Newspaper Page Text
V *
Amphitheater draws objections at forum
BylaAnneT. Bell
Sorporate Edrtor
**-• G
1 r «*
resounding “Not In My Backyard” is what Forsyth
County Commissioners heard at Tuesday’s public forum
on me proposed amphitheater.
’ 38 individuals who addressed the four commis-
sioners at the forum spoke in opposition to the proposed
location of a musical amphitheater
on the county’s 190-acre tract off Ga.
4tio near Antioch Road and Keith
Bridge Road (Hwy. 306).
Cppimissioner Lamar Suddeth did
not attend the 5 p.m. forum con
vened in the commissioners’ meet
ing room of the Forsyth County
Aflijiinistration Building.
\ ■ As many as 300 came out in
force, and most stood and applauded
th agreement with several of the
speakers who are neighbors or
church-goers in the Antioch Road area.
Commission Chairman Bill Jenkins called the session
to order, explaining its purpose was to obtain citizen input
on the proposal from Atlanta Concerts to invest sl4 mil
lion into an amphitheater on land to be leased from the
Meeting draws 350+ from across county
ByLeAnneT.Bell
dorpprate Edrtor
meeting location for the anti-amphitheater is
prophetic, the outcome for the Citizens for a Better
Forsyth group would be considered successful.
' “ Victory Baptist Church, located on Antioch Road,
vyas the host of the Sept. 22 community meeting for indi
viduals against the proposed amphitheater nearby.
* The ground rules were set in the Lord’s house: No
sipoking and absolutely no profanity, despite the very
ferise issue. “The church is obviously in strong opposi
tion," said assistant pastor Joel Bagwell, who prayed, “If
it oe Your will, block this amphitheater.”
. Bill Barrett, who was elected to head the group, intro
duced Bob Taber, who chaired the Forsyth Fact Finders,
ffie’golitical action committee which successfully
opposed the county police issue in the July referendum.
* “We hope to have the same results with the amphithe-
Taber said.
, Barrett commented that the amphitheater effort is
Another example of the “poor and uninformed decisions”
the commissioners have made which are “detrimental to
qur quality of life.”
* Despite the overwhelming opposition expressed at
the Sept 15 public forum, “they are still trying to push it
through,” Barrett said. He introduced Tommy Bagwell,
co-owner of Lanierland Music Park, who said he was
sdfektng to present facts and figures related to the propos-
f”!Sr M *wiii(ESMiAT^lSfin " mw 2 !
JM COOK-CALL NOW! i L.7ii.iiik H
jH (7701-889-7868 0t CUMMING MM @
USDA GRAIN FED I ALWAYS FRESH I USDA GRAIN FED Ej
lla WHOLE LEAN GROUND CHUCK I WHOLE M
M BEEF RIBEYE 10L85.‘10.99 NEW YORK STRIPS M
n CTC I EXTRA LEAN GROUND ROUND I IX kA
IM $3.99 Lb CUT FREE I 10L85.*15.99 | $2.69 Lb. CUT FREE IS
'CT VERY LEAN GROUND SIRLOIN I .. ~ W
>3 12-14 lb - avg- 10LBS. *17.99 I 12 ~ 17 lb - av 9- E
;H FRESH LARGE GRADE A FRESH CENTER CUT H
IB SHRIMP CHICKEN TENDERS PORK CHOPS H
|a $5.99 lb. is-42 ct. I 5 i_bs.sl o.oo I 5 1b5.511.99 B
M BONELESS ENGLISH CUT STEW BEEF OR SKSK I
I CHUCK ROAST CUBED STEAK I
a $1.79 Lb. “I -99 5 Lbs -1 I
H 5405 Bannister Rd. at 369 Hours: Mon-Sat Bam-Bpm H
Sun El
f Expanding
Horizons
for
Care
Dr. Lowell, schooled in Virginia, has also trained in
San Antonio, Texas. He finished an academic vascular
surgery fellowship at Mayo Clinic, Rochester,
Minnesota in 1993. He has recently finished a five year
commitment to the Air Force. Board Certified in
Vascular and General Surgery, Dr. Lowell is a
Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a member
of the American Medical Association and is also a
Registered Vascular Technologist.
APP°’ ntments av ®B®ble immediately 770-536-2323
J THE LONGSTREET CLINIC, P.C.
Department of Surgery
I 715 Jesse Jewell Parkway, Suite 301 • Gainesville, GA 30501
county under a 35-year term.
Jenkins said the county would receive lease payments,
improved land in the amount of $25 million at the end of
the lease and 300 new full-time and part-time jobs in
addition to sales tax revenues.
The financial aspects of the lease were being renegoti
ated after the Sept 2 meeting between the Forsyth County
Development Authority and commissioners. Developer
■ rs
Peter Conlon attended that meeting
and answered questions.
The developer was not at the
Tuesday meeting to respond to ques
tions, which angered some in atten
dance.
“We could have had the developer
here but we are here to seek your
input,” Jenkins said, indicating that he
was unable to answer some of the
questions initially thrown out from the
audience as the floor was opened for
comments.
“Very unplanned and unresponsible” is how one
forum-goer described the commission’s called forum.
Published Sept. 18,1998
“We’re talking mainly about money,” Bagwell said,
explaining that his opposition was not “sour grapes” as at
least one commissioner has pointed to. He said his con
cern was about the county “giving away” its resources.
Bagwell spoke from prepared remarks and he provid
ed copies to the 350-plus who filed into the church past
tables to sign up for committee assignments and a dis
play of Citizens for a Better Forsyth T-shirts which fea
tured the word amphitheater with a red circle with a slash
through it.
Bagwell said if any of his information was incorrect,
he would gladly purchase advertising to set the record
straight.
Saying he wished he had the soundtrack for the song,
Money, because “money, money, money is what this is
about to me,” Bagwell said. He compared the lease pro
posal presented by the commissioners for consideration
by the Forsyth County Development Authority to the
terms of the Lakewood Amphitheater lease and asked the
audience if they would prefer the annual $150,000 in the
county proposal or the $732,350 which would be gener
ated under the terms of the Lakewood lease. Details of
his comparison will appear in the Sunday edition.
According to’ Bagwell, fair lease terms should find
the county receiving 10 percent of the land’s improved
value of at least $500,000 a year.
Published Sept. 18,1998
BEST STORIES OF'9B
Legal action and recall effort could be ahead
ByLeAnneT.Bell
Corporate Editor
A new organization has been
formed to support and promote good
quality of life in Forsyth County.
Citizens for a Better Forsyth is
“not just for the amphitheater, but
it’s the most pressing right now.
The amphitheater is first, before
the recall issue.”
Recall of some members of the
Forsyth County Board of
Commissioners is being actively
discussed after an amphitheater
proposal, which opponents say
has been shrouded in secrecy.
At an organizational meeting
which lasted nearly three hours, it
was said that there may be as
many as six different groups
investigating a possible recall
effort, but those efforts are frag
mented. It was suggested that
Music venue may become part of Central Park plan
By LeAnne T. Bell
Corporate Editor
Plans for Forsyth County’s Central Park may be
altered somewhat if an opportunity to become home to a
musical amphitheater comes to fruition.
The Central Park proposal, announced in July, called
for a new water plant to be constructed on a 190-acre
tract in the southwest comer of the Keith Bridge Road-
Hwy. 306 at Ga. 400. The water plant was to be located
in the center of the property and the remaining land is to
be utilized for recreational purposes.
The site plant originally prepared by the firm of
CH2MHiII appeared in the July 27 Newcomers’ edition
published in the Forsyth County News, and called for
areas to be designated for park and recreation, ballfields
and future park space.
On Friday, a 50-plus page lease agreement was being
finalized for possible consideration by the Forsyth
County Development Authority which could mean the
location of a musical amphitheater like Chastain Park
Amphitheater to the Ga. 400 property which the county
has under contract.
According to Commission Chairman Bill Jenkins, he
Thank You For A Wonderful
and Successful 1998.
We Look Forward to a Great
1999!
WACHOVIA
Personal Banking
Thanks To
1998 was Parsons §0
ar Best Year Ever i|
T in our 73 Year History!
Thank You for making our
Gift & Collectible Store
a Resounding Success
We Look Forward To Seeing
You Often in 1999!
* *
Gifts • Collectibles • Home Decor
770-887-9991
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Thurtctay, January 14,1899 I
those efforts be unified under the
Citizens for a Better Forsyth ban
ner.
Bill Barrett was elected chair
man, and Pat Thomas was elected
secretary. Cindy Mills was elected
as a co-treasurer and offered her
address for individuals to send
donations to the Citizens for a
Better Forsyth effort until a bank
account can be established.
“The bank account has not
been opened because we didn’t
have any money,” Mills said.
“Is there a place to make dona
tions?” one member of the audi
ence said. “I’ll write a check
tonight.”
Contributions to the Citizens
for a Better Forsyth can be sent to
Cindy J. Mills, 5800 Hillside
Drive, Cumming, Ga. 30040.
Committees are also forming.
It was Mills who spoke at the
was originally contacted in mid-1997 by representatives
who were in negotiations for Forsyth County District 2.'
property for an outdoor entertainment venue. While
efforts to secure that parcel fell through for the represen
tatives, the desire to have the venue relocated in the
county remained and the Central Park property emerged,
as a possible site in the last several months.
Regardless of the fate of the amphitheater opportuni
ty, Jenkins said he and the commission remain commit
ted the recreation aspects of the Central Park planl
Additional adjacent property or nearby land could be
secured if needed to meet recreational needs in the cen
tral area of the county, he said.
County attorney Rachel Iverson has been working
on the lease proposal which puts protections into place
so the county and the taxpayers are not at risk for financ
ing the enterprise, said an individual within the music
industry who has been briefed on the lease package.
Commissioner Andy Anderson has been working
with Iverson.
Published Aug. 30,1998
Sept. 15 forum and urged the
commission to remember the
importance of ballfields for chil
dren. On Tuesday, she encouraged
parents to bring their children in
ball uniforms to the
Administration Building on
Monday, Sept. 28, between 4-6
p.m.
“We want to circle the admin
istration building,” Mills said,
reminding that the commission
meets Monday at 5 p.m.
Gary Smith, now chairman of
the Forsyth County Republican
Party, said he was embarrassed by
some of his party’s candidates and
briefly explained that the party is
limited in its ability to reject can
didates because the qualifications
are so limited.
“This is urgent,” Bagwell said.
Published Sept. 25,1998
PAGE 3C