Newspaper Page Text
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
