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Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson $1.00 copy
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Vol. 13 No. 51 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 12 pages
Braselton mega-project again deferred
A proposed mega-development on
Jesse Cronic Rd. in Braselton has
again been deferred before the Bra
selton Planning Commission.
An attorney for developers, Bra
selton 38 LLC, asked the planning
board on Nov. 30 for another deferral
on a proposed rezoning of 39 acres
for a large-scale planned unit devel
opment (PUD).
“We think it’s best and in the best
interest of the city and our situation
that this matter be deferred to your
next regular meeting in January,” said
attorney Doug Dillard. “We would
also welcome the opportunity to meet
with anyone who’s here tonight who
didn’t like the intent of this applica
tion.”
The project calls for a 360-unit
multi-family development, a 150-unit
senior living facility, a day care center.
a medical office facility, a self-storage
building and business service spaces.
At build-out, the project is project
ed to be an investment of around $108
million.
Developers of the proposed project
submitted an updated plan on Nov.
19 that included additional retail or
restaurant space and updated siting
See Planners, page 2A
Rendering of proposed mixed-use project in Bra
selton
NGHS sees
uptick in
COVID-19
cases
Northeast Georgia
Health System saw a
huge uptick in COVID
cases over the past week.
As of Nov. 30, the hos
pital system was treating
176 positive COVID pa
tients, with 46 of those
at Northeast Georgia
Medical Center Bra
selton. That’s up from
133 positive patients (26
at NGMC Braselton) on
Nov. 23.
There are currently
669 occupied beds across
the hospital system, with
37 available. At NGMC
Braselton, 163 beds are
occupied and four are
available. The ICU de
partment at NGMC Bra
selton has 23 occupied
beds with none available.
Since the beginning
of the pandemic, NGHS
has discharged 3,064 pa
tients.
There have been 426
deaths.
Meanwhile, the state of
Georgia has had 422,133
confirmed cases since the
beginning of the pandem
ic with 8,778 confirmed
deaths and 674 probable
deaths.
All four Braselton-area
counties were higher than
the state average of cas
es per 100,000 residents
over the past two weeks,
with Jackson County hav
ing the highest rate.
The state reports 34,760
See COVID, page 2A
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Santa Claus made an appearance in Braselton’s virtual tree light
ing ceremony.
Braselton ushers in holidays
with virtual tree lighting
The Town of Bra
selton held its annual
tree lighting ceremony
on Saturday, Nov. 21.
The Braselton Visi
tors Bureau Authority
hosted the virtual event.
The annual ceremony
has been a tradition in
the town for over 80
years.
In a virtual event
livestreamed from
the Town Green, spe
cial guest Santa Claus
checked his “naughty
and nice” book, field
ed online questions
from viewers and read
“Twas The Night Be
fore Christmas” before
flipping the switch to
light the tree. He was
assisted by elf, Tracy
Brandenburg, promo
tions chairman of the
Downtown Develop
ment Authority.
According to the
brief history, Bran
denburg said the
town’s founding fam
ily erected the first
holiday tree more
than 80 years ago and
handed out fruit and
hard candy to fami
lies in front of their
store. This year’s tree
is located on the Town
Green at 9924 Davis
Street.
Braselton held its
annual tree light
ing event on Satur
day, Nov. 21. Due
to COVID-19, this
year’s event was
held virtually.
Hoschton plans
budget hearing Dec. 21
Hoschton plans a hear
ing on its proposed FY2021
budget on Monday, Dec. 21.
Those wishing to com
ment on the budget may
do so at the public hearing,
which will be held Dec. 21
at 7 p.m. at city hall.
The Hoschton City Coun
cil is set to vote on the bud
get at a special called meet
ing on Monday, Dec. 28, at
7 p.m.
The budget will be avail
able for viewing on Dec. 14
on the city’s website and at
city hall between the hours
of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
MULTI-MODAL BRIDGE DRAWING
Hwy. 211 multi-modal
bridge could go to bid soon
A multi-modal bridge
planned in Braselton is al
most ready to go out to bid.
Town manager Jennifer
Scott updated the Braselton
Town Council on plans for
the multi-modal bridge over
Hwy. 211 during its planning
session in November.
Scott said the bridge would
begin between where The
Falls subdivision ends and
the Mulberry Walk shopping
center.
See Bridge, page 2A
Schools to call for
SPLOST renewal
Jackson County’s three school systems plan to call for a
March 16,2021, referendum to extend their education special
local option sales tax in the county.
The referendum would ask voters to approve the SPLOST
as a way to help fund new facilities and to help pay down
previously approved bond debt.
The Jackson County Board of Education will hold a called
See SPLOST, page 2A
MAILING LABEL
Braselton’s historic grammar school receives renovation
By Wesleigh Sagon
Braselton’s historic
grammar school building
has been renovated for the
first time since it was built
in 1933 when the school
served the growing popula
tion as the Braselton Broth
ers Enterprise grew and
more families called Bra
selton home.
The structure located at
115 Harrison Street was
purchased by the Braselton
Downtown Development
Authority (DDA) in 2014
and is now used as a com
mercial space occupied by
Countryside Antiques. The
building received a revamp
in April after the DDA hired
JOMA Commercial Con
struction and Armentrout
Matheny Thurmond, PC. in
Athens to assess the floor
ing of the establishment.
Photo by Wesleigh Sagon
Braselton officials, guests and former students celebrated the renovation of
Braselton’s historic grammar school building on Friday, November 20. Here
they are shown in one of the rooms which used to be a classroom. Country
side Antiques now occupies the building.
The DDA hired JOMA as experience in the process building projects, including
they have an abundance of and procedures of historic See Renovations, page 2A
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