Newspaper Page Text
The Braselton News
Page 3A
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
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Hoschton
Arbitration hearing for Hoschton annexation on hold until Aug. 28
The first of two arbitra
tion hearings for requested
annexations into Hoschton
— both related to large resi
dential development propos
als — has been postponed to
Aug. 28.
A hearing for Rocklyn
Homes’ request to annex 287
acres on Hwy. 53 along the
city’s southern border for a
proposed 1055-unit develop
ment of single-family homes
and townhomes was original
ly set for Monday (July 10).
Meanwhile, a second ar
bitration case is scheduled
for Sept. 6. It involves Prov
idence Group, which seeks
to annex 33 acres fronting
Pendergrass andE.G. Barnett
roads as part of a proposed
389-unit gated development
of single-family homes and
townhomes. Paired with
property already within
Hoschton’s city limits, the
entire proposed site is 110
acres fronting Pendergrass
and E.G. Barnett roads, East
Jefferson St. and West Jack-
son Rd.
No time or location for this
arbitration hearing has been
scheduled yet.
Both matters have moved
to arbitration because Jack-
son County has objected to
the annexation requests.
The proposed develop
ments generated pushback
during the public hearings
from residents who ex
pressed concerns over the
developments’ potential im
pact on traffic, the city’s in
frastructure, public services
and local schools.
Hoschton
Hoschton DDA still seeking Oak St. park project bids
Weekly Markets
May-September
Fridays, 4-7 PM
Braselton Town Green
Dig in at ExploreBraselton.com/farmers-market
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
The Hoschton Down
town Development Author
ity (DDA) has postponed
awarding a contract for its
Oak St. park project after
two of the three landscaping
companies who bid on the
job withdrew their propos
als.
The DDA will seek two
more bids.
The board plans to trans
form a three-acre parcel
on Oak St. that also fronts
New St., Hwy. 332 and East
Broad St. into a park.
While the DDA has yet
to settle on a contractor, it
approved plans to sell com
memorative bricks for $100
each as a fundraiser for the
project.
After awarding a bid and
obtaining park plans, the
DDA plans to seek grant
funding for the project.
OTHER NEWS
In other news, the DDA:
•swore-in new member
Bob Loveland.
•will send out a survey to
gain public feedback about
the former Larry’s Garage
building, which the city
owns. The city and DDA
want to convert the space
into a restaurant and retail
area.
•announced its Christ-
mas-themed Jingle Mingle
will again be a Friday event.
This year’s Jingle Mingle
will be held Dec. 8 and will
take place exclusively on the
City Square side of Hwy. 53.
It will include a downtown
business walk during which
patrons will visit participat
ing establishments. The first
Jingle Mingle in 2021 was
held on a Friday but moved
to a Saturday last year.
•discussed plans to move
farmers markets in August
and September to the eve
ning (from 6-9 p.m.) due to
the recent heat, which has
Braselton
Daycare center, fuel center
expansion gain approval
Photo by Ben Munro
NEW DDA MEMBER
The Hoschton Downtown Development Authority swore in Bob Loveland as its newest member during its Monday (July 10)
meeting.
limited market attendance
somewhat the past few
weeks.
•will begin formulating its
2024 budget, which will be
submitted to the city council
in September. City Manag
er Jennifer Kidd-Harrison
asked for a first draft of the
DDA budget by next month.
The DDA discussed hold
ing a budget planning work
session before submitting its
spending plan to the city.
•heard from board mem
ber Sri Kumar, who said dis
cussions have been held with
SK Battery about the com
pany getting involved with
Hoschton’s downtown. He
said those discussions were
in “the very early stages.”
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews. com
Braselton leaders gave
the green light for both a
daycare center and a Kro
ger fuel center expansion
on the western side of town.
The Braselton Town
Council approved the two
projects with 4-0 votes at
its Monday (July 10) meet
ing.
The council granted Land
Development and Engi
neering a planned unit de
velopment (PUD) master
plan amendment for the
daycare facility and an ad
jacent commercial building
located on 1.6 acres at 5331
Thompson Mill Rd.
The proposed site is next
to an Aldi under construc
tion.
The daycare facility
will total 10,000 square
feet, while the commercial
building will span 4,500
feet.
The town council, in
approving the project,
overturned a condition
modification made by the
Braselton Planning Com
mission last month. The
planning commission, at its
June 26 meeting, voted to
expand uses allowed for the
4,500-square-foot building
to include limited retail pro
vided under a neighborhood
commercial zoning district.
The condition excluded tat
too parlors, tobacco shops
and vape shops.
The council, however,
voted to make the condition
more narrow, allowing only
office use (including med
ical), as originally recom
mended by the town’s plan
ning director, Kevin Keller.
Should Land Development
and Engineering seek a re
tail use, it would submit
that proposal to the council.
As for the gas station
expansion, the council ap
proved a conditional use for
Kroger to nearly double the
size of its fuel center at its
7380 Spout Springs Rd. lo
cation. The facility current
ly has five fuel dispenser
stations, and Kroger plans
to add lour more.
Kroger’s improvements
will also add a diesel tank
and expand the attendant
kiosk to provide an em
ployee bathroom.
The council approved the
request, with conditions,
4-0, and added a condition
requiring Keller’s approval
of the fuel center’s outdoor
retail space. Some council
members had expressed
concerns about the aesthet
ics of that area.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the
council:
•approved site and land
scape plans for North Metro
Baptist Church’s new cam
pus. The church is currently
located in Lawrenceville.
The church hopes to have
the new 75,000 square-foot
building, located near the
intersection of Hwy. 211
and Hwy. 124, ready by
late 2024. North Metro held
a groundbreaking for the
facility in late April.
•approved a contract with
the Georgia Department of
Transportation (DOT) for
right of way acquisition
for Phase II of the DOT’S
Hwy. 211 widening proj
ect. Phase II will widen the
highway from Pinot Noir
Dr. to Friendship Rd.
•approved its 2023 elec
tion ordinance. The council
seats of Jim Joedecke (Dis
trict 3) and Becky Richard
son (District 1) are up for
election.
FARMERS
MARKET
Villi/
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