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VOLUA r UMBER 84
Fi ;5s i landfill draws public’s ire
By Chu<
News Edito
Fulton 3_ “ x lioners may still be in
doubt ab uj z ~ mdfill on the Forsyth
County li J < hearing in Alpharetta
Tuesday t about where citizens
stand on the issue.
One side of the Milton High School gym was full
and the other half full of residents concerned
about the location of Fulton County’s next landfill.
Consideration was given to two proposed landfill
sites, but no action was taken by commissioners.
One of these, known as “Site 8,” is located in
northeast Fulton County and bounded by McGin
nis Ferry, Sargent and Jones Bridge roads.
“Site 13,” the primary site under consideration,
is located in northwest Fulton County and bounded
by Francis Road on the north, Georgia 9 on the
City vote
on rezoning
is expected
Tuesday
By Laura McCullough
Managing editor
Plans to build a 106-unit apartment
complex in Cumming will likely be
decided Tuesday night in a called
meeting as the mayor and city coun
cil take action on a rezoning request.
The 17.71 acres in question are on
Bald Ridge Road beside the Best
Western Lanier Lodge.
Developers Gary Anglin and John
P. Manton want the zoning changed
from commercial/business devel
opment to multi-family housing to
construct the apartments, which may
later be turned into condominiums.
This request was unanimously ap
proved by the Forsyth County Plan
ning and Zoning Commission earlier
this month.
The mayor and council discussed
the rezoning at its regular meeting
Tuesday night but voted to table
action for a week so developers can
present a land map outlining specific
plans for the units. The council’s
concern is whether the city can pro
vide adequate sewerage for the com
plex.
“Once you zone it and promise
sewerage, then they expect it,” said
councilman Lewis Ledbetter. “I don’t
have any problems with it (rezoning),
if we can do it (provide sewerage).”
Plans are to construct six units per
acre and to build the complex in three
phases. The first phase would be built
immediately and consist of 50 units.
The second phase will begin in late
1986 and the third in 1987.
In other business Tuesday night,
the council dashed Jann Hale’s plans
to build four duplexes on Pilgrim Mill
Road near Georgia 400. Her rezoning
request to change the 4.11 acres near
Sawnee Creek from agriculture to
multi-family housing was unani
mously denied.
The request had been narrowly
approved 3-2 with one abstaining vote
by the planning commission earlier
this month.
Mayor Ford Gravitt made the mo
tion to deny the rezoning saying that
“It isn’t the greatest place in the
world to put duplexes” because Pil
grim Mill Road contains some of the
city’s finest homes.
The council also denied a beer and
wine license to Kilbert Milhollin,
owner of the Pilgrim Mill Square
Shopping Center.
Milhollin said he plans to open a
convenience store at the shopping
center.
The mayor and council said that
they had never issued a beer and wine
license for a non-existing store. The
council also expressed concern about
the Forsyth County Board of Educa
tion building located directly behind
the shopping center. Traffic conges
tion in tiie area, especially coming
from the Cumming City Park, was
also mentioned by the council.
The council agreed to advertise
bids for a new water department
vehicle. City manager Gerald Black
burn said it will cost the city a lot of
money to keep the current car a
1981 Chevrolet on the road.
Forsyth Bulldogs all business
in 40-0 rout over Dacula
Pago 9A
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Auto ’B6: A look at what’s coming down the road Pago IB
south and the Forsyth County line on the east.
The Forsyth County Commissioners adopted a
resolution opposing Site 13 in their regular meet
ing last week.
Some 30 people signed up prior to the beginning
of Tuesday night’s hearing to speak on the landfill
issue.
Bill Fantozzi, a member of the Northwest Fulton
Civic Association, stressed that the landfill is a
“human issue,” and that people should be consid
ered before “rocks, water and cover dirt.”
“We know of at least 85 Fulton County homes
and over 250, if we include the neighboring county
(Forsyth), that are within x k mile of Site 13,”
Fantozzi said. “Maybe a total of 10 homes are
within Vz mile of Site 8.”
In addition to population figures, Fantozzi dis
cussed information from Law Engineering &
Testing, which was hired by NFCA to study Sites 8
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A fall trip through North Georgia would not be the
same without a steaming bag of boiled peanuts
to nibble on along curving mountain roads. David
Lake committee hears of Flat Creek pollution
State environmental expert says
Forsyth shoreline not affected
By Chuck Thompson
N«w* Editor
If you’re one of those folks whose weak
stomach makes you a target for all sorts of
disgusting stories at the dinner table, then
Thursday’s meeting of the Lake Lanier Study
Committee wouldn’t have been the perfect
follow-up for your afternoon meal.
The dessert menu: A detailed discussion of
dead chickens, grease and bacteria served in a
polluted north Georgia creek which empties
into Lake Lanier.
Flat Creek, which runs through an industrial
section of Gainesville, has had the “dubious
distinction” of being one of the most polluted
creeks in the state, according to Lou Ann Hall.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1985—CUMMING, GA. 30130—64 PAGES 3 SECTIONS
A fall favorite
who presented a slide presentation on the creek
in Thursday’s meeting.
Among the slides were photos of rusty-col
ored water, suds and a dilapidated chemical
storage shed alongside the creek.
Bags of chemicals were stacked almost to the
roof of the shed, and some bags near the
creek’s edge had burst.
Ms. Hall said materials stored in the bags
were getting into the creek.
Ed Mayhew, a biology teacher at Gainesville
Junior College, where Thursday’s meeting was
held, said bacteria concentration in Flat Creek
is sometimes too great to be measured.
Mayhew said the type of contamination he’s
seeing is the kind that comes from warm
blooded animals like birds and mammals.
and 13.
“They (the engineering firm) examined the
reports of county engineers and others, in addition
to making on-site observations,” he said. “Their
opinion ended with ‘design and operation of a
landfill at Site 13 may be somewhat complicated
by the need to control run-on from surrounding
land.’”
The search for a new Fulton County landfill was
recommended by a solid waste management plan
drafted in 1974.
On July 6, 1983, a citizen task force was ap
pointed by the Fulton County Commissioners to
look for prospective landfill sites.
The task force recommended Site 8 and another
site known as “Site 2.”
Howard Franzen, deputy director of construc-
See LAND, Page 3A
Dodd dips a bag of the fail favorites from the
bubbling black cauldron at Dodd’s produce on
Buford Highway in Cumming.
Staff Photo Norman Baggs
Stories of dead chickens and feathers floating
in Flat Creek were told by Sherrill Chatham,
who expressed concern about health hazards
associated with the polluted water.
Ms. Chatham said she avoids the water, but
that it’s difficult to keep her children away
from it.
State Rep. Bill Barnett, of Cumming, who
serves on the Lake Lanier Study Committee,
expressed concern about pollution from Flat
Creek possibly floating downstream into the
portion of the lake which borders Forsyth
County.
Box Troxler, with the State Environmental
Protection Division, told Barnett that EPD
doesn’t believe Flat Creek has any impact on
Forsyth County’s side of the lake, and that the
impact of the creek appears to be more “local
ized.”
Rep. Charles Martin, of Buford, expressed
concern about the creek’s impact on water
intakes downstream, but Troxler said there is
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Leaking roofs,
crowded classes
concern board
By Laura McCullough
Managing editor
The Forsyth County School system
is still singing the same old song as a
result of die county’s growth, and its
tune is in the form of leaky roofs and
overcrowded buildings.
Again the local board of education
Thursday night heard reports on the
new vocational education roof, an on
going project which has still not re
ceived final approval by the architect
or contractor for the job.
The new roof has adequatly with
stood rainy weather but other school
buildings have not.
School Superiniendent Robert Ot
well said numerous schools have re
ported leaky buildings.
At some schools) students not dodg
ing the rain are dodging each other.
Students and teachers at Sawnee
and Midway elementary schools are
using every bit of space available and
seven portable classrooms each to
contend with overcrowded condi
tions.
Bids for new classrooms at both
schools are expected to be out by
November, said Otwell. Midway just
received its seventh portable class
room.
“I just hope it doesn’t become per
manent,” said Midway principal
Dennis Whittle.
Midway is expecting nine new
classrooms and has been allotted
$315,000 in state capital outlay funds
for construction. Sawnee will get
eight classrooms with $218,000.
“We’re pushing as hard as we can
to get this through by November and
get those classrooms,” said Otwell.
“We’ve had plenty of new students at
those two places and in other areas of
the county, too.”
Sawnee Elementary gained 35 addi
tional students this year and Midway
gained 52.
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“We need to set some type of
schedule on what our priorities
should be ... we don’t want to
lose any time because we
weren’t on top of the growth.’’
Board member Arthur Wright
According to a comparision be
tween the first month enrollment of
this year and last, Forsyth County
has gained 291 students.
Kindergarten classes alonere
ceived 86 additional students. The
elementary schools gained a total of
136, the junior high schools gained 101
and the high school gained 54.
Board chairman Arthur Wright
recommended that the Priority Com
mittee and the Building, Growth and
Planning Committee work together to
set future priorities for the school
system.
“We need to set some type of sched
ule on what our priorities should be,”
he said, “we don’t want to lose any
time because we weren’t on top of the
growth.”
Because of the additional students
this year, the school system has
teamed that the state will fund two
extra bus drivers.
The county employees 62 drivers at
present, four of which were funded by
the county prior to the change in the
state allotment.
In other action the board voted to
hire Vemette Studdard as assistant
principal at Cumming and Sawnee
Elementary schools. She is now work
ing with elementary curriculum for
the school system.
The board also approved an annual
fundraiser for Mashbum Elementary.
no information showing an “adverse impact.”
Troxler did say that Flat Creek has “not been
clean in a long, long time,” and that he’s seen
pictures taken of the creek when there was a
layer of grease on the water.
He said the Gainesville city government is
looking at current problems associated with
Flat Creek, and that it will take “time, money
and people who know what they’re doing to
solve the problem.”
Rusty Woodruff, another concerned resident,
complained Thursday about industries using
streams “almost like a septic tank.”
She said commercial and industrial growth
appear more important to officials than water
supply. “We’ve got to stop this, and we need to
stop it now!,” she added.
Ms. Woodruff presented the study committee
with 2,197 signatures on petitions. Citizens who
signed the petitions, she said, are saying, “We
deserve clean water.”
35 CENTS