Newspaper Page Text
Forsyth CountvNews
J Your "Hometown Paper" Since 190 GEORGI^NEWSPOPER 1 PROJECT
Vol. 93, No. 010
Board extends moratorium on residential rezonings
By Phillip Hermann
News Editor
Faced with growing criticism from the pub
lic about the potentially devastating impact on
the county’s fragile infrastructure of high-den
sity, large residential developments, the Forsyth
County Board of Commissioners has extended
its temporary ban on processing some residen-
Firm to study
soundness of
parking garage
By Susan Norman
Editor
The Forsyth County government
has contracted with an engineering
firm to evaluate the structural sound
ness of the parking garage that serves
the administration building and judi
cial area in downtown Cumming.
The structure, completed in 1994,
has cracks and crumbling concrete in
some areas and indications of struc
tural problems.
Initially, the county issued a con
tract for what were to be cosmetic
repairs but, after the contractor iden
tified other problems, another opin
ion was sought, said County
Administrator Stevie Mills.
The parking garage remains in
use. though portions have been
blocked off to prevent weight on
areas of concern.
Mills said the usable portions of
the garage are safe.
“The engineer certified to us that
it is fine with those areas blocked
off,” he said.
The original architectural and
engineering firm for the construction
of the garage was John Heard &.
Associates. The engineer providing
the new analysis is Jerry Hopkins of
Construction Consulting Services
Inc. of Alpharetta, who already was
working with the county on another
job, according to Mills.
The structural analysis is expect
ed to cost the county less than
$5,000.
Mills said problems with the
parking garage became noticeable
Scheduled civil rights march expected to be peaceful
By Phillip Hermann and Susan Norman
Staff Writers
Two-hundred civil rights marchers are expected
to participate in a march in Cumming on Saturday
commemorating the 15th anniversary of the his
toric march led by the late Hosea Williams on Jan.
17, 1987, to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr.
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Photos/Jonathan Phillips
U.S. Rep. Bob Barr (R-7th) toured Buford Dam on Jan. 7 with
representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the
Cumming-Forsyth Chamber of Commerce. Rep. John Linder (R
- will tour the lake on Friday.
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Copyright 0 2002 Forsyth County News
■n
Your "Hometown Paper" Since 190
tial rezoning applications.
In mid-2001, the commission imposed a
moratorium on ail rezoning applications whose
site plans called for construction of more than
three residences per acre. The ban affected
applications for all types of residential zoning
classifications, including the highly popular
Planned Unit Development.
On Monday night, Chairman John Kieffer
shortly after the garage was built.
“We had one problem we have
been contending with since right
after it was built the expansion
joint which is typical and more of
a cosmetic issue,” Mills said. “When
you have concrete, it is going to
expand and contract. With the natural
contraction and expansion, it caused
an expansion joint that had not origi
nally been designed in.
“That was addressed but not to
my satisfaction.”
See PARKING, Page 2A
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The original march ignited a long series of
counter-demonstrations by white supremacists, but
city and county officials are hoping that this time
around, the march and rally at the Forsyth County
Courthouse downtown on the square will generate
little controversy.
“We expect it will be a peaceful march.
Nobody expects it to be any other way,” said City
Manager Gerald Blackburn. “They have an oppor-
INDEX
Abby 5B
Business IB
Classifieds .2B
Deaths.2A
Government~,.3A
Horoscope.. 5 B
Opinion7A
Sports ••■■•••••••■■•••••••••••••■••••••a ,4A
THURSDAY January 17,2002
A special page
i of news for
young readers.
Page6B
said the board is currently working with Jeff
Watkins, director of planning and development,
and his staff on revising the county’s Unified
Development Code covering zoning classifica
tions and requirements.
Kieffer noted that until those discussions
have been completed, and the public has had
time to give its input on any possible changes
to the UDC, it would be advisable for the board
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Photos/David
McGregor
The parking
garage,
completed
in 1994,
has cracks
and crum
bling con
crete in
some areas
and indica
tions of
structural
problems.
Linder targets water retention study commission
By Phillip Hermann
News Editor
For most of Forsyth County and the metro area, the
average resident would have a hard time deciding if the
use of an aquifer could provide a valu
able source of drinking water locally
and to the metro area.
And citizens of Savannah might not
have the answer for how the cost of
constructing a desalination plant com
pares with the cost of installing 200
feet of water pipe to access a freshwa
ter source.
Under federal legislation (HR
3561) introduced recently by U.S. Rep.
John Linder, R-llth, those questions
and others would be the focus on a national study com
mission charged with creating a centralized pool of infor
mation on the technology of water retention and uses.
Local goyernments with access to that information
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tunity to present their thoughts and views and
make their presentations and, certainly, freedom
off speech allows that.”
Chester Doles, president of the Lumpkin
County chapter of a white supremacist organiza
tion known as the National Alliance, said Tuesday
that members of his group will be in Cumming on
See MARCH, Page 2A
Linder
Raiders, War Eagles
tear up the mat
in wrestling.
Page 4A
to approve a six-month extension of the mora
torium.
The issue of high density developments has
come to the forefront in the past six months
because rezonings needed for three massive
projects were submitted to the county. All
three, two of which have now been approved,
See ZONING, Page 2A
then would be able to find feasible ways of using the
technology to create other water sources for uses such as
drinking water and downstream navigation.
See UNDER, Page 5A
Partly Cloudy
High in the low 50s.
Low in the low 30s.
— - ~~1 1
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BUSINESS, 1B
ity is popular site for commercial projects
Ex-chair
questions
ruling of
registrar
Jenkins says move
rendered Kieffer
‘ineligible’to serve
By Bill Johnson
Staff Writer
Former Forsyth County Board of
Commissioners chairman Bill
|r
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<1
J
Jenkins
LJh
Kieffer
Jenkins is not sat
isfied with the
result of an inves
tigation conducted
by the Forsyth
County Registra
tions and Elections
office into the resi
dency of current
Chairman John
Kieffer. Jenkins
said Tuesday he
will ask the
Secretary of
State’s office to
investigate further.
In a Jan. 7 let
ter to Chief Voter
Registrar Gary
Smith, Jenkins
alleged that
Kieffer moved his
residence outside
the boundaries of
District 1 where he was elected.
“Pursuant to HB 1320, section C
approved March 24, 1992, a commis
sioner must reside in the Com
missioner District such person repre
sents,” Jenkins’ letter stated. “I
believe the law is clear in this case.
Effective the date Commissioner
Kieffer left District One, he became
ineligible to continue to serve on the
Board.”
Jenkins called on Smith to initiate
a formal investigation and to sched
ule a special election to fill the
remainder of Kieffer’s term if the
facts warrant it. Kieffer is serving the
See KIEFFER, Page 5A
LAKE LANIER LEVELS
Date Level
Jan. 12 1058.91 ft
Jan. 13 1058.90 ft
Jan. 14 1058.90 ft
Jan 15 1058.88 ft
Rill - 1071.00*