Newspaper Page Text
20 Pages, 2 Sections
A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Winder, Barrow County, Georgia $1.00 Copy Wednesday, April 26, 2023
State of the Communities
Barrow Chamber of Commerce hosts annual luncheon
Barrow
County
and
Elected officials across the county informed chamber members about
projects, events and other happenings in the county and its munici
palities during the Barrow County Chamber of Commerce’s annual
State of the Communities luncheon April 11.
Credit: City of Winder
Pictured (from left): Braselton councilman Richard Harper, Barrow
County chairman of the Board of Commissioners Pat Graham, Au
burn mayor Linda Blechinger and Winder mayor David Maynard.
By Morgan Ervin
morgan@barrownewsjournal.com
The Chamber of Commerce
held its annual State of the
Communities luncheon Tues
day, April 11, where local lead
ers updated chamber members
on projects completed over the
last year, projects currently un
derway and the opportunities
and challenges anticipated as
the county and its municipalities
look to the future.
BARROW COUNTY
As the eighth fastest grow
ing county in Georgia, with a
growth rate of 20%, lots of in
dustry continues to show in
terest in relocating to Barrow
County.
“ It’s a very busy time in Bar-
row County, “said Pat Graham,
chairman of the Barrow County
Board of Commissioners.
To prepare for what’s ahead,
county leaders use local indica
tors, such as Local Option Sales
Tax (LOST) revenue and busi
ness permitting, as tools to plan
for future growth. “We want to
be prepared if there’s a down
turn in the economy,” Graham
said.
Over the last year, Graham re
ported the county’s LOST rev
enues grew, while business per
mitting slightly decreased.
Graham cited additional sta
tistics, which show the county
has added an average of 463
homes each year over the last
four years, which she said is
“very moderate over time.”
Meanwhile, the average price
of buying a home in Barrow
County has doubled in four
years. In 2019, the average cost
of a home in Barrow County was
$162,000. In 2022, the average
cost of a home was $358,000.
Graham also noted that the
county’s rollback tax rate has
been used for the last 12 years.
She also mentioned the feder
al stimulus during the pandem
ic and its major impact on the
economy in recent years.
In December 2022, Spring
Mountain Center (SMC) held a
ribbon-cutting for Phase I of its
multi-phase project, represent
ing a $45 million investment
in the county. SMC’s Phase I
includes a 250,000-square-foot
manufacturing and assembly fa
cility.
Phase I will be followed by
the construction of two 500,000
square foot (sq. ft.) buildings
at Park 53 South during Phase
II and III of the project. Upon
completion, SMC is expected to
bring 205 new jobs to the coun
ty.
Also in December 2022,
Northeast Georgia Health Sys
tem held a ribbon-cutting mark
ing the groundbreaking of its
34,000 sq. ft. Medical Plaza
in Bethlehem, which will add
around 20-25 new jobs to the
county.
U.S. Lumber is also relocating
in Barrow County and is cur
rently laying the foundation for
a nearly 400,000 sq. ft. facility.
To provide railroad access, U.S.
Lumber is paving a new road
connecting to the old Bird Ham
mond Road. The project has an
investment of $31.5 million and
will bring 125 new jobs to the
county.
Graham said major sites of
interest for industrial growth
include Park 53 South and Park
53 North, which together span
roughly 120 acres. Other sites
of interest in the county include:
• Gateway at West Winder
Bypass — a built-to-suit site lo
cated at the corner of the West
Winder Bypass and Carl-Beth-
lehem Road
• One University Parkway — a
roughly 360-acre site in Statham
along Wall Road and S.R. 316
• Euphoric 316 — over one
million square feet of industri
al space along Kilcrease Road
and S.R. 316 consisting of four
buildings ranging from 122,000
to 520,000 sq. ft.
• Braselton Crossroads — a
distribution center recently
purchased by Westcore consist
ing of three buildings that total
460,000 sq. ft.
• Gateway at West Winder
Bypass — a built-to-suit site lo
cated at the corner of the West
Winder Bypass and Carl-Beth-
lehem Road
• One University Parkway — a
roughly 360-acre site in Statham
along Wall Road and S.R. 316
• Euphoric 316 — over one
See Communities, page 2A
BRASELTON’S GATEWAY
SIGN AT 1-85 COMPLETE
Credit: Ben Munro
The 1-85 gateway signs at Exit 126 in Brasleton are
complete. The town partnered with Barrow and Jack-
son counties to design, permit and fund the ramp way
finding signage and its associated landscaping in an
effort to beautify interstate exits.
CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES AT
AUSTIN ROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Credit: BCSS
Construction continues on the additional academic building at the Barrow
Arts and Sciences Academy. The new building will include a weight room. A
temporary weight room will be available near the BASA gym for next school
year as well. Construction at the new school — Austin Road Elementary — is
on time and on budget. Currently, sidewalks are being installed, along with as
phalt paving. Paint is being completed and ceiling tiles will go up next.
MAILING LABEL
Celebrating the Class of2023
Seniors in Barrow County graduate
graduate May 24-26 at 8 p.m.
The Barrow County School Sys
tem recently announced graduation
dates and times for the Class of 2023
at Apalachee High School, the Bar-
row Arts and Sciences Academy and
Winder-Barrow High School.
APALACHEE HIGH SCHOOL
The AHS graduation ceremony is
scheduled for May 26 at 8 p.m.
Graduation will be live-streamed on
the AHS YouTube channel located at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/
UCS67K747Nf8eShuTqrgSbZg. For
other school events celebrating se
niors, check the school website and
social media.
The valedictorian is Zane Sylvester
and the salutatorian is Sunena Patel.
BARROW ARTS AND SCIENCES
ACADEMY
The BASA graduation ceremony is
scheduled for May 24 at 8 p.m.
Graduation will be live-streamed on
the BASA YouTube channel located at
https://www.youtube.com/@basablaz-
ers. For other school events celebrat
ing seniors, check the school website
and social media.
The valedictorian is Savannah John
son and the salutatorian is Andrew
Wooten.
WINDER-BARROW HIGH
SCHOOL
The WBHS graduation ceremony is
scheduled for May 25 at 8 p.m.
Graduation will be live-streamed on
the WBHS YouTube channel located
at https://www.youtube.com/channel/
UCpzxSk3NnhdGvlOzTJQsqfg. For
other school events celebrating se
niors, check the school website and
social media.
The valedictorian is Ema Clair Caine
and the salutatorian is Isaac Sanders.
Braselton
sign
wholesale
water
agreement
By Morgan Ervin
morgan@barrownewsjournal.com
B atiow County will
begin selling water to the
Town of Braselton follow
ing the Barrow County
Board of Commission
ers’ approval of a 10-year
agreement with the town
Tuesday evening.
In the contract, B arrow
County agrees to make
available a minimum of
six million gallons per
month, or 200,000 gallons
per day (GPD), at a rate of
$2.80 per 1,000 gallons,
which is contingent upon
the completion of neces
sary water system facility
upgrades and modifica
tions currently underway.
Until completion of
the ongoing upgrades,
the parties have agreed
that Barrow County will
only provide an average
of 100,000 GPD, or six
million gallons per month.
Once B arrow determines
that its system can accom
modate a 200,000 GPD
average, Braselton will be
notified and begin paying
the higher monthly mini
mum fee.
Should Braselton need
more than the daily firm
amount established, Bar-
row County agrees to
excess water purchases
based on water availabil
ity.
The purchase price of
water supplied under the
contract is determined by
the county. It’s subject to
modification depending
on water availability and
the provision of whole
sale water to the county’s
existing customers with
minimum purchase obli
gations.
The point of delivery is
located at the connection
point of Braselton’s wa
ter system and the Barrow
County line.
Residual water pressure
on the B arrow County
side of the meter cannot
drop below 20 pounds per
square inch (PSI).
B atiow County will
provide sufficient meter
ing equipment needed un
der the contract near the
end of the existing B atiow
County line.
The contract is for 10
years, but either party may
limit the term to only five
years and opt out of the
remaining five years by
providing a termination
notice to the other party
no less than 90 days be
fore the five-year anniver
sary of the agreement. The
same rule applies in the
eighth year of the agree
ment.
Should the parties agree
to continue the agreement
after ten years, they must
enter into a new agree
ment.
