Newspaper Page Text
Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson $1.00 copy
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Vol. 16 No. 15 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 12 pages
Special moment
Members of the Jackson County baseball team made a friend for
life through an act of kindness
PAGE 8A
Dance performance
The Jaxco Dancers held a show last week at the
Jackson County High School auditorium
PAGE12A
Commercial development
New Hoschton
Publix expected in
summer of 2024
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
Hoschton-area residents
could be shopping in a new
Publix by the summer of
2024 as work on a new store
begins along Hwy. 53.
Clearing for the project
began last week.
The 49,000-square-foot
supermarket will be built
adjacent to the large Twin
Lakes-Cresswind develop
ment on the south end of
town. The commercial proj
ect will total over 61.000
See Publix, page 3A
Clearing has started for a new Publix in Hoschton
along Hwy. 53 near the Twin Lakes-Cresswind de
velopment.
Hoschton
Hoschton council
pauses decision on
bullet-proof window
at new city hall
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews. com
Hoschton leaders post
poned a decision that
would add a bullet-proof
window at the new city
hall building under con
struction.
The city council vot
ed unanimously Monday
(March 20) to table the
matter until next month
to consider the addition
further.
The bullet-proof win
dow would be installed
at the customer service
desk if approved. Coun-
cilmember Tracy Car-
swell supported the safe-
See Hoschton, page 3A
INSIDE
i . i
EXTRA: See the
March edition of
BraseltonTODAY
News... 1-3A
Opinion ... 4A
Public safety ... 5A
Social ... 6A
School ... 7A
Sports... 8A
Obituaries... 9A
Classifieds... 11A
MAILING LABEL
Live art
Photo by Ben Munro
Atlanta-area artist Julio Ceballos provided a live-painting event during Thursday’s (March 16) “La
Peinture” hosted by the Braselton Arts Council at the Braselton Civic Center.
Fire and rescue
West Jackson Fire Department
acquires two new fire engines
Submitted
Shown are the two new West Jackson Fire Department engine trucks the
agency acquired last week.
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews. com
The West Jackson Fire
Department is now two
fire engines stronger.
Last week, the agency
acquired two 2022 model
fire engine trucks that cost
a combined $1.3 million.
The identical vehicles,
which carry 750 gallons
of water each, include fire
pumps, extrication equip
ment and life-support
equipment to assist emer
gency medical services.
“Basically, a lot of
equipment on these two
new trucks to better help
serve our growing com
munity.’' West Jackson
Fire Chief Ben Stephens
said.
The trucks will replace
high-mileage 2004 and
2009 models that require
several thousands of dol
lars annually in mainte
nance. Stephens noted
that fire engines have an
average lifespan of 12-20
years. The department will
now use the older vehicles
in backup roles.
The purchases round
out a 2017 fleet improve
ment plan that added sev
eral vehicles to service the
fast-growing west side of
the county. Those addi
tions included:
•a Kawasaki Mule in
2017 for hydrant testing,
off-road needs and medi
cal emergencies.
•a utility truck in 2017
to transport equipment and
handle more minor calls.
•an SUV in 2019, in
partnership with the Town
See Engines, page 3A
O
South Hall
Planning commission recommends partial
approval of South Hall church variance request
Leaders of a South Hall
church seeking a variance
to allow a metal structure to
serve as its sanctuary received
an endorsement from the Hall
County Planning Commission
— with a major stipulation.
On Monday (March 20),
Hall County planners unani
mously approved a variance
for the 38-foot tall prefabri
cated metal for Bethel Faith
Baptist Church on nine acres
at 3331 Friendship Church Rd.
But the board also approved
the recommendation of nine
conditions for the project in
cluding the requirement of ma
sonry siding on three sides of
the metal building, excluding
the rear.
The applicant, Eugene Kim,
requested relief from Gateway
Corridor Overlay District ar
chitectural standards, saying
the metal structure would he
515 feet from the overlay dis
trict center fine and would sit
behind a 47-foot mound, as
well as behind two existing
structures on the property.
Joel Kuk, a church member
who represented Kim at Mon
day’s planning commission
meeting, said the congregation
opted for a metal building for a
more sturdy structure. He said
adding facades to the building
would burden the small church
financially.
But planning commission
member Chris Braswell said
the planning board could not
consider economic constraints
as criteria for a variance. He
also contended that the build
ing, despite its distance from
Friendship Rd., would still be
visible from the roadway. Bras
well said the gateway code also
See Church, page 2A