Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
The Braselton News
Page 3A
Braselton
Parks
Developer seeks DDA
support for downtown
Braselton projects
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews. com
Braselton developer
Matt Ruppel has asked the
town's downtown develop
ment authority (DDA) for
its support regarding a pair
of major projects he has in
the works.
Ruppel, who spoke to the
DDA on Thursday (Dec.
8), plans to build what will
eventually be a 30-home
townhome development —
called Laurel Park — adja
cent to the town’s library
on Davis St. and Hwy. 124
and a commercial devel
opment on Harrison St. on
the site of the old Braselton
High School.
“We're going to be put
ting those in front of y’all
again asking you (for sup
port)." he said.
He previously sought
and gained a letter of DDA
support for a boutique ho
tel project on Davis St.
which was later approved
by both the Braselton Plan
ning Commission and Bra
selton Town Council.
During his comments.
Ruppel — whose three
downtown projects total
105,000 square feet and
$25 million of capital in
vestment — briefly updat
ed the townhome project
and commercial develop
ment projects.
He said analysis and en
gineering study of a poten
tial traffic light at Hwy. 124
and Jesse Cronic Rd. has
delayed the townhomes,
which have been hit with
a number of delays during
the planning process. He
also said a three-story
building adjacent to the
townhomes has been de
signed, but couldn’t offer
a more extensive update
on that facet of the project
until the townhomes have
been permitted.
Meanwhile, Ruppel said
he's close to finalizing
plans for a three-building
commercial development
on Harrison St.
In other projects. Ruppel
said his vision for a “green
stream” trail system run
ning along a creek from
Braselton Brewing Com
pany to residential prop
erty on Davis St. remains
in the works. He said that
he, K&S Homes and Len
nar Builders would donate
land to the town for that
project. Ruppel said he’s
working to finalize a sur
vey for the trail.
“Hopefully, kind of the
first quarter of next year or
something, we can kind of
get that at least 100% ac
tionable." he said.
DDA TO HIRE
DOWNTOWN MASTER
PLAN CONSULTANT
The DDA voted to spend
$22,000 to hire a consul
tant to assist with a new
downtown master plan up
date. which will help guide
growth and direction of the
downtown district. DDA
chairperson Hollie Ansley
said the money has already
been allotted in the DDA's
budget.
“This kind of gives us a
seat at the table with tour
ism or URA (Urban Re
development Agency) and
helps us. the downtown de
velopment authority, kind
of drive the master plan."
she said.
OTHER NEWS
In other news, the DDA:
•will determine design
projects for 2023 during
its January work retreat.
No date for that retreat has
been set.
•announced a Cinco de
Mayo theme for its May
4 Toast to Braselton fund
raiser, the DDA’s largest
fundraising event of the
fiscal year.
Braselton leaders
considering options
for riverwalk surface
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
The Braselton Town
Council’s options for im
proving the Mulberry Riv
erwalk could include up
grading to an asphalt trail
instead of gravel.
The council will con
sider a $1.2 million pro
posal for an asphalt trail
rather than a crush-and-
run trail, which would
cost $700,000. Should the
council opt for asphalt, the
town would lose $200,000
worth of trail grant money
available with the crush-
and-run plan. SPLOST
funds, however, could be
applied to the asphalt proj
ect.
The town recently re
opened the Riverwalk af
ter an extended closure
for its riverbank stabiliza
tion project. The town put
mulch on the 2.3-mile trail
to allow for citizen use, but
that surface was not intend
ed as a longterm solution.
It was noted that if the
council moves forward
with crush-and-run rather
than asphalt, it could pave
over the gravel surface
with asphalt at a later time.
Building an asphalt trail
would, however, require
state and federal permits
and public hearings be
cause it would lie in the
stream buffer.
In a related matter, the
only plantings remain in
the riverbank stabilization
project before that work is
complete.
Voting map
Braselton council provides first
approval of new voting districts
The Braselton Town Coun
cil has provided initial ap
proval of new voting districts
— the first of two required
approvals. The new district
maps must be OK'd at two
consecutive council meet
ings.
The council voted 5-0
Monday (Dec. 12) to accept
the new map. New voting
districts are required every 10
years.
The changes from the pre
vious district map include
taking a non-contiguous leg
of District 1 in northern Bra
selton and placing it in Dis
trict 2. All districts must now
be contiguous. The new-look
District 1 now pushes further
west, running past Hwy. 211
in a section lying south of
1-85 that was formerly in Dis
trict 3. Meanwhile, a swath of
District 1 north of 1-85 now
reaches to Hwy. 211, cutting
into old District 2 territory.
The council held a Thurs
day (Dec. 8) public hearing
over the new voting districts
with no one speaking in sup
port or opposition.
Crescenti continued from 1A
participates in its Legacy
Builders group.
“Thank you so much,” she
said when she accepted the
award. “Thank you for all
being here today and I also
want to congratulate all of
the ladies who were also in
this nomination.”
“Thank you so much for
this wonderful country that
has given me so many op
portunities.” she added. “I
truly love this country.”
Other nominees for the
award were: Traci Bled
soe, executive director of
Peace Place Inc.; Priscil
la Murphy, city manager
of Jefferson; Dr. Martha
Shannon, veterinarian and
owner of Shannon Veter
inary Services; and Lisa
Stephens, founding direc
tor of Legacy Youth Men
toring.
“The Woman of the Year
Award honors the individ
uals who have achieved
professional excellence,
mentored, actively served
the community and helped
other females to reach
their leadership potential,”
Elizabeth Evans, the chair
of the Women in Business
Committee, said. “Each
of these women are truly
making remarkable things
happen in our community.”
Keynote speaker Steph
anie Stuckey, CEO of
Stuckey's Corporation,
spoke about how commu
nity and resilience con
tributed to the company's
growth and success.
She said she was “blown
away” by the nominees'
stories of resilience.
“All of you are my ‘she-
roes’ and you really rep
resent what it means to be
resilient.”
still likely wrap up in June, but
staffing the building and sup
plying it will likely take anoth
er two or three months.
Williamson said supply
issues related to medical gas
materials and equipment have
caused the longest construc
tion delays.
“That one probably set us
back the most,” Williamson
said.
Williamson said the project
will still likely cost close to the
original $52 million price tag.
The facility will house the
out-patient surgery center on
the first floor, which will in
clude four operating rooms
and two procedure suites. The
other two floors will be used
for physician office space.
The center will help the
Braselton campus handle its
heavy surgery load which
stands at roughly 700 proce
dures a month. Williamson
noted that surgeries patients
postponed during the pan
demic are being addressed
now.
“Both here and in Gaines
ville, our surgery numbers
have been very strong in ’22,"
Williamson said.
The facility will initially be
geared toward orthopedic sur
geries. but Williamson said the
hope is to phase-in specialities
like urology and gynecology.
Williamson noted that sur
geries performed in the am
bulatory surgery center will
typically be less complex than
those done in the hospital and
generally cost less.
“We're going to have a large
focus on our mission — we're
a non-profit organization —
so a big part of this project is
our commitment to also serve
the indigent population," he
said. “We will be leveraging
the new platform there to help
us fulfill that overall mission.”
Williamson said NG-
MC-Braselton is eager to
serve a fast-growing area
Construction continued from 1A
within the 1-85 coordinator.
“Just seeing the volume of
growth that we continue to see
in our residential roof tops,
we’re just trying to keep up
with it,” he said.
The construction of the am
bulatory surgery center comes
as NGMS-Braselton recently
announced a major expansion
of its campus. That project
will add 235,000 square feet of
clinical space, including two
new patient-care floors and
150 licensed acute care beds,
bringing the hospital's total li
censed bed count to 284. The
project will also expand the
emergency department from
23 to 46 rooms, among other
additions. The project, slated
for completion in 2026, will
cost $565 million.
Williamson noted that the
Braselton campus opened in
2015 with 100 beds. The hos
pital is now moving toward
300 beds with an emergency
department that's doubling
and operating rooms that are
also doubling.
“So. it’s exciting to be
a part of that, to be able
to have a leadership and
governing board that sup
ports the growth and have
the wherewithal to be able
to do it,” he said. “Again,
that’s our mission. We’re
here to serve the communi
ty and feel very fortunate to
be in a position to be able
to grow these healthcare
resources for the communi
ty's benefit.”
December 14, 2022 ~ Crossword Puzzle
ACROSS
1. Threadbare clothing
5. Become friendlier
9. Amorphous mass
13. Various forms of the
same speech sounds
16. lamp
17. Mediterranean plants
with large edible flower
heads (2 wds)
19. Mac
20. A.T.M. need
21. Drill bits
22. Kuwaiti, e.g.
24. Throughout (music)
27. Ed.’s request (acronym)
28. Arctic
30. Toni Morrison’s “ Baby’
31. Big East team
32. E or G, e.g.
34. Surface of a ship’s
hull above water
37. Container with historical
records for future
discovery (2 wds)
39. Afflicted with oxygen-
deficient blood
41. “ say!” (contraction)
42. Norse god of mischief
43. DeLuise, actor
45. Dead, as an engine
49. Arthur Godfrey played it
50. Innocent
53. Doctor Who villainess, with “the”
54. Yogi’s sidekick
56. Cal. col.
58. “Concentration” pronoun
59. Tried by military law (2 wds)
63. The “A” of ABM
64. At some time later
65. Gift on “The Bachelor”
66. New newts
67. Blanched
DOWN
1. Hodgepodge
2. Attraction
3. Worldwide
4. Blubber
5. Massenet opera
6. Stinger
7. Amazon, e.g.
8. Chinese dynasty from A.D.
386-556
9. Write a shared online journal
10. Along an inland body of water
11. Pigged out
12. Hounds
14. Dash
15. Cicatrix
18. Cast
y” 23. Very brief bathing suit
25. One who accepts charges
26. Support, with “up”
29. Audition tape
31. Means of support
33. “Absolutely!”
35. Telekinesis, e.g.
36. Brood sullenly
37. Prepared foods intended
to be eaten elsewhere
38. Formally surrender
39. Train’s lounge area (2 wds)
40. Lennon’s second wife (2 wds)
44. Cautioned against doing
(contraction)
46. Spanish dish
47. Sick
48. Mottle-colored t-shirt
50. Bunk
51. “Where the heart is”
52. Entices
55. Cheese on crackers
57. cross
60. “ Maria”
61. Call, as a game
62. Drink from a dish
1
2
3
1
13
17
19
■
22
23
28
Average Monthly Cost For:
Cable TV Subscription $55
Cell Phone $65
Internet Service $55
Electricity $130
Automobile Fuel $160
Health Insurance $245
Subscription to this NEWSPAPER *2.92
For just $35 per year (just $2.92 per month)
(Seniors 55 and over $30 per year) you can get a
full year’s subscription to the THE BRASELTON NEWS.
That's 52 full issues and also includes access to our
e-edition online. Sometimes you get what you pay for
- and sometimes, you get more.
Subscribe Online at braseltonnewstoday.com