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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017
Commerce
water work to
hit $1.1 million
By Alex Pace
Improvements to water service in southern Commerce
may cost the city less than originally expected.
The Commerce City Council is expected to vote May
15 on an $883,000 bid for the project, which is aimed to
improve water pressure in the lower end of Commerce.
City manager James Wascher is recommending
approval of a bid by UWS Inc.
The project was initially expected to total between
$1.3-$1.5 million. Wascher estimates the actual cost will
be a little lower, possibly around $1.1 million.
OTHER BUSINESS
The council is also set to vote on the following May
15:
•a contract to allow the Commerce Police Department
to pursue state certification. The certification will help
with insurance costs in the department.
•gap funding for a pre-treatment facility at Diana Nat
urals Inc. The city won't qualify for Georgia Environ
mental Finance Authority funding for several months but
needs to begin construction in the meantime to meet the
company’s aggressive timetable. The city is considering
interim financing through South State Bank until the
GEFA funding is available. Mayor Clark Hill said he’s
received many questions from citizens about the project.
He assured the council that Diana Foods is paying all
the costs associated with funding the facility, along with
the debt service. An intergovernmental agreement with
Banks County backs that loan.
•a bid from Harrison and Harrison for $116,000 for
installation of natural gas main on Wheeler Road for a
mega poultry site.
•a bid from Harrison and Harrison for $31,000 for gas
line installation at Carrington Place.
•the purchase of a new fire truck from Pierce totaling
$469,000 with 60 percent funding from a federal grant.
•a conditional use request for 120 Pine Street for a
home for women recovering from chemical dependen
cy, sexual addictions, eating disorders, co-dependency,
anger issues, self-loathing, self-harm and low self-es
teem. The home would offer courses and training for
participants. The Commerce Planning Commission and
city manager James Wascher recommend denial.
•a beer garden for the Concerts on Cherry summer
series (June 2, Aug. 4 and Sept. 1).
Event venue
request gets OK
By Alex Pace
Jackson County planners voted last week to approve a
request for an event venue barn in East Jackson.
The Jackson County Planning Commission approved a
special use request for Bobby Stapp Jr. and Terry Brown
Stapp for 22 acres at 700 Blacks Creek Church Road.
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners will con
sider the request May 15.
The application was approved with several conditions
which limit the number of guests to 225 and prohibits
organizers from hosting more than one event at a time.
It also limits the hours of operation to Sundays through
Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Satur
days from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
According to the Stapps’ application, the group plans
to host wedding ceremonies and receptions at the site. It
will also be available for other special events.
OTHER BUSINESS
Also at its meeting, the commission voted to deny:
•a rezoning request from Chris Rudio for five acres on
Yarbrough-Ridgeway Road. Rudio planned to construct
a single manufactured home at the site, Rudio requested
a manufactured-housing rezoning.
•a rezoning request from BJT Investment Properties’
for five acres on Skelton Road, Jefferson. BJT planned
to subdivide the property and construct four houses. The
company requested a manufactured-housing rezoning.
County tax
commissioner's office
to be closed May 10
The Jackson County Tax Commissioner’s office,
including the motor vehicle and property tax division,
will be closed Wednesday, May 10, for training.
The office will resume normal business hours on
Thursday, May 11.
ZBA to hear
warehouse stream
buffer variance request
Braselton’s Zoning Board of Appeals will hear a
request on Tuesday for a variance to reduce a stream
buffer at a planned distribution center.
CHI/Acquisitions, LFC, is requesting a reduced set
back for a project at the corner of Hwy. 124 and Henry
Braselton Drive.
The ZBA will also consider a variance request for
Zack Garrett for property on Hwy. 124 at Hwy. 211.
The group is requesting changes to minimum lot
sizes for manufacturing-distribution parcels. It plans to
create a new tax parcel for Lewis Auto Center.
Informant tips off JCSO to possible threat
A Jackson County Sheriff’s
Office deputy reported a possible
threat by a motorcycle club based
in Arcade earlier this year.
According to a JCSO incident
report, authorities received infor
mation in January of a possible
threat to an officer’s safety. The
tip came from a confidential infor
mant.
That informant said members of
the Steel Horsemen Motorcycle
Club spoke about a deputy “snoop
ing around in their club’s business.’’
They mentioned a specific deputy.
“The informant stated that they
said they were going to see how
tough the deputy is when they
caught him without that badge on,”
according to the incident report.
The deputy said the informant
seemed concerned and believed the
threat was real.
“Even going on to say they
thought I should keep my gun with
me at all times.” the deputy wrote.
Officers sent another confidential
informant to the Steel Horsemen
clubhouse on Rock Forge Lane the
following week, but no members
mentioned the JCSO.
The deputy said he decided
to document the incident due to
“recently obtained information of
drug activity involving Steel Horse
men club members.”
The group moved to its current
location to Arcade last year.
The Steel Horsemen group was
previously located in Bishop, but
fled the area in 2015 after a raid.
Officers seized “green leafy mate
rials,” over $2,000, a camera and
bar records according to the Athens
Banner-Herald.
The raid occurred after several
incidents at the Oconee County
clubhouse including reports of gun
shots. along with a reported fight
and rape. Authorities also saw the
colors of the Bandidos Motorcycle
Club and began an investigation
into illegal alcohol sales, according
to the Banner-Herald.
RIBBON CUT AT FERNGULLY
The Hoschton Area Business Association hosted a ribbon cutting at FernGully Landscapes, a design,
build and maintenance company. The Braselton garden is located on Brassie Lane in downtown
Braselton. Co-owners Pablo Hernandez and Lyn Rooks are shown with HABA representatives. For
more information, visit www.ferngullylandscapes.com.
Walton continued from 1A
firm plans to restructure its holdings
that aren't directly involved in the
creditor protection to strengthen its
financial standing.
In its filings, the firm blamed the
2008 recession and the drop in oil
prices for its problems. Of particular
concern is a current recession in
Alberta, Canada.
LOCAL HISTORY
Walton's core business is in “land
banking.” The firm buys large tracts
of land located in the path of antic
ipated growth, then sells small
“units” of ownership to investors,
most of whom are located in Asia.
The concept is to wait for the land
to appreciate in value, then sell it to
another owner for a profit.
That is what the company did in
Jackson and Barrow counties start
ing around 2010. It currently owns
thousands of acres in both counties
that are speculated on growth.
But Walton stirred some contro
versy in how it approached local
public officials when asking for
rezonings and annexations.
In its presentation to several
local governments, some compa
ny spokesmen appeared to suggest
that Walton itself would build out
large scale planned communities,
although that was not likely. Walton
makes it money by flipping land, not
building on it. The firm denied it had
misled local officials about its real
intentions.
But despite those questions, Wal
ton’s presentations to local officials
were effective.
The City of Statham in Barrow
County annexed and rezoned sev
eral hundred acres along Highway
316 in 2012. Statham officials also
gave Walton immediate vesting in
the property, meaning that it didn’t
require the company to begin any
work on the land to maintain its new
zoning status.
Town of Arcade officials in Jack-
son County seemed to believe Wal
ton would build a large master com
munity on what is known as the 4-W
Farm land. Walton offered the town
land for a new city hall if it would
annex it into the town.
Arcade annexed the property and
its officials were excited about the
project. The town pushed to create
its own water and sewerage system
as a result of the Walton deal. But
that was opposed by the Jackson
County Water and Sewerage Author
ity, which already serves the area.
After its initial annexation of the
4-W Farm tract, Walton purchased
another large tract in South Jackson
several miles away from Arcade.
Then using a series of shell compa
nies. it purchased a land bridge of
property between that tract and the
4-W Farm tract in an apparent move
to have Arcade annex that property
via the land bridge.
But when the land bridge was dis
covered, a public outcry pressured
Arcade officials to back off any
plans for such an annexation.
During the controversies, Walton
became very active in the Jackson
and Barrow area. It sponsored sever
al area chamber of commerce events
and donated large sums of money to
local projects. Walton gave $20,000
to help fund the construction of a
new Boys & Girls Club facility in
Jefferson in 2014 and gave several
thousand dollars to The Tree House
and Peace Place.
In addition to its Statham and
Arcade area holdings, the firm also
owns large tracts in unincorporated
Barrow and Jackson counties and
in the City of Commerce. None of
its raw land properties in Barrow or
Jackson counties have been devel
oped.
Walton also purchased four area
subdivisions: Reserve at Liberty
Park, Liberty Crossing. Heritage
Point and Seasons at Pendergrass.
Council amends budget for lift station projects
By Ron Bridgeman
The Hoschton City Council approved budget amend
ments this week that add to the city's cost for re-rout
ing wastewater to the Wildflower lift station and
abandoning the White Street lift station.
The new project would create a gravity sewer exten
sion along White Street.
The budget amendment provides for more than
$310,000 to be added to the sewer budget. The proj
ect will be financed with a Georgia Environmental
Finance Authority (GEFA) loan and grant.
The budget amendment also provides for a new per
son in the water department. Salary and benefits will
cost a bit more than $41,000.
The council also approved establishing an account
for money received from the sale of new lots in the
city cemetery.
Mayor Theresa Kenerly said the sale of more than
300 lots in the cemetery would provide an investment
account that should cover the costs of maintenance
and landscaping for the cemetery.
Another agreement would provide for three months
of concert events at the city’s stage. Bruce Davis and
Charles Locke proposed monthly events that would
feature area songwriters and musicians.
Kenerly recommended a three-month agreement
with the two. They had asked for a year's agreement.
The mayor said the three months would provide
enough time to see how the events go.
She emphasized that events would not be city spon
sored, but would be the responsibility of the two men.
In other business, the council
•agreed to extend the contract of Jerry Weitz for
zoning and planning services. Weitz will provide
services for $90 an hour when he is in Hoschton and
$80 an hour for off-site work. The contract is for the
same terms the city has with him now.
•tabled setting higher deposit rates for water users
who rent. Kenerly said deposits for renters would go
to $150 for water and the same for sewer. They are
now $100 for each. She said the city had three “skip
pers,” people who owed a water bill and “skipped
out” on it. Two of those are renters, she said.
•delayed changing the deposits for rentals at the
Depot. Kenerly and Council member Jim Cleveland
agreed two potential renters of the depot declined in
the past month because the city increased the deposit
to the same level as the increased rent, $350. The
council raised the rent for the Depot and agreed to rent
it only by the day. Council member Mindi Kiewert
argued against the change, saying the rent was raised
because the city had consistent problems with people
who damaged the building or left it in a mess. “We
raised it trying to keep the people we didn’t want in
there, out of there.” Kiewert said. When the rent was
increased to $350, along with the single rental for a
day, the deposit also was set at the same level. Kenerly
suggested reducing the deposit to $150 and leaving
the rental at $350. Council agreed to leave current
rates for another month and see if others reject the
rates. The council member Scott Butler said rental
income for the Depot thus far this year is $5,695, an
increase over $4,190 for the same period last year.
•agreed to approve the sale of beer and wine at the
Rock’in the Green concert June 17. The council will
consider a resolution approving the alcohol sales at its
June 5 meeting.
•heard that the city received $22,781 in building
permits for April.
•heard that the city received $106,500 for water and
sewer tap fees in April.
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