Newspaper Page Text
growth driving
jiorth on Ga. 400
8s
By Jim Riley
Writer
’’The new hotspot for growth in the
'Ga. 400 Corridor is the area sur
rounding the North Georgia
outlet mall in Dawson
County.
the zoning moratorium in
Some of the
developers
mention that the
zoning moratorium
is why they are
coming here.
effect in Forsyth
County due to the
that growth
Ijai outpaced the
fcolinty’s infra
strtictune, Dawson
still has relatively
light traffic. Also,
there is ample
Sewer capacity
along 400 for
businesses to expand.
'• There is some evidence that
developers are considering Dawson
first instead of Forsyth due to the
moratorium. “Some of the develop
drt mention that the zoning morato
rium is why they are coming here,”
said Dawson Chamber President
I pWJBHn I
■bz ■
I Met Mt. 31
Offering Variety of Internet Services Including:
• How to do business on the Internet
I • Build an electronic storefront
'*fl| • Website advertising
• Turn-key startup for your business
I • Establish internet presence
• Digital Marketing
Your Key To Making Money on the Internet
(770) 664-4787
; Monday-Friday Bam-6pm J
SHRHnBiL . niß
JM llli« I
' ■ <*“? • II
9 m
M . ■ MBBEMWg* ':*• At:.' ■" ■■' : ■,< I
9 ■ '
I- • ' ■ * C A*' ■ J
n .
•A'
i’l ‘ k> T A* »V" '■
'9 ; \' ;; - 9MijSE»I
•S~"
•
ce markets. ?
I netals ■
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY
Kathy Edwards.
According to Dawson County
Planning Director Paul Mayville,
zoning activity is picking up, with
i several large tracts along 400
i recently being rezoned for retail
space.
i Also, there are several residential
developments
going in the
400 area, and
Dawson has
not experi
enced the
amount of
growth Forsyth
. has.
And with the
amount of pub-
lie land, as well as the extreme
topography of parts of the county,
Dawson is unlikely to look like
Forsyth anytime soon.
But with Ga. 400 feeding the
growth, the only constant in the
highway corridor now is the cer
tainty of change.
Real estate business booming in Forsyth
By Therese Allen
Staff Writer
Ronnie Waller, the 1998
President of the Forsyth Area
Board of Realtors, recently dis
cussed the real estate industry in
Forsyth County. “We haven’t
even begun to tip the iceberg of
the real estate market in this
county,” said Waller. A long-time
agent, Waller now works at
Northside Realty in Cumming.
“Development follows demand,
and more and more, people want
to live in Forsyth County,” Waller
said.
Waller said he felt that the
growth in Forsyth County would
not stop, even with the 16-month
moratorium placed on all county
rezonings by the county commis
sion last November.
Commissioner said the morato
rium was to provide an opportu
nity for county infrastructure
such as roads, bridges and water
treatment to catch up with the
tremendous growth. Those who
already had made a significant
financial investment in a project
MRfil —OFFICE FURNITURE
For Offices Large & Small
1 Office In Your Home?
teSßv ®@©C Pete®© Odd £\QoacoQ®
LSrJßbgSj New • Used • Buy • Sell
New & Used Desks • Chairs • File Cabinets
Office Partitions • Computer Workstations • Bookcases
ESStSHtFIj ROSWELL CUMMING
HHSSinH 9-5 M-F, 10-2 Sat 8-5 M-F, 9-1 Sat
11055 Alpharetta Hwy 1315 Pilgrim Mill Road
(Across from Appleßee’s) (400 Exit 16, W 1/2 mile in Springfield’s)
a 770-998-4899 770-781-5023
pWjjgll ■b**aß3B| IJMUhU
Quality Homes Built on Your Lot
NO DOWN PAYMENT
For Qualified Land Owners
Building Quality Homes Throughout
the Southeast for over 25 years.
1 OOO's of
BJBMB ■ Contemporary pa ■TSpa
■■C ■ ■ Traditional rWhMMMl i 1
Ranch |J 14
Two Story Ll
Customers BWPw
Fireplaces HMMbSHB 9"1
j 3| " W
” ?v ' /n c J 34
EDCC Jennifer Prall
■ Building Consultant
Copy of our Full-Color 4250 Buford Drive
Floor Plan Book Buford, GA
CALL TODAY! (770) 945-1353
may be able to proceed despite
the moratorium by filing an
appeal. County commissioners
will review these appeals on a
case-by-case basis.
“People have been upset about
this moratorium, some are for it,
some against. I personally would
like to see the commissioners
rethink their decision about com
mercial developments and lift the
moratorium,” Waller said.
Waller spoke about how, in
other counties, commissioners
have required developers to put in
sewer and water lines. The devel
opers then charge the builder a
“tap-on” fee to recoup their
investment.
Waller supports the idea of
charging such fees of developers,
and notes that small builders and
developers without a lot of finan
cial backing cannot afford to
build or develop in Forsyth
County.
“I’ve gotten to the point where
no price I hear surprises me,”
Waller said.
He said that currently, he and
some colleagues where investi-
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Suixtay, March 28,1999 I
gating a rumor that a 50-acre tract
of land off of Pilgrim Mill Road
recently sold for $5 million.
Waller also said lots on Lanier
have sold for more than
$600,000.
“When Gainesville Country
Club on the lake opened in the
’6os. lots sold for $5,000,” he
said.
“Ten years ago Forsyth County
had good growth, then property in
the south end of the county was
selling for $3,000 an acre. Now it
sells for $30,000 ... the future is
tremendous, we just have to figure
out away to handle the growth,”
Waller said. Waller said his best
guess was that the Forsyth Area
Board of Realtors now has more
than 350 agents.
“When times are good everyone
tries to get into the real estate
business,” said Waller. He said
that most Forsyth real estate agen
cies are corporate offices like
Northside, ERA and RE/MAX,
but there are still a few small
locally owned agencies. Waller
said when you are the fastest
growing county in the United
States, businesses have a vested
interest in establishing an office in
the community.
“Development follows demand.
No one in their right mind is
going to open a business where
there are no people. If you went
up north to Lumpkin County and
opened a ‘North Point Mall,’ it’d
go broke, there aren’t enough
pie.”
Waller said he felt that Baptist
Medical Center • Cumming was
the biggest plus to Forsyth County
since Lake Lanier and Ga. 400.
“It adds another dimension to
Cumming, I’m sure the Chamber
of Commerce will use it as one of
their draw cards for industry,” he
said.
Waller said that the Forsyth
County real estate agents will
incorporate the new facility into
the promotion of residential and
commercial properties.
The new president of the Forsyth
Area Board of Realtors is Johnny
Elliott. A new president is elected
every year. The Forsyth Area
Board of Realtors serves Forsyth,
Dawson and Lumpkin counties.
PAGE 17I