongHom Steak-
house opened in Braselton
on Tuesday. Sept. 17. The
5,465-square-foot restaurant is
located at 2700 Hwy. 211.
•Hoschton residents were
fed up with continued delays
on a trash pickup contract.
Several citizens spoke about
the issue at the Hoschton City
Council meeting Sept. 5.
•Two Hoschton leaders at
the center of a potential re
call election challenged the
effort in court Hoschton
mayor Theresa Kenerly and
mayor pro tem Jim Cleveland
filed petitions Sept. 6 to have
a judge review the sufficiency
of the grounds for the recall in
the Superior Court of Jackson
County. That action halted any
progress on the recall move
ment until a court decision is
made.
•The Braselton News
launched a new website start
ing Sept. 18.
•Braselton planners gave the
initial nod for a multi-family
development off of Thomp
son Mill Rd. The Braselton
Planning Commission voted
Sept. 23 to recommend ap
proval of Callicott Holdings’
request to rezone 36 acres off
Thompson Mill Rd. in the
Duncan Comers area. De
velopers plan to construct a
289-unit multi-family devel
opment.
•Members of the Braselton
community were invited Tues
day (Sept. 17) to give their in
put on updates to the town’s
comprehensive plan.
•Developers of a proposed
large development in Bra
selton requested to defer a
hearing on the project. Stolz
Partners, LLC, requested to
defer its request for one month.
It was set to go before the Bra
selton Planning Commission
on Monday, Sept. 23. Stolz
Partners requested annexation
and rezoning of 77 acres at
the comer of Hwy. 53 and
Braselton Pkwy. Developers
plan 240 multi-family units,
six commercial outparcels and
nearly 500,000 square feet of
warehouse/distribution space.
OCTOBER
•A city-initiated rezoning
of 21 properties in Hoschton
raised a number of questions
from area residents at a recent
public meeting. The Hoschton
Planning and Zoning Com
mission voted Sept. 26 to rec
ommend approving rezoning
the properties — located on
West Jefferson St. and Bell
Ave. — from R-2 to R-3.
•Judge David Sweat mled
Oct. 2 that the recall efforts
against Hoschton Mayor
Theresa Kenerly and mayor
pro tem Jim Cleveland can
move forward.
•Braselton leaders gave the
go-ahead for a senior living
development at its October
meeting.The Braselton Town
Council approved a request
from Fountainhead Residen
tial Development, LLC, for a
master plan amendment on a
planned unit development at
the comer of Thompson Mill
Rd. and Hwy. 211. Developers
plan senior independent living,
assisted living and memory
care uses on a portion of the
56.6-acre property.
•Public hearings on a large
multi-family development
proposed in Braselton were
deferred. Callicott Holdings
requested deferral of its
annexation and rezoning
request of 36 acres off of
Thompson Mill Rd.
•Hoschton failed to achieve
a quorum at its October meet
ings, resulting in the cancella
tion of both meetings.
•Jackson County Board of
Elections member Erma Den
ney gave a spirited defense
of her actions regarding the
recall movement in Hoschton
and her elections board duties.
•Hearings on a request for
a change to a planned unit
development off Hwy. 124
were deferred. The Braselton
Planning Commission was ini
tially set to hear Fountainhead
Residential Development,
LLC’s request for a master
plan amendment at its Oct.
28 meeting. Fountainhead re
quested the change on 57 acres
off Hwy. 124 to allow 144
multi-family units, 24 town-
houses and 114 detached sin
gle-family lots.
•The Jackson County Board
of Education approved the
guaranteed maximum price
(GMP) for the new Jackson
County High School building
at $46.15 million in a called
meeting Oct. 18. The total cost
of the project including grad
ing and other expenses is ex
pected to be $68 million.
•Hoschton Mayor Theresa
Kenerly appealed a court’s
decision to allow a recall effort
against her to move forward.
Kenerly’s attorneys filed an
appeal with the Georgia Su
preme Court on Oct. 25.
•A request was withdrawn
for a massive project off Hwy.
53 with a mix of multi-family,
commercial and warehouse
space. Stolz Partners. LLC’s
request had been set for a hear
ing at the Braselton Planning
Commission’s meeting Oct.
28. Stolz had requested to re
zone 77 acres off Hwy. 53 at
Braselton Pkwy. with plans
for 240 multi-family units, six
commercial outparcels and
nearly 500,000 sq. ft. of ware
house space on the property.
•Two new subdivisions to
taling over 450 homes could
be coming to the West Jackson
area following tentative ap
proval by the Jackson County
Planning Commission. The
planning board gave a green
light to rezone 130 acres on
Gum Springs Church Rd. for
a subdivision of around 300
homes, and to rezone 89 acres
at 8308 Hwy. 53 Braselton for
around 150 residential lots.
NOVEMBER
•Shantwon Astin and
Adam Ledbetter handily
defeated incumbent Mindi
Kiewert to secure the two at-
large Hoschton City Council
seats in the Nov. 5 election.
•In the Braselton Town
Council District 3 race, chal
lenger Jim Joedecke over
whelmingly beat incumbent
Tony Funari. But in the Bra
selton District 1 race, none of
the three candidates secured
50-percent of the vote, forcing
a runoff. Incumbent Becky
Richardson got 86 votes (44.5
percent), followed by chal
lengers Richard Mayberry
with 58 votes (30 percent)
and Joy Basham with 49 votes
(25.4 percent.) A runoff be
tween Richardson and May
berry was set Dec. 3.
•Jackson County authorities
sought information on a van
dalism incident at Sell’s Mill
Park that caused over $ 10.000
worth of damage.
•Braselton rejected a re
quest to add more apart
ments to the town. The
Braselton Town Council
unanimously denied annex
ation and rezoning for Call
icott Holdings. LLC, at its
Nov. 11 meeting. Callicott
planned to construct a 289-
unit multi-family development
on 36 acres on Thompson Mill
Rd.
•The Supreme Court of
Georgia denied an appeal
by Hoschton mayor The
resa Kenerly, challenging a
decision made in a local court
that allowed the recall effort
against her to move forward.
Meanwhile, the recall effort
against Kenerly and Cleveland
crossed the next hurdle in the
process. Organizers collect
ed the required signatures of
30-percent of registered voters
in Hoschton.
•A new development may
soon bring new life to an old
section of vineyards in Bra
selton, it was announced. The
Braselton Planning Commis
sion voted Nov. 18 to recom
mend approval of a master
plan change for a planned unit
development on 57 acres off
Hwy. 124.
•Around 460 new homes
could start going up in the West
Jackson area after two rezon-
ings got the green light from
the Jackson County Board of
Commissioners on Nov. 18.
The largest project was slated
for 308 single-family houses
on 130 acres on Gum Springs
Church Rd. The second major
residential rezoning approved
by the BOC on Nov. 18 was
for 89 acres at 8308 Hwy. 53
Braselton for 151 single-fam
ily houses.
•The City of Hoschton be
gan discussing making chang
es to its city charter.
•Braselton leaders were set
to hold a hearing in December
on a development request
previously rejected by the
town council. In August, the
Braselton Town Council voted
to deny a master plan change
for HECE, LLC, for 230 acres
around the Publix shopping
center on Hwy. 211. On re
mand from the Superior Court
of Jackson County, the council
set another public hearing on
the request on Dec. 9 at 7 p.m.
•Hoschton was one step
closer to securing a trash/re
cycling pickup contract fol
lowing action taken last week.
The Hoschton City Council
approved Nov. 21 allowing
city administrator Dale Hall
to move forward with negoti
ations for a trash and recycling
contract.
DECEMBER
•Incumbent Becky Rich
ardson held on to her Bra
selton Town Council seat in
the Dec. 3 runoff election.
•The recall effort against
two Hoschton City Council
members was set to move
forward following action by
the Jackson County Board of
Elections Dec. 3. The elec
tions board approved the
“legal sufficiency” of over
400 signatures calling for
Mayor Theresa Kenerly and
mayor pro tem Jim Cleve
land to be recalled. A special
election was set for the recall
Jan. 14.
•Northside Hospital an
nounced plans to pursue
opening an outpatient surgery
center on Monday, Dec. 2.
Northside is seeking an appeal
for a state permit for a new out
patient surgery center that will
serve 13 northeast Georgia
counties.
•The Hoschton City Coun
cil held its first working meet
ing to discuss changing the
town’s governing charter.
The biggest change being dis
cussed by the council would
be to change the town’s gover
nance from a “strong mayor”
system to a city manager gov
ernment. Under that system, a
hired city manager would ran
the city on a day-to-day basis
rather than the mayor.
•Action on a controversial
and legally contentious re
zoning proposed for proper
ty across from Chateau Elan
on Hwy. 211 was deferred by
the Braselton Town Council
on Dec. 9 until a called meet
ing on Dec. 18. The plan for a
massive housing and commer
cial development on 230 acres
around the Publix shopping
center was turned down by the
council in August. A subse
quent lawsuit against the town
remanded the case back to the
council for another hearing.
•A second public hearing on
a residential development in
Braselton was deferred. Mer-
itage Homes of Georgia re
quested deferral of its request
shortly before the Braselton
Town Council was set to hear
it on Dec. 5. Meritage is re
questing annexation, rezoning
and a master plan change for a
planned unit development off
Duncan Creek Rd. Developers
plan 326 detached single-fam
ily units on 141 acres.
•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 discussion with
embattled Mayor Theresa
Kenerly over the form of the
meeting’s agenda.
•Hoschton adopted its
FY2020 budget and decided
on a waste disposal company
at its meeting on Dec. 9, but
both were contentious and re
quired Mayor Theresa Kenerly
to break a tie vote for the items
to pass.
•Hoschton Mayor Pro Tem
Jim Cleveland resigned just
days before Mayor There
sa Kenerly tendered her
resignation. The Hoschton
City Council held two special
meetings on Dec. 11 and Dec.
14, accepting their resigna
tions and to call for a March
24 election to fill the vacated
seats. The resignations leave a
three-member council, which
cannot operate under the city’s
charter. That forced the coun
cil to pursue a court decision to
allow its continued functioning
until the two vacant seats are
filled. Meanwhile, the council
also voted to fire its current
city administrator Dale Hall
for cause instead of accepting
his resignation.
•Jason Wester was named
principal of Jackson County
Comprehensive High School
when the Jackson County
Board of Education met Dec.
9. He had been serving in the
interim role.
•Braselton leaders approved
a controversial and legal
ly contentious rezoning for
property across from Chateau
Elan on Hwy. 211. At a spe
cial called meeting Dec. 18,
the Braselton Town Council
unanimously approved the
request from HECE, LLC,
for a massive housing and
commercial development on
230 acres around the Publix
shopping center.
•The Hoschton City
Council can continue to op
erate with a three-member
board following court action,
it was announced. On Dec.
20, Superior Court Judge Joe
Booth ordered the temporary
suspension of a sentence in the
town’s charter that prevents
the acting mayor from vot
ing. That move allowed may
or pro tem Adam Ledbetter
and council members Shant
won Astin and Hope Weeks
to continue functioning as a
three-member board.
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