Newspaper Page Text
Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson $1.00 copy
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Vol. 16 No. 37 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 12 pages
Teen driving summit ahead
A summit promoting safe driving for teens is scheduled for Aug. 30
in South Hail at Cherokee Bluff High School
PAGE3A
Panthers open with win, face Duluth Fri.
The Jackson County Panthers, whose defense smoothered Dawson County in
a 16-0 win in Coach Korey Mobbs debut last week, will face Duluth on the road
this Friday PAGE7A
Braselton
Extended-stay
hotel proposed in
Braselton near I-85
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
A developer is proposing
an extended-stay Hilton
hotel in Braselton abutting
1-85 behind Cracker Barrel
on Hwy. 53.
Applicant JVBraselton
Hospitality, LLC, will pres
ent its plan at an Aug. 28
(6 p.m.) public hearing be
fore the Braselton Planning
Commission and again on
Sept. 7 (4:30 p.m.) before
the Braselton Town Coun
cil.
JVBraselton seeks condi
tional use approval for the
proposed 102,000-square-
foot hotel, which would be
constructed on a 4.24-acre
lot zoned general commer
cial in the Hwy. 53 overlay
COMING UP
•Public hearing, Aug. 28,6 p.m, Braselton
Planning Comission
district.
According to planning
documents, plans for the
four-story, 147-room ho
tel will combine Home 2
Suites by Hilton units and
TRU Hotel by Hilton units.
Sixty-seven rooms will be
designated for the “TRU”
portion of the development,
while 80 rooms will be ded
icated for Home 2 Suites.
The hotel would be ac
cessed by a new drive aisle
that extends to Exchange
Way, behind the RaceTrac
gas station. There will be
no direct access to 1-85 or
Hwy. 53.
Shown is a sketch of a Hilton extended stay hotel
proposed for a lot behind Cracker Barrel on Hwy. 53
abutting 1-85.
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INSIDE
INDEX
News,,, 1A-3A
Opinion ,„ 4A
Public safety... 5A
Social 6A
Sports,,, 7AJ2A
Obituaries... 8A.9A
Panther volleyball team improves Q a55 jf e[ j5 ]]/\
to 10-0 PAGE7A
A grand entrance
Photo by Ben Munro
Skydiver Bruce Meinert parachuted into Panther Stadium on Friday (Aug. 18) as part of the pregame
festivities for Jackson County High School’s football season opener against Dawson County. The
Panthers won 16-0. See sports coverage on Pages 7Aand 12A.
Hoschton
Decision on Hoschton development tabled
A decision on a contentious
annexation and rezoning is
sue in Hoschton will wait an
other month.
Hie Hoschton City Coun
cil, on Monday (Aug. 21),
tabled its vote on a proposed
334-home development and
a related annexation request
until September.
“This is one of the tilings
that's been on everybody’s
mind, and what we’ve agreed
to do at this time — because
of some tilings are still out
there that are not quite what
we’re liking as a council and
a mayor — is to table this
to the next meeting,” acting
Hoschton Mayor James I ,aw-
son said.
Fonner Mayor Shannon
Sell seeks the annexation of
approximately 33 acres into
Hoschton and a planned unit
development zoning for a
Photo by Mike Buffington
Janet Davis speaks against a proposed 334-home development in
Hoschton during the Hoschton City Council’s Aug. 17 work session.
proposed 110-acre gated de
velopment of single-family
residences and townhomes.
The development would
front Pendergrass and E.G.
Barnett roads, East Jefferson
St. and West Jackson Rd.
Sell had previously part
nered with Providence Group
on this proposal, but the com
pany recently backed out of
the deal.
The council held public
hearings in May and June
— one more public hear
ing than required - over the
rezoning and annexation
requests but took no action.
Although the city council
didn’t hold a public hearing
See Development, page 3A
MAILING LABEL
Qualifying
Martin announces candidacy for Hoschton
mayor’s race, resignation from council seat
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnnews. com
Two days before the start of
qualifying, the first candidate
emerged for Hoschton’s may-
oral seat.
Councilmember Debbie
Martin announced at the end
of Monday’s (Aug. 21) city
council meeting that she’s
seeking die post vacated in
July by Lauren O’Leary. Per
state law, Martin must resign
her city council seat once she
qualifies for die mayor’s race.
“It’s been a very hard de
cision for me,” she said of re
signing her council spot.
Qualifying begins today
(Wednesday, Aug. 23) for
Hoschton’s November races.
Martin, a Cresswind resi-
Debbie Martin
dent, has served on the coun
cil since winning a November
2022 special election for the
vacant seat of former coun
cilmember Shantwon Astin.
Martin recommended that
former city council candidate
Christina Brown be appoint
ed to her city council post to
serve die remainder of her
term. Brown ran against Mar
tin and Tammpy Sweat in the
November 2022 special elec
tion.
HOSCHTON
QUALIFYING
Hie City of Hoschton’s
qualifying wid run from Aug.
23-25 from 8:30 a.m. to noon
and 1-4 p.m. at Hoschton City
Hall.
Hie mayor’s seat and five
council seats wid be on die
ballot. Hie city is holding reg
ular elections for diree council
seats whose terms expire in
2024. Up for grabs in diose
races are die seats of Tracy
Carswed, who said he won’t
seek re-election; Martin; and
the former seat of Adam Led
better, who stepped down in
February.
Meanwhile, Hoschton’s
special elections wid fill die
seats of mayor and former
councilman Scott Mims, who
stepped down in March.
Qualifying fees are $360
for mayor and $180 for die
council seats.
BRASELTON
QUALIFYING
Hie Town of Braselton’s
qualifying wid mn from
Aug. 23-25 from 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. at Braselton Town
Had.
On the ballot are the seats
in Braselton Town Council
District 1 (currently held by
Becky Richardson) and Dis
trict 3 (currently held by Jim
Joedecke Jr.).
Qualifying fees are $180.
