Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 3A
Planners deny request
for smaller houses
PHOTOS MARK DEDICATION OF NICHOLSON MONUMENT
The Nicholson City Council was given a collage of photos to display that mark the
city’s dedication of a new veterans’ monument, which was unveiled in October 2009.
The monument, located in front of the community center, honors men and women
who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Shown (L-R) are: Margaret Ward, Faye
Seagraves, Paul Cartledge, Lamar Watkins, Ronnie Maxwell, Bobby Crawford,
Howard Wilbanks, Chuck Wheeler and Wendy Carter. Photo by Kerri Testement
Three governor candidates to be at rally
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
THE BRASELTON Planning
Commission recommended
denial recently of a request that
could bring smaller houses to
one subdivision.
Hickory Creek Homes, LLC
asked the planning commis
sion to approve changes to zon
ing conditions requiring that
Riverstone Park — located on
Ga. Hwy. 211 — have one-
story houses with a minimum
of 2,000 square feet and two-
story houses with at least 2,400
square feet.
The company wants 42 lots in
the 290-lot subdivision to have
one-story houses reduced to a
minimum of 1,800 square feet
and two-story houses to have a
minimum of 2,000 square feet.
Regions Bank owns the lots.
Hickory Creek Homes is
already building houses in the
subdivision and all of the new
residences will be two-story
structures, according to Brett
Clark, a representative for the
company.
“Our plan is to build all two-
story homes, but we’re trying to
get some relief on the minimum
square footage in order to hit
a certain price point,” he said.
“And then increase the quality
inside the home, as opposed to
trying to build a bigger box with
less amenities inside the house.”
The company plans to build
an average of 2,200 square-foot
houses and will start construc
tion on six residences, Clark
said.
But many of those already liv
ing in the South Hall subdivision
didn’t favor the idea of smaller
houses in Riverstone Park.
Almost 100 houses are occu
pied in the subdivision, which
started selling its first houses in
2005. New houses in Riverstone
Park are currently listed for
sale up to $269,900, while pre
owned houses are available as
low as $157,100.
Don Wilson, interim home-
owners association president for
the neighborhood, said reduc
ing the minimum square footage
requirement for Riverstone Park
would lower its standards.
And smaller houses could
affect the property values of
other neighbors in the subdivi
sion, he said.
“Our concern is what is the
snowball effect,” Wilson said.
Philip Pilgrim, one of the
initial residents in the subdivi
sion, said he was also concerned
about the long-term effects of
changing the zoning conditions
for Riverstone Park.
“If you lower that square foot
age and they have these plans of
coming in to build these homes
that they can put these high-
priced amenities inside these
lower square footage homes,
what’s to stop the next builder
to come in after that and build
smaller houses,” he said.
Resident Jeff Durham said
lowering the standards for
Riverstone Park would be per
manent, compared to the tem
porary changes of the real estate
market.
“This market is temporary
— we’re in a housing bust right
now,” he said. “This is tempo
rary; that’s a permanent change
that will permanently alter the
neighborhood.”
David Walters, another resi
dent, said Hickory Creek Homes
could sell its lots to another
builder.
Clark addressed the neigh
bors’ concerns before the plan
ning commission took its vote.
“We have a vested interest in
the neighborhood,” he said. “We
currently own 49 lots and have
an option on another 31 (lots).”
Planning commission mem
ber April Angeles said data pro
vided by the builder showed
that it plans to sell houses for
$10,000 less than what homes
were sold for in 2008.
Chairman Allan Slovin said
the planning commission has an
obligation to guarantee a certain
home size for those who have
bought houses in the subdivi
sion.
“To change the house size
requirements now, I think would
be going back on our commit
ment to the current homeown
ers,” he said.
After voting to recommend
denial of the request, the estimat
ed 35 residents at the planning
commission hearing clapped.
The Braselton Town Council
will hold a public hearing on the
planning commission’s recom
mendation on Thursday, June
10, at 4 p.m. A vote is expected
on Monday, June 14, at 7 p.m.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the Braselton
Planning Commission:
•recommended denial of
a rezoning request by W.C.
Hosch and Linda Wallace on
property owned by them at 124
Lakeshore Circle in downtown
Braselton. The applicants want
to rezone the land from R-l
(residential) to MHD (mobile
home district) to place a 1,680
square-foot mobile home on the
property. Chris Miccoli said he
and his 11-year-old son would
live in the mobile home, which
would back up to an existing
mobile home on East Lake
Drive. Miccoli said he needs
to be close to the West Jackson
Fire Department, where he is
employed. He asked if another
zoning change — such as a
variance or hardship request
— would be available, since
rezoning the property to MHD
is permanent. Braselton doesn’t
have a hardship request process
available and the town’s attor
ney said a variance wouldn’t be
appropriate. Several neighbors
in the area signed a petition sup
porting the request to move a
mobile home onto the property.
•recommended approval of
an amendment of the town’s
development code to update
the current erosion and sedi
mentation control regulations to
be consistent with the state’s
model soil erosion, sedimenta
tion and pollution control ordi
nance. Braselton planning direc
tor Kevin Keller said the state
updates its model ordinance
every few years and the town is
expected to do the same.
WHEN’S THE last time
three candidates for governor
were in Jackson County at the
same time?
At least three - Roy Barnes,
Dubose Porter and David
Poythress - will be in downtown
Commerce Sunday, June 6, as
Democrats from seven coun
ties host a meet-the-candidates
rally.
The event will be held from
12:30 to 4 p.m. at the Cox resi
dence at 450 Little Street (across
from Spencer Park and next
to the post office) and Spencer
Park. Barbecue is being sold at
$11 for advance tickets and $13
on the day of the event ($5 for
children in advance and $6 on
the day of the event), but there
is no charge to attend the event.
Hotdogs and hamburgers will
be available, and a bake sale,
BY KATIE HUSTON
THE JACKSON County
Airport Authority discussed
changes to its ground lease
document in a meeting on
May 12 in preparation for final
approval of the policy.
One of the major items of
discussion was on the length
of term for the lease. The
authority decided to leave the
term of leases for hangars at
30 years. At the end of the
30-year lease, a tenant could
terminate the lease, renew it or
the authority could terminate
the lease.
According to Airport
Authority chairman Shannon
Sell, the airport is hoping to
have leased out everything it
will ever own during the next
30 years.
“I would love to see this air
port at that point in time have
control over all the ground
and all the vertical properties
above it, and lease those prop
erties out to, you know, the
existing tenants or even future
tenants,” Sell said. “And all
that revenue is coming to the
airport, you know, the ground
drawings and door prizes are on
the agenda.
In addition to the gubernato
rial candidates, the Democrats
will have U.S. Senate candi
dates R.J. Hadley and Michael
Thurmond, 10th District
Congressional candidate
Russell Edwards and Beth
Farokhi, candidate for school
superintendent, on hand.
Also, Gary Horlacher,
Michael Mills and Angela
Moore, all candidates for sec
retary of state, are committed
to attend, as are candidates for
state House seats Chris Irvin
(District 28), Alan Powell
(District 29) and M.J. Bridges
(District 30).
The organizers are Donna
Brown and Gail and John Cox.
“This was a vision, some
thing that was monumental for
and the buildings both.”
Implementing and enforcing
tenants to pay taxes was also
discussed. Airport Manager
Bob Stapleton talked about
how tricky it can be to decide
who to tax.
“I don’t think it’s in our best
interest to try to force people
to pay tax here on aircrafts that
aren’t based here,” Stapleton
said.
Sell said that he didn’t have
issue with that, but that some
pilots skip on paying their
taxes by moving their aircrafts
around frequently. Often, if
an aircraft stays on property
180 days out of the year, that’s
where the owner pays taxes.
When a pilot moves the air
craft around often, it makes
the 180-day rule difficult to
track.
“You’re cutting out some
pretty big players with this in
my opinion,” Stapleton said.
“And a couple of those players
could make Jackson County
Airport well.”
The authority discussed
me,” Brown commented.
“People are coming from all
over. I'm very, very excited,”
said Gail Cox, recently elected
chairman of the Jackson County
Democratic Party. ‘This rally
here is to help kick off Jackson
County and Banks County - to
help us get restarted. We’ve also
got both Democratic senatorial
candidates coming, and both
are very good men. Everyone’s
working hard to put on a good
event.”
The rally is sponsored by a
coalition of Democrats from
Banks, Barrow, Franklin,
Jackson, Habersham, Hart and
Stephens counties.
For tickets, more informa
tion or to volunteer, contact
CommerceGArally@gmail.
com, visit 450 Littie Street or
call 706-352-9010.
including in the lease regula
tions about maintenance of a
hangar. It would give itself
authority to enforce repair reg
ulations on those leasing.
The authority also discussed
making a more lenient lease
for the first few people inter
ested in order to encourage
business.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the airport
authority meeting on May 12:
•a discussion on a Fixed
Based Operator was contin
ued. The FBO would have
access to all the airport’s exist
ing equipment and would be in
charge of maintaining it. The
authority is not obligated to let
the FBO use its equipment and
could surplus it at any time.
There will be no direct cost
to the county or the authority
with an FBO.
•the authority discussed bet
ter signage directing visitors to
the airport. Stapleton said he
would make a service request
to the county in hopes of get
ting the signs posted.
Maysville
names DDA
members
BY JUSTIN POOLE
MAYSVILLE HAS two
new Downtown Development
Authority members.
Trent Strickland and J.R.
Boswell were appointed by the
Maysville City Council last
week during a called meeting.
Strickland will take over the
remaining term left vacant by
Kim Ledford, which expires
in 2013.
Boswell will fill the remain
ing term of Kay Daniel, which
expires in 2011.
Also during the called meet
ing, the DDA chair, Melody
Stancil, told the council that
a brick orders project is being
organized as an ongoing proj
ect for the DDA. Members
are looking for a place where
the bricks will be placed on
display. Initial placement of
the bricks that have been sold
should begin in July, accord
ing to Stancil.
The other piece of business
that the council discussed was
a change order request for
$104,600 from EMI for sewer
line replacement and rehabili
tation.
The change order will not
require additional funds as the
amount is being shifted from
other areas in the existing bud
get. The council unanimously
approved the change order.
HB 489 topic
for Pendergrass
BY BRANDON REED
THE PENDERGRASS City
Council discussed House Bill
489 during its monthly meeting
last week.
The bill, also known as the
combined services agreement,
outlines who among the county
and municipalities will be pro
viding what services in the area.
Municipalities vote on a new
agreement every five years. The
council is expected to have a final
draft of the agreement presented
to them at the next meeting.
The council also heard the
monthly library report, which
showed that there were 143
patrons of the facility in May,
including 107 computer users.
The library received $17 for the
month, and spent $15 on the
purchase of a young adult book
and one DVD.
The council was also
informed that grass is being cut
on city property as well as on
the bypass.
AA chapter meets
THE BREEZY Knob chapter
of Alcoholics Anonymous meets
five times a week at 69 Central
Avenue (across from First
Commerce Bank) in Commerce.
Meeting times are at 8 p.m.
on Tuesdays, Wednesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays and at
6:45 p.m. Sundays.
k S
PUBLIC NOTICE
DESTRUCTION OF RECORDS
FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
The Jefferson City Schools Department of Special Education
announces its intention to destroy specific data. Records will be
destroyed that were collected, maintained, or used in the
provision of a free appropriate public education for students
with disabilities in Jefferson City Schools. This notice is in
compliance with the system's comprehensive plan for special
education required by PL 94-142.
Records on students who enrolled in a special education
program and became 27 years of age between January 1, 1983
and December 31, 1983 are no longer needed for educational
planning purposes. These records may be needed by the
student or parent for Social Security or other reasons. The
system plans to destroy these records on July 6, 2010, unless
there has been a request for a due process hearing, under PL
94-142 or a complaint filed with the Office of Civil Rights under
section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
If you, as the student or parents of the student, desire copies
of these records prior to destruction, please contact Jefferson
City Schools Office of Special Education at (706) 367-5209. You
will be required to produce identification or provide verification
information.
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Airport authority changes lease document