Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2C
: FORSYTH COUNTY news Friday, January 23,2004
Forsyth’s growth
rate still meteoric
April 17,2003
By Phillip Hermann
Business Editor
Forsyth County continues
to be the state’s hottest spot in
terms of population growth.
According to a spokesman
with the U.S. Census Bureau,
the county’s population grew
an estimated 7.1 percent from
July 2001 to July 2002. That
tied it with Henry County for
the fastest growing in the state
and also the third fastest
growing county in the nation.
The bureau estimates that
7,741 people moved into
Forsyth County between July
2001 and July 2002, bringing
the estimated population to
116,924.
Forsyth County Com
mission Chairman Jack
Conway said the news is not a
surprise.
“It provides confirmation
to something that all of us
who live here already know,”
he said. "After having sat in a
meeting where more than
4,000 new residences were
approved, it’s not surprising at
all. I think people tend to be
attracted to upscale communi
ties and this is obviously a
very desirable place to live.
It's beautiful and, as the metro
area increases, it continues to
build out. The northern corri
dor [Ga. 400] has really taken
off and I think we’re going to
see it continue.”
Cumming-Forsyth County
Chamber of Commerce
President/CEO Joni Owens
said the continued impressive
growth rate is testimony to the
county’s staying power as a
magnet to not only new resi
dents, but new businesses as
well.
“It’s an affirmation that
individuals and businesses are
well aware of this county’s
appeal and the fact it’s a great
ALCOHOL from 1C
could begin Sunday sales.
Cumming Mayor H. Ford
Gravitt, who prior to the refer
endum said it was a question
for residents to decide, said
Tuesday’s vote should help the
city attract more quality
restaurants in the future.
“If the county has it, then
the city shouldn't be an
island." Gravitt noted. “It’s my
feeling that we have not been
able to attract a Red Lobster to
Cumming because of this
issue. We hope this will open
the door for other opportuni
ties as well.”
Gravitt said the change in
the city's liquor ordinance
NEW YORK from 1C
chairman, I can say with con
fidence that you chose the best
location,” he told Dagys.
The state also played a role
in helping Forsyth County
land the company.
Cornell asked. “Isn’t this
just a great day for Forsyth
County?”
He noted that the county’s
quality workforce and quality
of life were critical factors in
attracting the firm along with
the ability of the public and
private sectors to work togeth
er to make such a project
become reality.
“We think New York Life
has picked the perfect place,”
Cornell added.
Representing Perdue,
Burris said the governor
already knows that Forsyth
County is full of people with
intelligence and good taste,
because they voted over
whelmingly for him in last
year’s election to unseat Roy
Barnes. She pledged the gov
ernor’s support of New York
Life now and in the future.
Perry said the company’s
tangible benefits to the county
will be multiple.
“This is one of the most
important and significant days
in our county’s history. This is
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Photo/File
New homes are constantly needed in Forsyth because
of the rapid rate of growth; an estimated 7,741
residents moved here in the 12-month period ending
July 2002.
place to live, do business and
raise a family,” Owens noted.
“And these new residents are
bringing valuable skills and
this will help us continue to
attract new companies looking
for an outstanding employee
base and people with unique
talents.”
Both Conway and Owens
said the continued influx of
people makes it essential that
the county work hard to
attract new commercial and
industrial growth to diversify
the tax base, and create new
jobs closer to home which, in
turn, will help ease traffic
congestion.
“We have to work to stay
ahead of the curve in terms of
our infrastructure to ensure
that new companies and busi
nesses will want to come to
Forsyth County.” Owens said.
“That will mean more tax rev
enue and employment oppor
tunities for residents who
might be tired of lengthy
commutes. By working to cre
ate communities that are more
self contained, we can create
situations where people don’t
have to get out on the high
ways to go to work or to
shop.”
Conway said the board of
commissioners is taking
proactive steps to improve the
would be effective immediate
ly-
The breakdown in votes by
city precincts showed: absen
tee ballots (yes-no) 9-1;
Mountainside, 13-6; Cumming
101-57; Otwell, 84-50; and
Lakeland, 0-2. It should be
noted the Lakeland vote total
was low because there are few
residents who live in the city
portion of the voting precinct.
It was the only area where the
measure failed to gain support.
In the November 2002
election, only voters in the
county’s Coal Mountain
Precinct failed to support the
proposal, voting no by a 380-
a Fortune 100 company that is
going to invest $l4O million in
our county over time and
bring 142 jobs with 100
coming in the first year,” he
said, adding the jobs created
couldn't come at a better time
given the layoffs and changes
in the technology industry
over the past 18 months.
Knox noted the hard work
by the chamber and other
community leaders was
rewarded by the company’s
commitment.
“They could have gone
anywhere, but they chose
Forsyth County as a perfect
fit,” he added.
New York Life has picked
26-year corporate executive
Gary Davis to serve as the
facilities manager for the data
center.
Davis said after the
announcement that he looks
forward to relocating to
Forsyth County and bringing
the project to fruition.
“There are going to be
challenges as there are with
any project but I’ve been
extremely impressed by the
labor force and the facility
we’re going to have,” Davis
said.
He added that he’s also
infrastructure to accommodate
growth.
He noted that voters
recently approved extending
the Special Purpose Local
Option Sales Tax for five
more years to provide funding
for road improvements, new
fire stations and firefighting
equipment and for a number
of other areas.
“We need these things to
help us maintain the ratio of
population to infrastructure
that we must maintain. We’re
also redoing the Unified
Development Code and doing
subarea planning which
should help us decide how
this county should grow in
years to come,” Conway said.
He noted the fact Forsyth
County continues to be a
national leader in growth is
not lost on companies seeking
to relocate from other areas.
“We’ve been feeding on
the residential here for our
tax base, but we’ve got to
diversify our tax base. It’s
going to help that those mov
ing here are well educated
and have a lot of skills that
are desirable to employers.
That will attract industrial
and commercial companies
that might be seeing Forsyth
County in a different light,”
he said.
357 margin.
Local restaurant owners
worked to win approval of
Sunday alcohol prior to last
year’s vote and again in the
city before Tuesday’s referen
dum. They noted Sunday sales
will help increase revenue and
profits, which could create
more jobs and benefit the city
and county’s Special Purpose
Local Option Sales Tax rev
enues.
The owners also have
pledged to step up educational
campaigns to publicize the
need for taking a sensible
approach to consuming alco
hol and driving.
been impressed by Lanier
Technical College “a beau
tiful facility” and the spirit
of cooperation exhibited by
college officials to offer their
assistance in any type of train
ing program needed by the
company for its employees.
Lanier Tech President
Mike Moye attended the
announcement, and said after
ward he’s looking forward to
working with Davis and the
company to fulfill whatever
training needs they have.
Davis said New York Life
also plans to be a good corpo
rate neighbor, with extensive
recycling and energy conser
vation programs planned for
the facility.
“We’ve always been on the
cutting edge of those types of
programs because they pro
mote efficiency and conserva
tion,” he said.
When asked about the need
for having a secure site for a
data center containing infor
mation on thousands of cus
tomers, Davis said the new
facility “is insurance” against
potential problems at its main
facility in New York City in
the future.
“Insurance is kind of our
specialty,” he concluded.
ARSON from 1C
were true.
“It didn’t take long for the
fire to get started,” Jim Cook
said. “The building was fully
enveloped by the time they
got the water to it.”
While declining to got
into specifics, Cook said he
saw activity immediately
before the fire began that
made him think the blaze was
no accident.
“The way the fire started
was very suspicious,” he said
before leaving to speak with
police officers.
Another witness, Karin E.
McKee, had been working at
the Mashburn’s Orchard
Cider Hut concession stand
about 30 yards across the
walkway from the cotton gin
building when the fire start
ed.
She said she saw smoke
coming from the back of the
building and went over to
find out what was happening.
She walked a few feet inside
and saw a small flame in the
back left corner of the build
ing.
McKee said she immedi
ately went back to her con
cession stand but by the time
she got across the walkway,
the flames were already com
ing through the roof of the
cotton gin building.
“It was pretty devastat
ing,” she said.
A worker at another con
cession stand, Lew F.
Sterling, said he was inside
SPLOST fromlC
decided the outcome of the
election. But Election
Superintendent Gary J. Smith
said it was more than the 8
percent turnout he expected.
“What we were concerned
about was. with the rain, peo
ple wouldn’t come out,”
Smith said. “It was a good
election.”
The three precincts with
the largest total numbers of
voters who came to polls were
Midway with 483, Mashburn
with 436 and Cumming with
428.
Jack Conway, chairman of
the Forsyth County Board of
Commissioners, praised coun-
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preparing food for the
Forsyth County Lions Club
booth when he saw black
smoke billowing from the
cotton gin building and arch
ing over Castleberry Road.
The flames emerged soon
afterward, he said.
He stood outside the
Lions Club concession stand
as firefighters battled the
blaze Thursday.
“Once the firemen got
here, they got it under control
pretty quickly,” he said.
The fire never closed the
fair Thursday but organizers
ordered the rides to stop
operating for about an hour
while firefighters worked to
put out the flames.
The heat from the fire
could be felt from more than
200 feet away. As the blaze
churned its way through the
building, pieces of the roof
and walls folded over them
selves and let out continual
“pop” sounds as they burned.
“There were heavy fire
conditions when the fire
department arrived,” said Fire
Chief Danny D. Bowman.
“We took a moment or two to
set our lines and then applied
aggressive fire fighting tech
niques.”
Those techniques included
at least two firefighters
climbing ladders several hun
dred feet into the air and
squirting water down onto
the blaze.
Sitting by the fair’s repli-
ty residents after the election.
“It is gratifying to see that
we have such an informed and
intelligent electorate that
understands that this con
sumption tax is a fair tax,” he
said.
“And the continuation of
this tax will enable us to do
things that this county hasn’t
seen before. We’ve never had
this kind of money to spend
before.”
The SPLOST is expected
to generate $l6O million over
five years. The majority of the
money has been allotted to
road projects ss million to
intersection improvements,
ca sawmill across from the
cotton gin building, Bud
Thomas watched as the fire
fighters doused the flames.
Thomas helped set up the
cotton gin in 1995 when it
was donated to the city by a
Gainesville couple, A.D.
Bagwell Sr. and Myrtle
Brown Bagwell. Thomas has
been operating the cotton gin
machine for the Cumming
fair ever since.
He said the gin normally
generated 30 bales of cotton
each year during the fair. As
the fire died down and the
damage could be seen,
Thomas said that almost
everything inside the build
ing including the cotton
gin was ruined. The only
item that survived was the
1915 Fairbanks Morse two
cylinder diesel engine which
provided power for the cot
ton gin.
Cumming Mayor H. Ford
Gravitt surveyed the damage
on Thursday evening and
said the city plans to clean
up the site and resume the
fair schedule as planned.
In addition, the mayor
pledged to restore the cotton
gin building and put in
another cotton gin for next
year.
“We didn’t mean to start
the fair with such a bang but
it will go on,” he said.
Staff Writer Todd True
love contributed to this arti
cle.
$82.1 million to road-widen
ing projects and S2O million
to other improvements that
include upgrading gravel
roads, bike/pedestrian projects
and resurfacing.
Other funding includes
$21.4 million for Parks and
Recreation projects, $4.8 mil
lion for the new library and
$18.6 million for public safe
ty, including upgrading the
911 system and four new fire
stations.
The SPLOST extension
will expire after $l6O million
is collected or at the end of
five years, whichever comes
first.