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Hearing
Tax saga lingers; bills mailed
By Sallylyn Hill
Staff Writer
Property owners will be getting more in the
mail than Christmas cards next week as tax
bills were mailed out Thursday, said the coun
ty tax commissioner.
Bills were mailed after a recent turn of
events, which included a superior court judge
signing an order prohibiting the mailing of tax
bills then rescinding the order two days later.
Apparently Tax Commissioner Bobby Gene
Gilbert and County Attorney Beau Stubbs
Tuesday at 7p.m
City sewer plant hearing set
By Cynthia Clark
Staff Writer
Citizens will be offered an opportunity to
voice their opinions on the city’s proposed
sewer plant in a public hearing set for Tues
day at 7 p.m.
'The site of the public hearing is the Old
Methodist Church building on Pilgrim Mill
Road. It is being held by the Environmental
Protection Division (EPD), of the Georgia De
partment of Natural Resources.
The hearing was prompted by the city’s re
quest for a National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the
County’s sewer
plan is rejected
By Sallylyn Hill
Staff Writer
The county’s proposed 20-year
wastewater management plan was
rejected by the Environmental Pro
tection Division.
A brief two paragraph letter from
the EPD to County Administrator
Donald Major stated the plan was re
jected because too many decisions in
volving wastewater collection are left
up to developers and the plan was not
specific enough.
“We suggest that you take this doc
ument as a starting point and revise it
to reflect the County’s plan for the fu
ture,” stated the EPD’s letter.
The plan outlines projected sewer
age treatment facilities needed in the
county through the year 2010. It indi
cates at least six regional facilities
will be needed and seven areas will be
adequately serviced using septic
systems.
The six areas identified for sewer
treatment facilities because of high
populations projections were: Camp
Creek, Dick Creek, James Creek, Big
Creek, Caney Creek, and Johns
Creek. Each of the facilities would in
clude spray irrigation fields.
Although the basins where the facil
ities would be located were identified
the exact location and size of the (sew
erage plants were not specified in the
plan.
“The county, in this planning docu
ment, needs to specify where regional
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facilities will be built and indicate
who will own and operate those facili
ties,” stated the letter.
Commissioners were seemingly
disappointed and surprised at EPD’s
response especially since the agency
previously approved a draft proposal
of the plan.
The draft proposal, however, con
tained detailed plans outlining the
first four projects.
Also included were two alternates
designed by Rindt-McDuff, for four
developers wanting to build one or two
sewerage treatment facilities in south
Forsyth County.
Alternate I proposed building one
plant that would treat 700,000 gallons
of sewerage per day. It would serve
John Creek Basin.
Alternative II called for building a
second facility - 700,000 gallon per day
plant in Big Creek basin.
Each plant would include a 160-acre
spray irrigation field.
Developers would finance and build
both the plants then turn the projects
over to the county when the projects
were completed and the debt was
paid.
During the revisions, however,
commissioners complained inclusion
of the four projects made the master
plan too specific and the outlines were
removed. j
After discussing the letter the board
voted unanimously to request a meet
ing with EPD Commissioner Leonard
Ledbetter.
Merchants happy
with holiday rush
By Cynthia Clark
Staff Writer
The busiest shopping day of the
year has past and the first week of the
shopping season has continued to
keep merchants very busy.
“The first week of shopping went
very good for us. Sales were better
than last year at this time,” said Par
sons Manager Mike Montgomery.
“We are encouraged that we will
have a good sale year the rest of the
year and into 1990,” Montgomery
said.
Most of the merchants have high
hopes of a successful Christmas shop
ping season with the boast of in
creased shoppers.
“The first week of shopping went
outstanding, sales are up about 13 per
cent from last year,” said Kmart
Store Manager Vince Barnett.
‘ ‘The first week of the shopping sea
son was exceptional, more than we ex
pected. Compared to last year, we
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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1989-CUMMING, GA. 30130-18 PAGES 2 SECTIONS
were not notified about the order called Rule
Nisi until after Judge Frank Mills signed the
notice.
The Rule Nisi was part of a motion filed Nov.
28 by attorney Woody Jordan seeking to in
clude Gilbert in with the original motion filed
Nov. 8 requesting an injunction be placed on
the proposed digest.
“Recent events indicate the Defendent (Gil
bert) and other intend to thwart this court’s
order at all costs, and have resorted to lies and
deception to achieve that end,” the motion
stated.
proposed 2.0 million gallon a day discharge to
Big Creek in the Chattahoochee River Basin.
The proposed facility would replace the ex
isting Cumming sewer plant and would have
to comply with the requirements of Georgia’s
Water Quality Standards.
Residents who live in the Steeplechase/Polo
Fields area, near the proposed building site,
aired their views in a previous meeting held in
the Bethelview Methodist Church in July.
The residents said at the time they were not
happy with the city’s decision to construct a
sewer plant near their residences.
“I hope the people who investigate this sew
age treatment plant will recommend Mayor
Jordan said he will file another request with
Mills and both Stubbs and Gilbert will be noti
fied of the request. However, Jordan could not
say if the judge will sign the new motion.
In the Nov. 8 motion Jordan is asking the
Forsyth County Tax Assessors, be in both
criminal and civil contempt.
County commission “rs should also be held
in contempt, the suit stated.
The plaintiffs named in the motion are How
ard Meyer, Robert Williams and Tommy Rus-
Please see TAXES, page 2A
Gravitt move the location of the plant to a
more remote location, closer to Cumming
than this site,” said Ron Mason, chairman of
the Bethelview Concerned Citizens
Committee.
“The only reason this site was chosen is this
was the closest parcel of land John Wayt was
willing to sell for SIO,OOO an acre,” he said.
“I can see the grandfather clause is the
cloak being used to build this plant. The grand
father clause is in effect when an expansion of
the Cumming treatment plant is built. That is
not what this plant is going to be, it is a re-
Please see HEARING, page 2A
B_ — -■—
Jesse Murphy sets the table for dinner
have had a lot more shoppers,” said
WalMart Store Manager Bruce
Graves.
Shoppers are busy looking for a
good buy and most shoppers want
quality along with the good prices.
“There doesn’t really seem to be
any one item everyone is knocking the
door down for this year, but in our
clothing and gift store, the best selling
items seem to be the collectable
items, sweaters, and shirts, and ac
cessories,” said Montgomery.
“The most saleable items in the toy
department are anything having to do
with GiJoe, Barbie, Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles, and Any game of Nin
tendos is extremely popular,” said
Graves.
“Nintendos are the best thing in the
world to quiet children down. They
can play for hours and you’ll never
know they are in the house. I know. I
have three children,” Graves said.
Please see SHOP, page 2A
Staff photo Sallylyn Hill
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Planning time
South Forsyth coach Jerry Smith talks with his team during a timeout in
Tuesday’s season-opener at Loganville. South Forsyth players, from left, Ra
chel Fish, Kristy Grimes, Leah Singletary and Carmen Moss listen to their
coach. South Forsyth came close to winning but dropped a narrow 47-45
decision.
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Walking time
While some were da. 'led by the lights on the Christmas tree at the courthouse, Clayton
Mason, 6, Kellie Mason. 4, and Kari Mason 7. show their fancy footwork on the walkway near
the tree.
Personal care homes
causing concerns
Meeting Monday
to discuss topic
By Sallylyn Hill
Staff Writer
Most everyone will agree develop
mentally handicapped people deserve
special care and decent homes.
However, the recent opening of two
personal care homes for mentally re
tarded adults has raised several ques
tions and concerns by property own
ers in those subdivisons.
A question and answer session re
garding the two homes, located in
Shady Shores and Deerwood subdivi
sion will be held Monday night during
the Forsyth County Commissioners
Public Forum.
“The main concerns are the type of
people that are going to be housed
there,” said Commissioner Barry
Hillgartner who set up the meeting.
There are three males between the
ages of 20 to 30 living in each of the
homes. They are clients of North
Georgia Mental Health and Mental
Retardation Center.
The homes are supervised 24-hours
a day, said Hillgartner.
Property owners are upset by the
way the homes were just “snuck in,”
said a resident of Shady Shores who
did not want to give her name.
Personal Care Homes are permit
ted uses of residential areas so a spe
Staff photo Mike Webber
Staff photo Leonard Kransdorf
cial permit or rezoning request is not
required, said County Attorney Beau
Stubbs.
The home is allowed in private resi
dential neighborhoods because resi
dents in the home are considered a
family according to the county’s
amended definition of family.
Under the county’s Comprehensive
Zoning and Land Use Resolution
adopted in 1979 and amended last
May, a group of not more than six non
related persons can live together un
der the definition as a family.
The ordinance was amended be
cause a recent Supreme Court ruling
expanded the definition of the tern
“family” and the county’s ordinance
needed to match the court’s defini
tion, said Stubb s.
Although officials with the North
Georgia Mental Health and Mental
Retardation Center will be glad to an
swer questions during the public fo
rum, people are also welcome to visit
the homes, said Donna Giddens, with
North Georgia.
The reason for the homes is the par
ents are often unable to continue car
ing for the children, said Giddens.
Also it is a step toward independence
for the clients, she said.
“Home is the key word, it’s not an
institution,” said Robin Skinner also
with the North Georgia agency.
These are the first two homes
opened in Forsyth but similar homes
Please see HOME, page 2A
The Hands Across Forsyth cam
paign is continuing through the
Christmas holiday.
For the upcoming holiday, interest
ed residents are asked to contribute a
toy which will be given to a needy
child in the county. The program is
being coordinated with the local
Jaycees.
In the recent canned good collection
campaign, support was shown from
area schools, churches and various
subdivision groups. It is hoped the
same groups and even more will as
sist in this continued effort.
While a new toy would be preferred,
we are asking that if it is not new that
it be in workable condition.
The toy can be dropped off at the
Forsyth County News at 121 Dahlon
ega or Jim Wallace Food Store at the
comer of Hwy 9 and Buford Dam
Road. Other drop off points are will be
announced in future editions.
For further information please call
the Forsyth County News office at 887-
5126 < j
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