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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2009
Olympic hopeful can’t practice on Bear Creek
HOSCHTON TEEN
Cannie Ash, Hoschton, takes second place in the 1000-meters during recent trials.
The 18-year-old hopes to make the US Olympic Flatwater Sprint Kayaking team for
the 2016 Olympics.
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
CANNIE ASH’S dream to
join an Olympic kayak team in
2016 has taken her to plenty of
lakes and reservoirs.
But one body of water upon
which the 18-year-old Hoschton
resident can't place her kayak in
is the Bear Creek Reservoir —
located in Jackson County, near
Bogart.
“What we’ve been told is
that you’re not allowed to put
your kayak in that water,” said
Cannie’s mother, Elizabeth Ash.
Instead, the homeschooled
student — who is ranked third
in the nation in her age catego
ry — practices at Lake Lanier.
That’s where she puts her kayak
in the water three times a day
in the grueling training regime
that could make her an Olympic
athlete.
“She’s seriously training,”
Elizabeth Ash said on Thursday.
And if the rules would allow,
Cannie would practice some on
the nearby Bear Creek Reservoir,
according to her mother.
“That’s a shame,” she said.
“You’ve got a local kid that’s
actually trying out for the
Olympics — and her parents
help pay the taxes to help build
this lake — but you can’t get
on it.”
The Upper Oconee Basin
Water Authority owns and oper
ates the 505-acre Bear Creek
Reservoir — which includes a
reservoir for drinking water in
Jackson, Barrow, Oconee and
Athens-Clarke counties, and a
water treatment plant for three of
the counties, excluding Athens-
Clarke.
The facility opened in 2002
— but out of concern of the
drinking water supply, the four-
county authority hasn’t officially
allowed any watercraft, includ
ing boats, on the reservoir.
That could change under a
host of rules now under consid
eration for the authority.
The authority is expected to
discuss the proposed rules for
fishing and boat access during its
meeting on Wednesday, July 22,
at 9:30 a.m. in Athens.
Several area neighbors
along the shores of the Bear
Creek Reservoir recently told
the Jackson County Board of
Commissioners their concerns
about the proposed rules limiting
their access to the lake.
The BOC postponed adoption
of the proposed rules until the
authority could address concerns
about the regulations.
Hunter Bicknell, chairman of
the Jackson County Board of
Commissioners, serves on the
four-county authority.
And while it will take approv
al from the authority, he believes
kayaks will be allowed on the
Bear Creek Reservoir with the
rule changes. Several other
authority members have the
same notion, he said.
“There is a lot of discussion
now, among different parties
of the Upper Oconee Water
Authority Basin to really see
what we can do to have as broad
of a usage of the facility as is
possible, given the fact that its
primary purpose is for drinking
water,” Bicknell said.
Authority members also want
to ensure that the reservoir is safe
for non-motorized watercrafts,
which could include limiting
public access near a dam and a
water intake location, he said.
The authority will have plenty
to talk about during its meet
ing on July 22, according to
Bicknell.
“At that meeting, the rules and
regulations for the recreation
facility, the boat ramp, as well as
what will be enforced on the lake
will be addressed at that time,”
he said.
Despite the authority cur
rently not allowing boats or
other watercraft on the reservoir,
those living around Bear Creek
have been putting their boats
on the water. Once the rules
are approved, enforcement of
the new regulations will begin,
Bicknell said.
Meanwhile, Cannie Ash con
tinues to take her kayak to other
lakes.
She is now training at a camp
in Lake Placid, N.Y., until July
12. Ash’s results from the USA
Canoe/Kayak World Trails in
Chula Vista, California qualified
her for the New York camp.
And if she does well at the
camp, Cannie could be headed
to Moscow, Russia, to represent
the United States in the 2009
World Championship on July
31-Aug. 2. She’ll learn if she’s
going to Moscow on July 10.
But with seven years until the
2016 Olympics — and the pos
sibility of earning a spot on the
USA Flatwater Sprint Olympic
Team — her mother hopes she
could spend some practice time
on the Bear Creek Reservoir.
Elizabeth Ash said while her
family hasn’t directly contacted
the authority about the rules, her
friends called officials and they
were told the reservoir was only
open to fishermen.
For more information, visit
www.sponsorcannieash.com.
Planners OK mixed-use project for Hwy. 53 in Braselton
Proposed development calls for restaurants, hotels
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
EVEN BEFORE dirt starts
moving on a proposed com
mercial site in Braselton, the
project’s developers are looking
for potential tenants.
John C. Buchanan and
John Doug Buchanan, both of
Hoschton, plan to develop 30.01
acres on Ga. Hwy. 53 for a proj
ect that will include fast food
restaurants, family dining, retail
space, offices and hotels.
“We want an upscale develop
ment there,” John C. Buchanan
said.
The Braselton Planning
Commission on Monday rec
ommended approval of the
request to rezone the proper
ty from industrial in Jackson
County to general commercial
in Braselton. The applicant is
also seeking annexation into the
town.
The Braselton Town Council
will hold a public hearing on the
planning commission’s recom
mendation on Thursday, July 9,
at 4 p.m. The council is expect
ed to vote on the proposal on
Monday, July 13, at 7 p.m.
The property is currently
zoned for industrial use, but is
vacant. The father and son own
the land.
John C. Buchanan explained
that the site — located between
Cycle Nation and RPM Truck
and Trailer Sales — is ideal for
hotels, family-style diners and
fast food restaurants.
“We felt it would be a much
better commercial tract than
industrial tract,” he said.
Buchanan said the site is being
marketed for potential tenants
and some have shown an inter
est in the development.
But developers won’t start
construction until at least one
of those tenants commits to the
project, he said.
“We’re excited about doing
this project, even with the econ
omy the way it is,” Buchanan
said.
The proposed development is
located along Ga. Hwy. 53 —
which the Georgia Department
of Transportation’s long-term
plan calls for the state highway
to be widened.
The developers have been
working with the DOT for the
past four months to get approv
al on entrances to the project,
Buchanan said.
“They are very happy with
the design the way it is for use
now and for use in the future,”
Buchanan said.
In Memory of
LLOYD HOLLOWAY, SR.
Passed away 23 years ago.
We will remember you for each and every day. Time
and space and years will pass, yet your memory will
always stay deeply bound within our hearts. Happy
Birthday in Heaven.
We love you!
Your wife and Family
Come Help “PRUITT” Celebrate his
80th Birthday!
Please join us at Luther & Hilda’s home:
Saturday, July 11
between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
to say hello.
Cards are greatly appreciated, but NO GIFTS please!
But one nearby homeowner
said she’d prefer that Braselton
officials consider the needs of
existing residents before approv
ing the project and similar ones.
Linda Martin — who moved
from Gwinnett County to
The Vineyard subdivision in
Braselton nine years ago — said
she wanted town officials to bet
ter plan new developments.
She also encouraged town
officials to seek “something dif
ferent” and more unique for the
property — such as a bed and
breakfast, instead of a hotel.
Buchanan said the develop
ers believed that the mixed-use
project will be the “highest and
best use” for the property.
“Conveniences follow the
rooftops,” he said. “People don’t
want to have to go to Hamilton
Mill for a drug store or (to) go
have a nice meal.”
In recommending approval
for the request, the planning
commission said the project
should be included in the town’s
Ga. Hwy. 53 overlay district —
which has stricter regulations
for new developments.
The planning commission
also said that all parking space
Hearing and vote
The Braselton Town Council
will hold a public hearing
on the planning commis
sion’s recommendation on
Thursday, July 9, at 4 p.m.
The council is expected to
vote on the proposal on
Monday, July 13, at 7 p.m.
and buildings in the develop
ment should be 60 feet from
the existing right-of-way on the
state highway, to provide room
when Ga. Hwy. 53 is widened.
Plans for the property call for
two fast food restaurants, a diner
restaurant, a family-style restau
rant and two hotels. The concept
plans also show 12,450 square
feet of office space among sev
eral buildings and 26,750 square
feet of retail space.
Overall, the project will total
150,000 square feet, according
to plans.
The first phase of the mixed-
use development is expected to
be completed by January 2010.
The complete project will be
built by 2020 with an estimated
value of $30 million, accord
ing to documents submitted to
Braselton.
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Highway 106 to Jot-em Down Rd. to Young Harris Road to Serenity Lane
Nicholson fastest growing
town in Jackson County
Local Municipal Growth Rates
By Mark Beardsley
ESTIMATES FROM the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that the
population of Nicholson grew by 8.87 percent from July 1, 2007, to
July 1,2008.
If true, that makes Nicholson easily the fastest-growing community
in Jackson County, outpacing Pendergrass, which ranked second at
7.53 percent. Commerce brought up the rear at 2.01 percent growth
during the period.
Nicholson Mayor Ronnie Maxwell expressed doubts about the
growth rate.
“We had a
couple of houses
built and annexed
a couple of spots,
but I don’t know
where the (addi
tional) people came
from,” he said.
“I’ve been thinking
about that a lot. We
made some adjust
ments on our tax
map that brought
some people in
who hadn’t been
counted before.
I think bringing
some people in - correcting the tax maps was probably the reason.”
The Census Bureau released the estimates, based on the number
of building permits and mobile home permits issued during the
12-month period late last week.
The estimates indicate that Jefferson remains the county’s largest
city, with a population of 7,911, up 6.74 percent during the 12-month
period. Commerce remains second at 6,394.
The annual estimates take the number of housing units from the
2000 Census and compensate for new houses by multiplying their
number by the average number of residents per household from the
2000 Census, while removing housing units that are destroyed or
removed. It takes a similar approach with mobile homes, based on
data about the number of mobile homes shipped into any jurisdic
tion.
The methodology assumes that housing units are occupied within
six months of the building permits being issued. It apparently does
not take into consideration vacant houses that have either never been
sold or occupied or from which owners have been forced out due to
foreclosure and who may have relocated from one political subdivi
sion to another.
Municioalitv
Julv 08
Julv 07
Chanae
Arcade
1,951
1,919
1.66
Braselton
5,565
5,242
6.16
Commerce
6,394
6,268
2.01
Danielsville
453
451
0.44
Homer
1,092
1,075
1.58
Hoschton
1,612
1,552
3.86
Hull
161
161
0.00
lla
302
298
0.30
Jefferson
7,911
7,441
6.74
Maysville
1,663
1,620
2.65
Nicholson
2,060
1,892
8.87
Pendergrass
642
597
7.53
Talmo
605
590
2.54
O’Clare hired in Nicholson
Named as public library manager
BY SHARON HOGAN
THE NICHOLSON City
Council hired a new library
manager Monday night after dis
cussing the applicants in closed
session.
Kelli O’Clare, Jefferson,
was named library manager of
the Harold S. Swindle Public
Library. O’Clare was chosen
from the 140 applicants for the
position.
The council met in closed ses
sion for approximately one hour
to go over the applications before
making the announcement that
O’Clare had been chosen.
O’Clare’s starting salary will
be $23,920 per year.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business:
•the council held the first read
ing of the rezoning application
from Scott Boswell, Watkinsville.
Boswell is requesting to have
a 1.9 acre tract on Hwy. 441
rezoned from R-l (residential)
to commercial. The council held
a public hearing on the request
prior to the council meeting.
David Moore, V.I.P. Realty
Services, Augusta, addressed the
council on behalf of Boswell.
Nicholson city attorney Rob
Russell said letters were mailed
to all adjoining property owners
outlining the rezoning request.
Russell said the property is suit
able for commercial zoning due
to its location along the Hwy.
441 corridor. A church is located
on one side and the other side
is commercial use. Jimmy and
Gloria Ford, adjoining property
owners, were the only citizens
in attendance. Jimmy Ford said
his concern is the type of retail
development due to the close
proximity of the church and a
daycare center. The council will
vote on the request in August.
•Mayor Ronnie Maxwell said
Brant Erikson has been hired
as city marshal. “We will hold
court here on July 23 at 4 p.m.,”
Maxwell said.
•the council unanimously
approved the statement of rev
enues and expenditures for the
period ending June 30 presented
by Wendy Carter, city clerk. The
report shows a total of $679,810
in revenues and $843,369 in
expenses. This is a total deficit of
$163,559, as if June 30.
•Maxwell thanked the
Nicholson volunteer firemen for
the fireworks display, as well as
those who attended the event.
“Some people estimated the
crowd at 10,000,” Maxwell said.
The council will meet at 7
p.m. Monday, Aug. 3, in the
Nicholson Community Center.
A work session will be held at 7
p.m. Thursday, July 30.
In Loving Memory of
ELIE STUDIVANT, SR.
July 12, 1909-March 8, 1979
Happy Birthday - One Hundred.
Children, Grands, Greats and
Great, Great Grands
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