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o o Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson $1.00 copy Wednesday, July 26, 2023 Vol. 16 No. 33 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 12 pages Local man named to state technical college board Lee Chapman has been appointed to the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia PAGE 3A Hoschton Farmers Market changing hours and location The Hoschton Farmers Market will move to evening hours and relocate to the city’s depot for its August and September dates PAGE 3A Braselton Braselton planners say no to Friendship Rd. apartment complex proposal By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews. com A developer looking to replace a proposed senior living community in favor of an apartment complex in Braselton was unable to convince the town’s plan ning board of his plans. The Braselton Plan ning Commission voted 5-0 Monday (July 24) to recommend denial of a planned unit development (PUD) zoning amendment that would allow 325 apart ments on a 12.14-acre tract at 3036 Friendship Rd. The board also unanimously recommended denial of a related variance involving multi-family or residen tial living units on the first floors of buildings. The planning commis sion’s recommendations will go to the Braselton Town Council, which will hold a public hearing over the proposal on Aug. 10 (4:30 p.m.) with a potential vote on Aug. 14 (7 p.m.) Applicant Elliot Hol lander of Hollander Prop erties, LLC, planned in 2020 to build a senior community of 30 memory care units, 50 assisted liv ing units, 120 senior inde pendent living units and a SECOND PUBLIC HEARING •Braselton Town Council, Aug. 10, 4:30 p.m, Braselton Police and Municipal Court Building, 5040 Hwy. 53 21,000-square-foot retail space. But he said the proj ect was no longer economi cally feasible following the COVID pandemic. “During that time, our capital markets effectively shut down for senior liv ing,” Hollander said. “The typical lenders and the eq uity providers were terri fied because the collateral basically had residents that were viewed at very high risk, and no one was mak ing loans for construction or making equity invest ments.” Hollander, who has owned and operated mul tiple assisted-living com munities, said he spent nearly two years unsuc cessfully attempting to pitch this plan. “We were just unable to make it work econom ically with the impact of COVID,” he said. His new plan calls for removing an age restriction See Apartments, page 12A INSIDE The JCHS girls’ soccer team wins summer tourney PAGE 8A INDEX News ... 1A-3A, 12A Opinion ... 4A Public safety... 5A State roundup 6A Social 7A School 7A Sports.. 8A Obituaries... 9A-10A Classifieds... 11A MAILING LABEL JUST AROUND THE CORNER Photo by Ben Munro The high school football season is drawing nearer as preparations continue. Here, Jackson County quarterback Zack Scott slings a pass downfield as the Panthers took part in a padded camp at Dacula High School last week. Jackson County opens the season Aug. 18 at home against Dawson County. Area Storms last week cause widespread power outages Tens of thousands of pow er outages were reported throughout the area Thursday evening (July 20) following heavy rain and high winds. According to a press re lease from Jackson EMC, the storms left downed limbs and trees, as well as downed power lines and a number of broken poles. In addition to Jackson EMC crews, the company called in additional contract crews to assist with removing dam aged trees and limbs and making outage repairs See Storms, page 3A A West Jack- son Fire De partment crew responds to a downed power line following heavy storms Thursday eve ning (July 20). According to the department, most of the city of Hoschton was left without power. Photo courtesy of the West Jackson Fire Department South Hall Public hearing for proposed South Hall wedding venue tabled By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews. com A public hearing for a proposed South Hall wedding venue is on hold until next month. Due to a clerical error within the hearing notice, the Hall County Plan ning Commission tabled discussion of an agri-entertainment venue request for an approximate seven-acre tract at 3555 North Bogan Rd. until Aug. 7. John A. Moore Sr. is the project ap plicant. Public hearings for building and parking setback variances related to Moore’s proposal were also pushed back to Aug. 7. According to application docu ments, Moore’s plans for the venue include a 50 x 100-foot bam with an attached 70 x 100-foot pavilion. The venue would be used primarily for weddings Fridays through Sundays from 5 p.m. to 10 or 11 p.m. Commu nity organizations would use the ven ue on weekdays or weekends between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. County planning staff, however, has recommended denial of the re quest and the variances. According to planning documents, the staff said the project is inconsistent with the resi dential future land use plan designa tion within the comprehensive plan. This is the second proposed wed ding venue in South Hall to come before the planning board since June. The commission recommended ap proval of a wedding and event venue on Tanners Mill Rd. June 5, which was later OK’d by the Hall County Board of Commissioners on July 13. In a separate agri-entertainment application, discussion of a proposed com maze and pumpkin patch in South Hall on approximately 17 acres See Venue, page 3A '0 4 8 7 9 1 4 5 4 0