Newspaper Page Text
The Braselton News
Page 2A
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
Planners continued from 1A
Lookback continued from 1A
Tr. was previously approved for a senior living develop
ment, but developers say that market is fairly saturated
in the area.
“The market for senior housing has become saturated
with a number of senior communities in the southern part
of the county,” according to the letter of intent. “Efforts
to market the property as a senior development have not
been successful because of this market saturation.”
BRASELTON COMMERCIAL PROJECT
Also at its Dec. 21 meeting, the board approved a re
zoning request in the West Jackson area.
Braselton Circuit, LLC, requested a rezoning of 7.5
acres at 6275 Hwy. 53, Braselton, from general industri
al to highway retail commercial district.
Developers plan two commercial lots on the section of
the property that fronts Hwy. 53.
OTHER ZONING MATTERS
In other zoning business, the board:
•tabled a map amendment request from Genuine Map
ping and Design for 113 acres on County Farm Rd. at
Daves Farm Rd., Jefferson. Applicant Ben Drerup is re
questing a character area change from ag to rural and a
future land use change from ag/forestry to residential.
Drerup plans a 79-lot subdivision on the property. The
vote was tabled until Feb. 15 to allow more time to re
search a reported garbage dump site on the property.
•approved a rezoning request for Omar Ramirez for
5.6 acres at 625 Curk Roberts Rd., Braselton. Ramirez
wants to divide the property, tear down one mobile home
and build a stick-built home on the site.
•approved a map amendment for New Liberty Church
for 6.4 acres at 17 Thompson Mill Rd., Braselton. The
church wanted a land use change from public institution
al and residential to commercial. The church wants to
replace its current sign with an LED sign and may only
do so under a commercial zoning.
Budget continued from 1A
development. But develop
ers of that project. Kolter,
has sued the city over how
impact fees were created
and aimed at their proj
ect. The move would add
$2,500 to $3,000 to the
cost of a home in the de
velopment.
• The city is outsourcing
its planning and zoning to
a consultant, a move that
cut the city P&Z budget
from $629,700 to $91,300.
In addition, the city is set
ting up a separate build
ings inspection department
at a cost of $130,600.
• The city's largest sin
gle source of general fund
revenue is projected to
come from building per
mits at $716,000, followed
by local option sales taxes
at $352,800 and planning
and development fees at
$250,000.
• The city’s largest finan
cial area is its water and
sewerage systems which
together are expected to
generate $5.6 million in
revenues in 2021. Those
areas also have a lot of
expenses slated for 2021,
including a number of cap
ital projects, including two
new water tanks and an ex
pansion of its wastewater
treatment facilities.
COVID continued from 1A
a decision no physician should have to make, and a sit
uation no one in our community should have to face.”
On November 24, two days before Thanksgiving,
NGMC hospitals and long-term care locations were
treating 133 COVID-positive patients. That total has
more than doubled in the following month and the av
erage percentage of tests NGHS administer that come
back positive has risen sharply.
“Early in the pandemic, we learned that limiting
some services and expanding others can create addi
tional space to care for patients - which we've contin
ued to do - but we’re still faced with the challenge of
maintaining enough qualified physicians and nurses
to provide high-quality care,” says John Delzell, MD,
COVID-19 Incident Commander for NGHS. “We're
extremely thankful for the staffing support the state has
supplied, and we will continue to request additional
help, but hospitals across the state all need those same
resources.”
BRASELTON AREA
Hall and Jackson counties continue to be some of the
hardest hit counties in the state when looking at new
cases over the past two weeks.
Hall County has had 2,301 new cases in the past
two weeks (or 1,115 new cases per 100,000 residents),
while Jackson County has had 894 new cases (1,197
per 100,000 residents). Both are far above the state
average, which shows 628 new cases in the last two
weeks per 100,000 residents.
Details for Braselton's four-county area include:
•Barrow: 4,604 cases; 65 deaths; 760 new cases in
the last two weeks (880 per 100,000 residents)
•Gwinnett: 49,389 cases; 554 confirmed deaths; 37
probable deaths; 6,648 new cases in the last two weeks
(685 per 100.000 residents)
•Hall: 16,850 cases; 213 confirmed deaths; 10 prob
able deaths; 2,301 new cases in the last two weeks
(1,115 per 100,000 residents)
•Jackson: 4,842 cases; 61 confirmed deaths; 10 prob
able deaths; 894 new cases in the last two weeks (1,197
per 100.000 residents)
•State: 546,859 cases: 9,719 confirmed deaths; 977
probable deaths; 67,997 new cases in the last two
weeks (628 per 100,000 residents)
Photo by Ben Munro
FEBRUARY
James Lawson, who had qualified to run for a va
cated seat on the Hoschton City Council, reviews
documents submitted to the Jackson County Board
of Elections Feb. 12 that challenged his residency
status in Hoschton. With a 3-1 vote, the elections
board ruled that Lawson did not meet residency re
quirements to run for office.
•Elections board says Hoschton candidate is not a
resident — The Jackson County Board of Elections voted
3-1 at a Feb. 12 hearing to uphold a challenge alleging that
James Lawson, a funeral home director in Hoschton. does
not live in the city and cannot run for office.
•County becomes 2nd Amendment Sanctuary —
Jackson County leaders declared the county is now a “Sec
ond Amendment Sanctuary,” but the move is more symbol
ic than enforceable.
•Carswell, Thompson qualify for Hoschton election
— Tracy Carswell and Jared Thompson qualified to run
in the election for the at-large Hoschton City Council seat
during qualifying.
•Mayberry takes office in Hoschton — Raphael May
berry was sworn-in as a new Hoschton City Council mem
ber. The move follows action by the Jackson County Board
of Elections that disqualified James Lawson from the
March 24 race. Lawson was set to face Mayberry in that
election. But Mayberry’s swearing in may have been done
prematurely. Lawson filed an appeal in the Superior Court
of Jackson County, challenging the election board’s move
to disqualify him from the race.
•New voting machines — Jackson County’s new
state-mandated voting machines were being prepared for
the upcoming March Presidential Primary balloting. The
new state voting system is different than the old voting ma
chines and requires voters to print out their ballot and scan
it into the counting machine.
MARCH
The bath tissue aisle was vacant at Publix Super
Market in Hoschton, as customers stock up during
the start of the Coronavirus pandemic in March.
MARCH
•Braselton approves large housing project — Bra
selton leaders gave the go-ahead for a large residential
project near Chateau Elan. The Braselton Town Coun
cil voted March 9 to approve annexation, rezoning and a
master plan change for 141 acres off Duncan Creek Rd.
(Only 30.63 acres of that was annexed.) Meritage Homes
of Georgia planned to construct a large residential devel
opment on the property. Developers initially planned 321
detached, single-family lots.
•Hoschton political forum cancelled — A political fo
rum for Hoschton council candidates was cancelled. The
Hoschton Women's Civic Club forum was set for March 4.
The cancellation came after Hope Weeks, Jared Thompson
and Raphael Mayberry declined to participate.
•Braselton area plans for COYID — Although there
were no known local cases of COVID-19, plans for dealing
with a possible epidemic spreading here were starting to
take shape in the Braselton area.
•Census info coming — Information was sent out to lo
cal residents about participating in the 2020 Census.
•COVID hits Braselton — Northeast Georgia Medical
Center Braselton began treating two patients who test
ed positive for COVID-19. The announcement was made
March 15.
•Voting suspended for March election — All voting
was suspended for the March 24 election amid the Coro
navirus crisis.
•Spread of virus impacts area — In an attempt to slow
the spread of the COVID-19 virus, many communities,
including the Braselton area, shut down schools, sporting
events and public gatherings. Starting on Thursday, March
12, a cascade of national and state events led to a number
of quick decisions by officials to try and slow a potential
virus epidemic.
•Weeks withdraws from Hoschton mayoral race —
Hope Weeks withdrew from the Hoschton mayor race,
leaving Shannon Sell as the sole candidate. Sell was sworn
in as mayor on March 23.
•BOE says Lawson meets residency standard — In a
reversal of its decision from the previous month, the Jack-
son County Board of Elections and Registration voted 3-1
on March 16 to deny a challenge against James Lawson’s
residency. The move allowed Lawson to continue running
for the Hoschton City Council. The elections board meet
ing came after a ruling in the Superior Court of Jackson
County. Judge Joe Booth vacated the board's decision in
February and remanded it back to the board to reconsider
(which is what it did March 16).
•Mobile unit operational at NGMC Braselton — Mo
bile units were opened at Northeast Georgia Medical Cen
ter Braselton to allow the hospital system to adapt to the
changing needs during the COVID-19 crisis.
APRIL
Citizens for a Better Jackson County stepped up to
assist during the Coronavirus crisis, donating face
shields to local first responders. CFABJC was cre
ated in 2018 and is comprised of Deer Creek Farms
residents.
APRIL
•NGHS leaders encourage community to stay
home for 14 days — As the number of positive cases of
COVID-19 and associated deaths in Georgia continued to
climb, Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) physi
cians and board members - along with Hall County and
City of Gainesville elected officials - collectively urged
the community stay home for at least 14 days to slow the
spread of the virus.
•Stay home — Local governments began tightening re
strictions, with many issuing stay-at-home orders, amid
the continued fight against the spread of COVID-19 in the
Braselton area.
•Governor issues shelter-in-place order — Georgians
and visitors to the state were supposed to shelter-in-place
under an order from Gov. Brian Kemp. The order was set
to go at least until April 13.
•Judge grants temporary relief to allow Hoschton
council to function — A Jackson County judge again
granted temporary relief to the City of Hoschton to allow
its council to continue to function.
•Governor extends shelter-in-place — Georgia Gov
ernor Brian Kemp extended a shelter-in-place executive
order as the number of COVID-19 cases continued to rise
across the state. The order was originally set to expire April
13, but was extended through April 30 at 11:59 p.m. Ad
ditionally. Gov. Kemp extended the public health state of
emergency through May 13.
•Election postponed — Georgia’s general primary/
presidential preference primary election was postponed to
June 9.
•GOP squabble erupts over mail-in voting — A po
litical squabble broke out within the Jackson County Re
publican Party over a resolution approved by the county’s
board of elections calling on the state to have a mail-in only
election in the spring due to the Coronavirus.
•Governor allows some businesses to reopen — Gov.
Brian Kemp announced that some businesses would be al
lowed to reopen starting Friday, April 24. Gyms, bowling
alleys, hair salons, nail salons and some other similar busi
nesses were set to be allowed to operate, but with some so
cial distancing rules to mitigate the impact of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Northeast Georgia Health System released in
formation encouraging the community to continue follow
ing shelter-in-place and isolation orders.
•Unemployment claims reach record high — State La
bor Commissioner Mark Butler announced that the number
of initial unemployment claims reached an all-time high.
March 2020 labor statistics also revealed that the over-the-
month increase for the unemployment rate was the largest
on record.
•Hoschton meets again, hires attorney — For the first
time in months, the Hoschton City Council held a voting
meeting. The council’s first action was to hire a new city at
torney, Abbott Hayes of Hulsey, Oliver & Mahar in Gaines
ville.
•NGHS expects virus peak in June — Northeast Geor
gia Health System presented an update to the Greater Hall
County Chamber of Commerce, and announced it estimat
ed the system would reach its COVID peak in June.
•Four staff members test positive at senior living fa
cility — Four staff members tested positive for COVID-19
at The Oaks at Braselton, a personal care home on Thomp
son Mill Rd.
•Some area businesses reopen — After weeks of shut
tered doors and takeout-only restaurants, some area busi
nesses began returning to normal. The new normal, at least.
MAY
•Governor lets shelter-in-place order expire for some
— Georgia's shelter-in-place order for those under age 65
and in good health expired at midnight April 30 as the state
attempted to reopen business activity amid the COVID-19
pandemic.
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