Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
The Braselton News
Page 3A
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Photo by Luciana Sarmento
MAY
The Peters family Front Porch Project photoshoot
depicted a humorous take on the coronavirus. A lo
cal photographer, Luciana Sarmento, offered free
photoshoots to residents of Riverstone Park in
Braselton, asking for donations for St. Jude Chil
dren’s Hospital.
•Absentee voting surges — Despite controversy from
some GOP leaders, thousands of people in Jackson County
began voting via absentee ballot for the June 9 primary.
•Health leaders urge precaution as businesses open
— As more businesses began reopening doors amid the
COVID-19 pandemic, local health leaders encouraged in
creased precautions to ensure the safety of employers, em
ployees and patrons.
•Norton: Virus will profoundly change how people
work, live and play — The impact of the COVID virus
is going to have a profound impact on how people live and
how businesses operate in the coming years said Gaines
ville real estate leader Frank Norton.
•Hoschton hires interim city administrator — The
City of Hoschton hired a new interim city administrator.
Gary Fesperman took the oath of office for the interim po
sition at the Hoschton City Council's May 18 meeting.
•Planners recommend denial of townhomes project
— Plans for a townhome development in an industrial area
of Braselton were dealt a blow May 18 when the town's
planning board voted 3-1 to recommend denial of a rezon
ing for the proposed project. Developers wanted to build
161 town homes on 21.5 acres on Broadway Ave. (Hwy.
124) across from the intersection with Josh Pirkle Rd.
•More flexible housing one goal in comp plan — A
major rewrite of the Town of Braselton’s development
codes was set to be one of the major focuses of the com
munity’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan Update.
•Unemployment reaches all-time high in April —
State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler reported that the
number of initial unemployment claims reached another
all-time high, with the month's total surpassing the number
of claims reached in the past four years combined.
•Humphrey named president and general manager
at Road Atlanta — Rick Humphrey was named president
and general manager of Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Humphrey replaced Geoff Lee, who announced his retire
ment.
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JUNE
A handful of protestors gathered in downtown
Hoschton on Monday afternoon, June 8. The pro
testors held up signs reading “Black Lives Matter,”
“No Justice, No Peace” and “Defund and Disarm.”
The protest was among several that have been held
in recent weeks locally and across the country fol
lowing the death of George Floyd, who was killed
by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minn.
JUNE
•Braselton protest calls for justice — A peaceful
demonstration with around 100 people was held in Bra
selton Tuesday, June 2, to protest the the death of George
Floyd and other African-Americans who have been killed
in recent years at the hands of law enforcement officers.
•Roy named assistant county manager — Jackson
County Public Development Director Gina Roy moved to
the position of assistant county manager starting June 1.
Jamie Dove replaced Roy as the county’s new development
director.
•Cresswind sells 23 homes — Over 20 homes in the
new Cresswind development in Hoschton were sold. Kolter
Homes announced 23 homes in the new development were
sold during the first week of VIP sales.
•NGHS announced position cuts, furloughs — North
east Georgia Health System announced that it would elim
inate positions and implement furloughs due to decreased
revenues amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
•Hoschton issues building moratorium for 90 days —
The Hoschton City Council issued a 90-day moratorium on
most new building permits during its meeting on June 8.
•County public safety employee terminated over so
cial media post — A Jackson County public safety em
ployee was terminated from his position June 5 following
an internal investigation into an inflammatory post he made
on a Gainesville social media page. John Pethel, a training
officer with the Jackson County Emergency Medical Ser
vice, posted a comment about recent Gainesville protest to
The (Gainesville) Times newspaper Facebook page June
1. Pethel’s comment was in response to a post that said
protesters were “again in Gainesville.” “Shoot them all.”
Pethel said in his comment.
•Carswell, Lawson take Hoschton council seats —
Tracy Carswell and James Lawson were elected to the
Hoschton City Council.
•Homeowners win lawsuit against Chateau Elan —
Homeowners in Chateau Elan won a major lawsuit to stop
the redevelopment of the resort’s Par 3 golf course into res
idential homes.
•Planned residential project crosses hurdle — De-
Lookback continued from 2A
velopers of a planned residential project in West Jackson
crossed another hurdle on Monday, June 15. The Jackson
County Board of Commissioners approved a map amend
ment request from Galilee Springs. LLC. for the 79-acre
property located at 1904 Hwy. 124 West, Jefferson. That
move changes the character area from agricultural to sub
urban and the future land use from agricultural to residen
tial.
•Hoschton begins process for stormwater fees —
Hoschton announced it would soon implement a storm
water fee system in the city to help cover the costs of its
runoff. The Hoschton City Council approved paying its en
gineering services firm, EMI, $14,000 to begin the process
during its June 15 meeting.
•Locals buy Traditions golf course — Following years
of corporate ownership. Traditions of Braselton Golf Club
is now in the hands of a local ownership group intent on
bringing improvements to the 15-year-old course,
•Braselton planner dies — Burgess Baird Jr. died on
June 14. Baird was a member of the Braselton Planning
Commission.
•Over 60 homes sold at Cresswind — More than 60
new homes were sold during the first two weeks of prelim
inary sales at Cresswind Georgia at Twin Lakes.
Photo by Wesleigh Sagon
JULY
Jackson County Comprehensive High School prin
cipal Jason Wester congratulated Jason Charles
Crowthers at graduation with an elbow bump as
social distancing guidelines were in place due to
the Coronavirus pandemic. Local graduations
were postponed several times before finally being
scheduled in July.
JULY
•Large mixed-use project planned — A large mixed-
use development was proposed off Highway 211 in the
Braselton-Hoschton area of Barrow County and was set
to go before a state review process. The proposed project.
“Stone Tract” would include 312 apartments, 158 townho
mes and 37,500 square feet of commercial space at 103
Lee Stone Rd., just northwest of the Highway 211/ Free
man Johnson Road junction and a couple miles south of
Interstate 85, according to a Developments of Regional
Impact filing by the county June 9.
•Governor extends state of emergency — Governor
Brian P. Kemp extended the public health state of emergen
cy and existing COVID-19 safety measures. Kemp signed
the executive orders on June 29.
•Hoschton to implement impact fees — Hoschton’s
efforts to re-establish a city police department could get
a boost from plans to implement building impact fees in
the city, it was announced. Building a $2.27 million police
facility was one of four major areas Hoschton plans to use
funds from impact fees.
•Hoschton planners OK revised overlay — Plans for
a revised overlay district along Hwy. 53 in Hoschton got
a boost June 6 after the Hoschton Planning Commission
voted to send the new plan to the city council.
•Townhouse project pulled — A controversial town-
house project proposed for an industrial area in Braselton
was pulled from the town council’s July 13 agenda at the
request of the applicant. The project is in an industrial area
along Broadway Ave. where a rezoning from manufactur
ing to multi-family residential is required.
•Town defers vote on comp plan — The Braselton
Town Council deferred a vote on an updated comp plan
for the town on July 13. The council deferred the vote to
give additional time to get some questions answered about
the plan.
•Schools make plans to return — Area schools began
making plans to return to school, with many delaying the
start date.
•Hoschton postpones vote on overlay rewrite — Plans
to update Hoschton’s Hwy. 53 overlay district rules were
postponed until September.
•Large mixed use project planned — A large mixed-
use development was proposed in Braselton. The project,
which is planned on 40 acres on Jesse Cronic Rd.. was set
to go before a state review process. The property is located
right off Jesse Cronic Rd. when turning off of Broadway
Ave., next to the Free Chapel Braselton campus. Braselton
38, LLC, plans to develop the property with multi-fami
ly, senior living, daycare, medical offices, self-storage and
business service space.
•NGHS surpasses COVID record — As of July 28,
NGHS had 173 positive COVID-19 patients. 42 of whom
were at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton.
Those totals are higher than the previous peak day on April
29, when the hospital system had 159 positive patients (28
at NGMC Braselton).
•Noble Vines completed — Noble Vines, a new
multi-family residential development in Braselton, was
completed.
AUGUST
•Braselton approves comp plan — Braselton formal
ly adopted an updated comprehensive plan, but not before
the town council spent over two hours picking it apart and
at times, disagreeing with the consultants who drafted the
massive document.
•Braselton area apartment complex gets nod — A
request to develop an apartment project in the Braselton
area crossed a hurdle. The Hall County Planning Commis
sion voted Monday, Aug. 3, to recommend approval of a
rezoning on 30.66 acres off Thompson Mill Rd. near Spout
Springs Rd. from agricultural residential to planned resi
dential development.
•Walton sells its holding in four Braselton area sub
divisions — The Canadian real estate firm Walton sold its
holdings in four large subdivisions near Braselton in Jack-
son County to other investors. The property sold represents
AUGUST
A Gum Springs Elementary School student head
ed to his first day back to school on Wednesday,
August 12.
a total of 766 building lots on 489 acres. The subdivisions
being divested were: Liberty Crossing (326 lots); Baker’s
Farm (179 lots); Liberty Park (139 lots); and Walnut Creek
(122 lots).
•Hoschton to move forward on impact fees — The
Hoschton City Council was set to move forward on impos
ing impact fees on new construction in the town, funds that
would be used to build new facilities for recreation, fire
protection and for a police department facility. The council
held its first public hearing on the impact fees on Aug. 10.
•NGHS reaches new peak — As of Aug. 10, the North
east Georgia Health System was treating 179 COVID pa
tients, with 38 of those being treated at Northeast Georgia
Medical Center Braselton.
•Vote on townhomes deferred — A controversial town-
house project proposed for an industrial area in Braselton
was again pulled from the town council’s agenda at the re
quest of the applicant. Johnnie Hastings had requested a
rezoning of the 21.5 acre property on Broadway Ave. from
manufacturing to multi-family residential.
•Ground broken for second WJFD station — Officials
gathered for a ceremonial groundbreaking for the second,
full-service station for the West Jackson Fire Department.
The station will be constructed at 1875 Ednaville Road,
near the Thompson Mill Arboretum, by Sunbelt Builders at
an estimated $1.9 million.
•Hall schools issue bonds for new facilities — The Hall
County Board of Education held a called meeting to is
sue $157 million in bonds to build new school facilities in
the county, including a new middle school in the Braselton
area. Among the projects on the list is Cherokee Bluff Mid
dle School on existing school property along Spout Springs
Rd. with a price tag of $44 million.
•Hoschton hires building inspector — The Hoschton
City Council hired a new building inspector on Aug. 17.
Joseph Hayes was hired by the council following a closed
session of the council to discuss personnel.
•Johnson wins BOE seat — Rob Johnson will represent
West Jackson on the Jackson County Board of Education.
Johnson defeated Ricky Sanders in the Aug. 11 runoff, se
curing 50.67% of the vote.
•Hoschton ponders need for police department —
Hoschton leaders heard from several local public safety of
ficials when considering the need for a police department
for the town.
•Proposed large single-family subdivision in Bra
selton heads to BOC for vote — A proposed single-fam
ily subdivision of nearly 300 homes south of Interstate 85
in the Braselton-Hoschton area of Barrow County cleared
a hurdle Thursday, Aug. 20. The county planning commis
sion, during its monthly meeting, recommended approv
al of a change in conditions for the development of 92.23
acres just to the west of the intersection of highways 211
and 124.
•Planners give nod for large Braselton subdivision
— Braselton planners gave a nod for a large subdivision
project off of Davis St. The Braselton Planning Commis
sion voted to recommend approving a zoning request for
85 acres off Davis St.
Photo by Wesleigh Sagon
SEPTEMBER
As Braselton didn’t get to celebrate the Fourth of
July due to the COVID-19 pandemic the town host
ed a Red, White and Blue Redo along with a reverse
parade on Saturday, September 5. Here, Ryleigh, 6,
and Ryder Hanson, 3, showed their patriotic spirit
as they waved their flags in the air to visitors pass
ing through the obstacle course in the reverse pa
rade at YearOne.
SEPTEMBER
•Hall denies Braselton area apartments — Hall Coun
ty leaders rejected a request to allow an apartment devel
opment in the Braselton area. The Hall County Board of
Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday, Aug. 27, to
deny a rezoning request from Rochester and Associates,
Inc., for 30.7 acres on Thompson Mill Rd.
•Hoschton delays final vote on impact fees — The
Hoschton City Council postponed taking action on pro
posed impact fees in the town. The unexpected delay came
following a major pushback from Kolter, the real estate
firm developing Cresswinds at Twin Lakes, a massive
planned community in the town.
•Jackson planners give OK for 120-lot subdivision —
A new 120-lot subdivision got the initial green light Aug. 27
following action by the Jackson County Planning Commis
sion. The board approved the rezoning of 79.2 acres at 1904
Hwy. 124, Jefferson from A-2 to R-l for the development.