About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 2023)
Wednesday, February 15,2023 dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 5A Chamber of Commerce names new board members Haas Stockbridge Meyers By Erica Jones ejones@dawsonnews.com The Dawson County Chamber of Commerce has named Brian Haas, Jan Stockbridge and Matt Meyers as the orga nization’s three new board of directors members for 2023. Haas is the lead pastor of Local Church Dawson and has lived in the area since 2014, when he and his family moved to plant the church. He is married to Becky, and they have three children, 10-year-old Connor, 7-year-old Cole and 6-year-old Collins. He is also a member of the Rotary Club of Dawson County and is an alum nus of Leadership Dawson. Stockbridge is a business development and strategic operations specialist with an extensive background in marketing, including working as a director for London’s leading PR and Communications agency. She was the co founder of a $7 million turnover business and currently serves as the COO of Atlanta Motorsports Park. In this role, she oversees day to day operational activities and is responsible for developing business strategy across all company functions, including finance, HR, sales and market ing. Meyers has been a self-employed entre preneur for almost 20 years. He has sever al businesses in Dawsonville, and he and his family have ingrained them selves in the community to serve. He is a benefactor to several nonprofit organizations and believes in strong business-to-business alliances in Dawson County. “We are thrilled to have Brian, Jan and Matt join the Board of Directors,” Dawson County Chamber President and CEO Mandy Power said in a press release. “I am very excited to have such diverse backgrounds and experience on the Chamber Board of Directors.” Hwy. 53 proposal gets OK, with zoning condition change By Erica Jones ejones@dawsonnews.com During the Feb. 6 meeting of the Dawsonville City Council, council members approved a zoning condition change for a proposed development off of Highway 53, removing the stip ulation in the approved zoning requiring 80 percent of the units to have at least one occupant who is 55 years or older. The property is 38.82 acres of land located at 592 Highway 53 West and, according to the information provided in the meeting’s packet, is currently vacant with existing residential structures. The proposed development, called the Villas at Dawsonville, was originally approved by the city council in June of 2019 with the stipulation that a mini mum of 80 percent of all occu pied units developed on the property should have at least one occupant that is 55 years or older, and that all units not occupied by an individual 55 or older should be restricted to 45 years or older. The previously approved plan proposed 140 attached units, or 23 quads and 48 townhomes, for a density of 3.6 units per acre. The revised plan presented to the council this week proposed 90 homes, or 61 single family residential and 29 townhomes, for a density of 2.34 units per acre. “In 2019 it was approved for 140 homes, but the new applica tion came with 90 homes, less density, less traffic, and a much improved subdivision with more amenities and facilities,” Planning and Zoning Director Harmit Bedi said during the meeting. “In lieu of that they’re asking to remove the condition for 55 and they have submitted a revised site plan with 90 homes.” Public hearings were heard for the proposed zoning condi tion change on Dec. 12, 2022 and Jan. 12, 2023. The city’s planning commission approved the change on Dec. 12, 2022 with 25 conditions, including adding an emergency entrance off of Howser Mill Road, pre serving existing trees to the maximum possible extent on the property and grading the front along Highway 53 West and along Howser Mill Road to make them ready for sidewalk installation in the future. During the city council meet ing, Eastwood Homes’ Atlanta Division President Scott Dozier spoke to the council, assuring them that he and Eastwood Homes have agreed to the con ditions. Council Member John Walden asked Dozier if he would be willing to contribute to running a sidewalk to allow for connectivity to the city of Dawsonville, and Dozier said they would be willing to con tribute a minimum of $15,000 toward that project. The council members approved the zoning condition change and the revised proposed site plan unanimously with the stipulations provided by the planning commission and the addition of a stipulation that the developer will contribute at least $15,000 toward the sidewalks. Grant would create trails for future park in rural Dawson By Julia Hansen jhansen@dawsonnews.com Three months after clos ing on donated property for a future recreation space, Dawson County’s Parks and Recreation department will move for ward with applying for a grant to develop the land for public use. After their Feb. 2 work session, the board rubber stamped Parks and Rec Director Matt Payne’s request to go ahead and apply for the 2024 Georgia Department of Natural Resources Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant. Longtime county resi dent Anne Styles and her family donated 120 acres of land located off of Ga. 183 and Elliott Family Parkway last year. The DNR grant would ideally fund the construc tion of biking and walking trails at the Styles Park property, something for which board members have previously voiced support. The pre-application pro cess for the grant starts in June 2023. Officials are expected to determine the exact dollar amount to request at a later time. If awarded, the grant would be a 50/50 match and is expected to be dispersed in 2024. “Until we get a [trails] firm to come in and look at the topography and look to see what we can do, I don’t have that yet,” Payne said at the board’s work session. “And I know they’re going to want that from me.” Similarly, the board approved a limited-pur pose lease agreement for Rocky Hill Cattle Company, which has for a while produced and raised cattle on the land, about 77.41 acres in size. County Attorney Angela Davis explained that this term was part of the con siderations for Anne Styles’ land donation and that in exchange, the cattle owner would keep mow ing, weeding and fencing that tract. There is a clause that allows the county to termi- Commissioners to discuss property maintenance rules By Julia Hansen jhansen@dawsonnews.com After previous public discussions, Dawson County’s recent changes to its property maintenance ordinance have many locals wondering what exactly they can and can’t do on their properties. This Thursday, the Board of Commissioners will once again address the property maintenance amendments during their Feb. 16 work session, accord ing to that meeting’s agenda. That meeting will start at 4 p.m., and a voting session will promptly follow. The board held the first public hearing for the property maintenance ordinance on Oct. 20, 2022, 2022, followed by a second hearing before the vote on Dec. 1. Highlights of the property maintenance ordinance include but aren’t limited to: • Addressing visual and public health and safety-related blights or proper ty issues • renting of unfit dwellings • limiting residency in RVs unless it’s at a licensed-and-zoned RV park At the beginning of February, the Dawson County Marshal’s Office sent out the letter to county residents in violation of the new ordinance advising them of a grace period until March 1, when the revised rules will start to be enforced. In a recent “Focus on Dawson” Facebook post, one user shared a copy of the marshal office’s letter, with several group members commenting to express frustration at having to strictly follow the ordinance while also paying taxes on their properties. During the new BOC’s first meeting on Jan. 20, multiple commissioners men tioned the need to take a longer look at all of the county’s Land Use Plan chang es, including items in the property main tenance ordinance. If the board members decide to take that route, they could halt a full rollout of the maintenance rules, similar to the county’s ongoing moratorium on residen tial rezoning applications. That option would give them and citizens more time to review the ordinance and suggest changes. People can attend the meetings in per son at the Dawson County Government Center’s second-floor assembly room or online by watching live streams on the Dawson County Government Facebook page or videos on the county’s YouTube channel. The government center, also known as the new courthouse, is located at 25 Justice Way in downtown Dawsonville. DCN will report on the property rules following the BOC’s Feb. 16 meetings. Sawnee EMC to return $8M to some customers Sawnee EMC will return $8 million to 130,000 eligible current and former mem bers through a general retirement of patronage capital. Around $8 million will be distributed to members, with the average refund being approximately $61. Existing Sawnee EMC members who are receiving a refund will get it in the form of a credit on their March 2023 electric bill. Former members who no longer have an active account with Sawnee and have a valid forwarding address on file will be mailed a check to their last known address on or around April 4. The refunded amount includes funds assigned for all of 2005 and a portion of 2006, and it will be paid to individuals and businesses who received electric service from Sawnee at any time during those years. Each member’s refund will vary based on the amount of revenue they contributed through their power bills. Because Sawnee EMC is a nonprofit cooperative, each year its members receive an assignment of “patronage capital” - or “revenue in excess of operating costs and expenses” - in the records of the coopera tive, as required by Georgia law. The electric cooperative also retires patronage capital to the estates of deceased members. Executors of the estates of deceased members who have not yet received their refund should contact Sawnee’s Customer Service Center at 770-887-2363, text 678- 999-8124, or send an email to custom- erservice @ sawnee.com. Part of the donated land overlooks a pasture area on another part of the property where cattle are kept. Julia Hansen Dawson County News nate the agreement with 30 days notice if it’s decided that that part of the donat ed land is needed to devel op the future park. Ultimately, Payne elabo rated that a decision to authorize grant pre-appli cation “does lead the next discussion.” “At some point, we will need to put our heads together and decide exact ly what direction we want to go with this particular piece of property,” he said. “It’s a beautiful gift, but the topography is going to be very difficult...[it’s] perfect for walking trails or disc golf.” Dawson County Republican Party To Hold Precinct Caucus and County Convention On Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 9:00 AM, the Dawson County Republican Party will convene Precinct Caucuses to elect Delegates and Alternate Delegates to the Dawson County Republican Party Convention. The County Convention will convene at 10:00 AM on March 11, 2023 at the same location for the purpose of electing county party officers and Delegates and Alternates to the Congressional District Convention and the State Convention. Additionally, the Convention will conduct all other business as necessary. Both the Precinct Caucuses and County Convention will be held at the Margie Weaver Senior Center, 201 Recreation Road, Dawsonville, Georgia 30534. All Dawson County residents who are legally registered to vote and believe in the principles of the Republican Party are urged to participate in this process. Delegates and Alternates will be required to pay a fee of $10.00 which is to cover the cost of the County Convention. The 6th Congressional District Convention will convene at 10:00 AM on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at South Forsyth High School, 585 Peachtree Pkwy, Cumming, Georgia, 30041. The District Convention will be electing officers for the district and State Committee members for the next biennial. Delegates and Alternates will be required to pay a fee of $30.00 Pre-Registration or $ 40.00 at the door, which is to cover the cost of the Convention. The Georgia Republican Party State Convention will convene at 2:00 PM on Friday, June 9, 2023, in Columbus, GA. and will elect state party officers for the next biennial in addition to conducting all other business as necessary. Delegates and Alternates will be required to pay a fee, which is to cover the cost of the Convention. For further information contact Mr. Dale Smart, Chairman of the Dawson County Republican Party at 404-456-8258, or dawsoncountyrp@gmail.com PAID FOR THE DAWSON COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY. Staff reports
