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20 Pages, 2 Sections, Plus Preprints A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Winder, Barrow County, Georgia $1.00 Copy Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Off-duty
police
officer one
of two
killed in
crash
The Georgia State Patrol
is investigating a head-on
collision between two vehi
cles in Auburn early Satur
day morning, July 17, that
killed two people, including
an off-duty officer with the
Auburn Police Department,
and seriously injured four
others.
According to GSP
spokesman Lt. W. Mark Ri
ley, Officer Jacob H. Peek,
25, of Bogart, was driving
a Ford Mustang north on
Carl-Midway Church Road
just after 12:15 a.m., when,
for “unknown reasons,” he
lost control of the vehicle
and traveled into the south
bound lane, striking a Toy
ota Corolla that was being
driven by Zachary C. Smith,
28, of Auburn. Both men
were killed. Three passen
gers in the Mustang with
Peek — two females and
a male — and a male pas
senger in the vehicle with
Smith all sustained serious
injuries and were trans
ported to Gwinnett Medical
Center. Their identities were
not confirmed at the time of
the report.
“The investigation is on
going with the assistance
of the Georgia State Patrol
Troop B Specialized Colli
sion Reconstruction Team,”
Riley wrote in an email,
adding that a crash report
was incomplete as of early
Monday afternoon, July 19.
No further updates were
available as of press time.
An obituary for Peek
provided to The Barrow
News-Journal said he was
formerly employed by the
Winder Police Department
prior to joining the APD.
He was a 2014 graduate
of Winder-Barrow High
School. Further information
on Smith was not immedi
ately available.
Index:
Public safety
6A
State roundup
7A
Classifieds
9A
Legals
4-5, 7B
Obituaries
10-11A
Opinion
4-5A
Sports
1-3B
MAILING LABEL
Winder approves budget with projected tax increase
Three millage rate hearings
set■ starting next week
By Scott Thompson
sthompson@barrownewsjournal.com
The Winder City Council on Tuesday, July
20, approved a fiscal year 2022 budget that
is anticipated to roughly double the city's
millage rate. But discussions among the split
six-member body and city officials are likely
to continue as the council readies for three
state-required hearings on the proposed tax
increase beginning next week.
Following a brief discussion Tuesday and
a fresh round of criticism from a handful of
city residents in attendance, the council vot
ed 4-2 in favor of a budget — with council
members Jimmy Terrell and Holly Sheats in
opposition — that projects $64.5 million in
revenues and $84 million in expenses, with
the difference primarily due to capital util
ity projects that will need to be financed.
The budget includes an $18 million General
Fund, which includes only $12.9 million in
revenues but will be balanced primarily with
a $4.5 million transfer from the city's water
and wastewater utility fund.
The approved budget is projected to re
quire a millage rate increase from 3 to 6
mills to fully fund, though half a mill of that
increase would stem from the city’s plan to
remove the $50-per-parcel streetlight assess
ment from tax bills and absorb that service
into the General Fund, or the regular millage
rate.
The proposed increase triggers three pub
lic hearings before an adoption of the mill-
age rate. Those meetings will be held July
29, Aug. 2 and Aug. 3, at 6 p.m. each evening
at the Winder Community Center, 113 East
Athens St. A vote by the council is slated to
be held on Aug. 3 following the final public
hearing.
The proposed increase is projected to raise
taxes by $210 over the year on a home with a
See Winder, page 3A
New subdivision proposed
BOC to reconsider
Google Maps image
A developer is seeking to rezone 64.5 acres on Highway 211 Northwest for a
planned 171-home subdivision.
County planning commission
backs rezoning for property
near West Winder Bypass
By Scott Thompson
sthompson@barrownewsjournal.com
Barrow County's planning commis
sion last week threw its support behind
a master-planned residential subdivision
with more than 170 single-family homes
off Highway 211 near the terminus of the
future West Winder Bypass.
During its monthly meeting Thursday.
July 15, the panel recommended approv
al of requests to rezone, change the fu
ture land-use map designation for and
grant a special use for 64.5 acres of the
Royal W. Hardigree estate property on
Highway 211 Northwest, just south of
Pinnacle Drive. The vote was 4-1 with
Kevin Jackson opposed and commission
er members David Dyer and Ray Fowler
absent. The commission's recommen
dation now heads to the county board
of commissioners for an Aug. 10 public
hearing and vote.
If the requests receive final approval
from the BOC, Blue River Acquisitions
& Development of Cumming plans to
build 171 homes between three existing
subdivisions (Pinnacle Oaks, Bellingrath
Plantation and Overlook). Six of the
homes would be built on land that is lo
cated within the Winder city limits and
will be part of a separate request before
the city. Jeff DeLoach, the attorney for
the applicants, said.
The subdivision would be known as
Royal Estates as a tribute to Hardigree
and is planned to include several recre
ational amenities. DeLoach said those
would include a swimming pool, ca
bana, clubhouse, tennis court, volleyball
court and open space on 12.8 acres. In
addition, 11.8 acres will be set aside as a
“primary conservation area” along Cedar
Creek, DeLoach said.
Under conditions for approval recom
mended by the planning commission and
offered by the applicants, at least 50% of
the homes will have a minimum of 2,200
square feet; no more than 30% would be
1,850 to 2,200 square feet; and no more
than 20% would be between 1,650 and
1,850 square feet.
No vinyl siding would be allowed, as
has become custom with housing devel
opments approved by the county in re
cent years.
DeLoach said price points would start
in the $330,000s for the smaller homes
and range from $375.000-$450,000 for
the larger homes.
See Planning, page 3A
rezoning request
next month
By Scott Thompson
sthompson@barrownewsjoumal.com
The Barrow County Board of Commissioners is aiming
to reconsider next month a request to rezone land in unin
corporated Hoschton for a mixed-use residential and com
mercial development about a mile south of the intersection
of highways 211 and 124.
The board voted July 13, following a closed session, to
reconsider a request by Ridgeline Land Planning and de
veloper Holt Persinger to rezone and change the county's
future land-use map designation for 53.2 acres at 1308 Lee
Stone Rd. in order for 280 apartment units and 158 townho-
mes to be built while the developer would set aside roughly
8.5 acres for 130,000 square feet of commercial space.
The BOC voted 5-2 during a contentious public hearing
in October to deny the request, following along with the rec
ommendation of the county's planning commission, amid
strong pushback against the project from nearby residents.
The developer and the property owners, the Stone Living
Trust, who are under contract for the sale of the property,
filed suit against the county, and the parties have agreed to
stay the litigation while the requests are reconsidered by the
board. The developer is also seeking a variance on stream
buffer setback requirements, from 100 feet to 50 feet.
Because “contract zoning” is not allowed in Georgia, the
county's agreement to reconsider does not guarantee that
the board will approve the applicants’ requests. If it does,
the plaintiffs have agreed to file for dismissal of the suit
within 35 days of the decision. If the requests are not ap
proved. they reserve the right to resume the litigation.
If the requests are approved they would likely come with
19 conditions. Some of the key ones include:
•that a traffic study be prepared by a registered engineer
in Georgia and submitted to the county's planning depart
ment, and that the developer must comply with any and all
recommendations, standards and requirements set by the
county and the Georgia Department of Transportation.
•that the owner/developer dedicate right of way neces
sary to “safely realign” the intersection of Highway 211 and
Freeman Johnson Road.
•that the commercial component of the development not
include any mini-warehouses or storage units or “grocery
stores smaller than 30,000 square feet.”
•that the residential portion of the development have re
stricted gate access.
•that the attached residential units be a minimum of 1,800
heated square feet with no vinyl siding.
•that there be a mandatory homeowners' association and
that the residential streets be privately owned and main
tained.
•that there be amenities for residents — including a pool,
clubhouse, fitness center, walking trails and open space.
The new terms and conditions will not be put before the
planning commission, but will go straight to the BOC for
an Aug. 10 public hearing and vote, county attorney Angie
Davis said.
That public hearing, set for 6 p.m., will be advertised in
The Barrow News-Journal.
Auburn council heads toward annexing, rezoning Fowler Farms
By Scott Thompson
sthompson@barrownewsjournal.com
The Auburn City Coun
cil will vote Aug. 5 on
the request to annex and
rezone the Fowler Farms
property off Apalachee
Church Road and turn it
into a mixed-use devel
opment with over 500
single-family detached
homes and townhome
units, along with commer
cial space.
Following its Thursday,
July 15 work session, indi
cations were that the coun
cil was heading toward ap
proval of the requests after
city officials and council
members reviewed the
findings and recommen
dations of a traffic study
completed for the project
and expressed confidence
that improvements can
be made be made before
much of the homebuilding
is completed.
Chafin Land Develop
ment is seeking to annex
and rezone the 172-acre
tract to the east of the Au
burn Station subdivision,
south of Atlanta Highway,
and build a “planned sub
urban village” with 335
single-family houses, 174
townhomes, 20 “model
units” and commercial
uses, including potential
office and/or restaurant
space.
See Auburn, page 3A
Google Maps image/
The Auburn City Council is set to vote Aug. 5 on an annexation/rezoning request for
the 172-acre Fowler Farms property between Apalachee Church Road and Auburn
Station in order for more than 500 single-family houses and townhomes, as well as
commercial space, to be constructed.
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