About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 2022)
Elliott claims Cup series regular season title. SPORTS, IB Dawson envisions future Styles Park after land donation. INSIDE, 4A DawsonCountyNews WEDNESDAY I AUGUST 24, 2022 DaWSOflNeWS ^COITI DAWSONVILLE, GEORGIA $1.00 Push for mixed-use village rezone ends By Julia Fechter jfechter@dawsonnews.com Following months of public meetings full of input from doz ens of local residents, the Dawson County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a developer’s Aug. 18 request to withdraw an applica tion to rezone 518 acres for a proposed mixed-use village off of Ga. 400 and Lumpkin Campground Road. During their Aug. 18 voting session, BOC Chairman Billy Thurmond recounted a summary of developer Fox Creek Properties’ reason for withdraw al. “Basically, this says that the cost of developing the site con tinues to increase with the econ omy at this time, and with some of the other requirements associ ated, [they’re] just not able to do it at this particular time,” Thurmond said. “They appreci ate the board working with them and look forward to working with the board in future endeav ors later on.” If approved, Fox Creek’s Etowah Bluffs project would have entailed 986 residential units ranging from multifamily apartments to single-family detached homes. It would have also included up to 84,000 square feet in general, medical and dental office space; 50,000 square feet for retailers and res taurants; and 250,000 square feet or about 35 acres of ware house, logistics and flex space. In July, the board tabled a vote on the rezone so county officials and developer Fox Creek Properties could better define in the project stipulations what would constitute imbal ance between the proposed mixed-use village’s different PODs or sections. Previously, representatives for the developer balked at the county commissioners’ insis tence that both residential and non-residential development occur simultaneously and in a balanced manner. See Rezone 15A Julia Fechter Dawson County News On Aug. 18, the Dawson County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a developer's request to withdraw their application for a 518-acre mixed-use development off of Ga. 400. ‘A firefighter’s fire chief’ Photos by Julia Fechter Dawson County News Outgoing Fire and EMS director Danny Thompson holds a firefighter's ax award made to honor his dedication to Dawson County Fire and Emergency Services. Thompson concludes tenure as Dawson Fire & EMS director Division Chief Jason Dooley gives Thompson an ax award engraved with one of the fire chief's favorite workplace sayings, "Rock-Paper-Bugles." By Julia Fechter jfechter@dawsonnews.com When remembering his impact as Dawson County Fire and EMS Director, per son after person thanked Danny Thompson for his sincere service during the four years he’s led the department. Colleagues and friends alike gathered in the engine bay of Fire Station 1 this past Tuesday as part of a farewell luncheon for Thompson. Aug. 23 is his last day in the position. He will be leaving for a battalion chief position with the Roswell Fire Department but will still live in the Dawson area with his family. Thompson’s career in public service spans over three decades. In April 2018, Thompson started the director position in Dawson County. Five years prior to being hired for the full-time job, he served as a volunteer firefighter and paramedic in Dawson County. The announcement of a new interim director was delayed at the Aug. 18 Board of Commissioners meeting. Public Affairs Officer Faura Fulcher clari fied that the county manag er, David Headley, will select someone prior to Thompson’s departure. Division Chief of Operations and Training Jason Dooley pointed to Thompson’s range of accomplishments since coming into the role. “He’s moved our depart ment forward in several areas ... Chief Thompson is what we call ‘a firefighter’s fire chief,”’ Dooley said. “He looks out for his troops and makes sure that they have all the equipment they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.” Capt. Randy Edwards, the DCFES volunteer coordina tor, praised Thompson for his attention to volunteer firefighters, pointing to the recently-started recruit class as an example. “We’ve grown the volun teer department during his tenure while he’s been here...and I think it is an See Thompson 16A McCormick stresses the importance of unified party By Kelly Whitmire DCN Regional staff With about three months to go before the Nov. 8 election, the Republican candidate for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District, Rich McCormick, a veteran and emergency room physician, spoke with the Forsyth County News about the upcoming race and what he wants to accomplish if chosen by voters. See McCormick 13A DCN file photo Christian says talking to voters a key to winning By Julia Fechter jfechter@dawsonnews.com As voters prepare to cast their ballots in less than 90 days, Democratic candidate for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District Bob Christian is persuaded by the potential in the region, he said during a recent inter view with DCN. It’s the Dawson County resident’s first time running for the U.S. House of Representatives seat in the district, which now encompasses all of Forsyth and See Christian 13A DCN file photo o 9 0 9 9 4 Inside Volume 4, Number 29 © 2021, Dawson County News Dawsonville, Georgia Church Events 2B Classifieds 6B Dear Abby 5B Deaths 2A Legals 6B Opinion 7A Sports 1B 6A Residents voice safety concerns over proposed neighborhood 5 A Ribbon-cutting held for company with rare home rehab qualification
