Newspaper Page Text
DEVELOPMENT from 21
.iTThe Outer Perimeter Highway
may be the impetus for greater resi
dential, commercial and industrial
grqwth. However, the road could be
A constraint to development due to
many factors including limited
Northern Arc Major Investment Study
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Georgia’s high-tech work force
is being driven by newcomers
By Walter C. Jones
Morris News Service
ATLANTA - Newcomers are
keeping Georgia’s high-tech
wprk force the fastest growing in
the nation because the state’s
schools produce graduates at
i only the 19th fastest pace,
according to an analysis released
this week by the American
1 Electronics Association.
A 54 percent increase in the
1 number of technology-related
Jobs between 1990-97 helped
i push Georgia past Washington
' state to become home to the 10th
i largest electronics payroll of any
■ stafS in the country.
; According to U.S. Labor
JGJpgartment figures analyzed by
the association, Georgia added
46,000 jobs in the high-tech field
JiM&m 1997, the most recent year
-data is available.
j But Georgia’s colleges produce
ionly about 4,500 high-tech
mostly in engineering.
| We need 19,000
• new technology
professionals
each year just to
standstill.
99
4
z?We need 19,000 new technolo
gy npfessionals each year just to
stMd still,” said Sam Williams,
president of the Metro Atlanta
Cnkmber of Commerce.
“Grewing talent and recruiting
talent s key to our success.”
And those jobs pay an average
of $52,300 yearly, according to
Association President William
Archey, who presented the
analysis at a meeting of the
Georgia Economic Developers
Association.
High-tech wages grew 20 per
cent between 1990 and 1997, or
twice the rate for other private-
Ctor workers. He predicted
►9B’s data will show Georgia
r v.gh-tech workers earning nearly
190 percent more than other work
ers#’
As attractive as Georgia’s high
tech wages may seem to most
workers, they are slightly below
the national wage for the industry
and far below other states like
California, New Jersey and
Massachusetts.
- “We are all aware that Georgia
has made great strides economi
cally in the last decade, however
th&ny Georgians do not fully
Understand Georgia’s role in tech
nology growth,” said Cullen
Larson, executive director of the
developer’s trade group.
; One Georgian who understands
jg Gov. Roy Barnes. He recently
announced a high-tech industrial
development project called the
Yamacraw Mission after the
flame of the bluff where Gen.
James Oglethorpe founded the
cofony of Georgia in 1733.
<"The key to the Yamacraw
Mission is focus,” said
Randy Cardoza, commission
er ,of Industry, Trade and
Tbflrism.
Pyirst, it will provide a focus
the builds on the academic and
■Cfigporate assets that will push '
GkirgH ahead in the (area of
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY
planned crossings, noise, and traffic
congestion. The highway will cre
ate an impassable barrier between
the northern and southern portions
of the county. Access will be limit
ed to a handful of road overpasses
and underpasses.
| The limited
access across the
Outer Perimeter
may lead to
increased traffic
congestion along
the handful of
crossing surface
streets. The high
way will also lead
to an increase in
vehicular related
noise and air
quality problems,”
said the county
plan.
high-bandwidth communications,
which is emerging as the founda
tion of the next century’s econo
my,” Cardoza said. “Second, it
gives us a focus not just on build
ing those systems, but on design-
Normans
landing
Awarded Cumming/Forsyth Chamber of Commerce
® il
■ ’ For the pasl 4 years ’ orman s Landing has been a proud part of Forsyth County.
■ We both feel our top priority is offering our guests the finest dining experience
possible, in a comfortable, friendly atmosphere.
A l ’, Ml We have a strong sense of commitment to our community and our customers.
Il Because of our success, we’ve been compelled to give back to this growing
-;; community in which we work and live.
We proudly accept this award and pledge to continue our support of the County
L" ' - ~ and local Chamber of Commerce through our Ping Pong & Golf tournaments.
|f J and participation in the many local fundraising events.
GnafMGnaßople
BILL NORMAN & E WAYNE HIBBS LetUsSpoHYou
• HMMteut Steaks • Bast Rte In Item • Chktan • Lobster • RM Lobster
Peachtree Pkwy. • Exit 13 & GA 400 iMt ill 3 I? iWf
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” - - - - I
Legal roadblocks
Plans for three local road pro
jects could come to a screeching
halt following a Tuesday ruling by
the U.S. Court of Appeals.
The decision struck down regu
lations that allow the federal gov
ernment to fund road projects in
areas which do not comply with the
Federal Clean Air Act.
Locally, the ruling could affect
the widening of Hwy. 141 and
Hwy. 20 from Samples Road to Ga.
400, in addition to improving the
intersection at Hwy. 20 and Ga.
400.
Local and state leaders said
Thursday they still were trying to
interpret the ruling and its potential
impact.
“I’m not sure how it will affect
us from a legal standpoint, [but] I
hope that there will still be some
state support,” said Commission
ing them.”
Yamacraw calls for extra engi
neering-school funding to boost
the number of graduates as well
as increasing research in high
bandwidth communication.
Chairman Bill Jenkins. “If we can’t
provide the roads for the public to
travel on, I don’t see how we will
lift the moratorium next year.”
Commissioners imposed a 16-
month moratorium last November
on all new rezonings. The morato
rium was designed to give the
county’s infrastructure adequate
time to “catch up” with explosive
growth.
The decision affects 61 projects
in metro Atlanta that were “grand
fathered” before the region, includ
ing Forsyth County, fell out of
compliance last year with the Clean
Air Act. More than S7OO million in
state and federal monies had been
earmarked for the projects.
All federal road-building funds 1
currently are being withheld from
the area until it implements a i
regional plan that complies with air
pollution standards. However, the
ruling states that projects approved
before the plan lapsed also could be
in jeopardy if they do not improve I
air quality.
The judges decided even if a <
“major step” has been taken toward
completing a project, that does not
necessarily mean it complies with
federal law and should proceed.
Forsyth County has not yet begun
any construction work on its three
“grandfathered” projects. I
The Environmental Defense i
Fund, a non-profit organization i
headquartered in New York City, i
had filed the lawsuit against the
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS - Sunday, March 2S, 1999 -
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency regarding the regulations.
A three-judge panel from the Court
of Appeals in Washington, D.C.,
issued its ruling after hearing argu
ments from both sides last
September. The EPA had 45 days
to appeal the court’s decision.
Some Georgia environmental
groups are hoping the ruling will
bolster their lawsuit.
The Georgia Conservancy,
Sierra Club and Georgians for
Transportation Alternatives sued
state and federal transportation
agencies last year, specifically
seeking to block the 61 grandfa
thered projects in metro Adanta.
Eric Meyer of The Georgia
Conservancy said he hopes the
local courts take the D.C ruling into
consideration.
“The issue is not whether these
particular roads should go forward
or not,” Meyer said. “Eventually
most of them probably will get
built, but this region has focused on
road building to the detriment of air
quality for too long.”
- Reprinted in part from the
March 7; 1999 edition
‘Emergency’ response for
traffic congestion at Ga. 400
With construction scheduled to
begin next month, Forsyth County
drivers will begin to receive much
needed relief at the congested inter
section of Hwy. 20 and Ga. 400.
At its March 8 meeting, the
Forsyth County Commission
announced that the Georgia
Department of Transportation
(DOT) had approved an emergency
response to the traffic conditions at
Ga. 400 and Hwy. 20.'
The state-funded project will do
a number of things such as:
• Add dual turn lanes on the
ramp from Ga. 400 north to Hwy.
20 east, and from 400 south to
Hwy. 20 east
• Add more left turn area for 400
north and southbound on Hwy. 20
• Extend the left turn lane into
Marketplace Parkway off Hwy. 20
• Add another lane in front of
Baptist Medical Center Boulevard,
eliminating the current merge
• Add another lane west bound
from Sanders Road to Ga. 400
• Restripe the 400 bridge to add a
third lane.
- Reprinted in part from the
March 10,1999 edition
Cumming bypass proposed
A bypass around Cumming is
one of the recommendations in the
county’s comprehensive plan.
“Heavy trucks that service the
industries in adjacent counties cur
rently follow varied and random
routes through Forsyth County, but
usually are forced to go through the
center of Cumming. Due to con
cerns for safety and the desire for
buffers from noise, a truck route is
recommended to restrict access
around Cumming.”
PAGE 13I