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About Jackson herald. (Jefferson, Jackson County, Ga.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (March 29, 2023)
PAGE 2A THE JACKSON HERALD WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2023 Hoschton council holding public hearing over impact fee changes The Hoschton City Council will hold April 13 (6 p.m.) and May 11 (6 p.m.) public hearings over proposed changes to the city’s impact fees. The city is amending its impact fees following a 2022 settlement in a law suit from Kolter Homes, the developer of the Cresswind and Twin Lakes subdivi sions. The council is slated to vote on the proposed changes during its May 15 meeting. City leaders will also hold an April 13 (6 p.m.) public hearing regarding zoning ordinance amendments. The council will hold all public hearings at city hall, located at 79 City Square. Commerce planners give nod to landscape company request By Alex Buffington alex@mainstreetnews. com Commerce planners gave their nod of approval this week for a request to locate a landscape supply company in town. The Commerce Plan ning and Zoning Com mission voted Monday (March 27) to recommend approval of a variance request for 2602 North Broad Street (across from Presto’s on North Broad St.). The Commerce City Council will consider the matter at its April meet ings with a possible vote April 17. The applicant has re quested the variance to allow outdoor storage and a fully HardiePlank sided building in the overlay district. Chris Rucker, who spoke for the application Monday, said they plan to open a landscape sup ply storefront business “Southeast Landscape Supply” in conjunction with their existing land scaping company, “North Georgia Outdoor Solu tions.” They plan to sell mulch, pine straw, wheat straw, pipe, and other landscap ing materials from the storefront. The request was ap proved with a number of conditions: Outdoor light ing must be fully-shield ed; long-term outdoor storage must be shielded, but materials that are on display (like mulch) can be set-up in corrals. Easter continued from 1A Commerce continued from 1A This event is held by the Rotary Club of Jef ferson, Church on the Hill, Southside Church and the City of Jefferson. HOSCHTON EASTER EGG-STRAVAGANZA APRIL 8 Hoschton will host an Easter Egg-Stravagan- za on Saturday, April 8, from 2-5 p.m. on the Hoschton depot lawn. There will be an egg hunt, barbecue, a bunny photobooth, arts and crafts, golden eggs and live music. For more information and updates, visit the Hoschton Downtown Development Authority Facebookpage, Upcoming Easter church events include: FIRST BAPTIST COMMERCE PALM SUNDAY AND EASTER SERVICES ON APRIL 2, 9 First Baptist Church of Commerce is offering a Palm Sunday Worship Service on Sunday, April 2, at 11 a.m. and an Easter worship service on Sunday, April 9,11 a.m. “We will celebrate our faith through music, prayer and God’s Word being proclaimed for all ages,” church leaders said. LADIES OF SPECIAL EDITION EASTER EGG HUNT ON APRIL 7 The Ladies of Special Edition will host their annual Easter egg hunt on Friday, April 7, at 5 p.m. This year, organizers are combining all ages (1-11) for the egg hunt. There will be free food, free popcorn and a cake walk. There will also be a $100 grand prize egg- This event will be held at V. S. Hughey Park on Gordon Street in Jefferson. COMMERCE PRESBYTERIAN MAUNDY THURSDAY SERVICE ON APRIL 6 Commerce Presbyterian Church (CPC) in vites the community to its Maundy Thursday service on Thursday, April 6, at 7 p.m. CPC is located at 89 Lakeview Dr.. Com merce, and can be reached at 706-335-3282. RIVER OF LIFE EASTER WORSHIP, EGG HUNT APRIL 5 River of Life Worship Center in Nicholson is having an Easter worship service and glow- in-the-dark egg hunt on Wednesday. April 5, at 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at the Nicholson City Park. COMMERCE AREA CHURCHES’ SPECIAL EASTER SCHEDULES Commerce area churches have announced special Easter services. Holy Week begins with annual Lenten Lunches. Soup and salad lunches and speakers help prepare for the arrival of Easter: • Monday, April 3, at noon — Commerce Presbyterian Church • Tuesday, April 4. at noon — First United Methodist Church of Commerce • Wednesday, April 5. at noon — First Baptist Church of Commerce Special weeknights and Easter morning ser vices include: • Maundy Thursday Service, April 6, at 7 p.m. — Commerce Presbyterian Church • Good Friday Service, April 7, at 7 p.m. — First United Methodist Church of Commerce • Easter Sunrise Service, April 9 at 7 a.m. — First Baptist Church of Commerce held at Gray Hill Cemetery. For additional information, contact Com merce First United Methodist Church at 706- 340-8611. LITTLE COUNTRY CHURCH EASTER SERVICES ON APRIL 9 The Little Country Church, located on Old Airport Rd., Commerce, will hold Easter cele brations on Sunday, April 9. SonRise Service will be at 8 a.m. followed by donuts and coffee. Sunday School will be at 9 a.m. and Worship Hour will be held at 10 a.m. HOLLY SPRINGS EASTER SERVICES Holly Springs Methodist Church will hold Easter services on: • Palm Sunday, April 2,11 a.m. • Maundy Thursday communion, April 6. 4 p.m. • Good Friday, April 7,5 p.m. • Easter sunrise service and breakfast, April 9, 7 a.m. • Easter worship service, April 9,11 a.m. The church is located at 7441 Holly Springs Rd., Pendergrass. The Rev. Wayne Wilkes is pastor. BETHANY UMC EASTER SERVICES ON APRIL 9 Bethany United Methodist Church has an nounced its Easter Sunday services. The church will host a Sunrise Service and breakfast at 7 a.m., a worship service at 11 a.m. and an Eas ter egg hunt at 12:15 p.m. The church is located at 4659 Brockton Rd., Jefferson. For more information, call 706-367-8042. 12% during the same time. Hill said that tide of “growth is coming” to the city and it’s time to start planning for it. “We don’t have forever to start planning.” Hill said. “.. .We have to make big decisions over the next couple of years that will set the stage for this community 20 years down the road.” Hill wasn’t just referring to residential growth in the area. The I-85/Hwy. 98 corri dor is poised for massive industrial growth over the coming years as the Dakota Com merce and Bana Road projects are built-out. There’s also still land available for industri al development in that area, including the Hardman and Bouchard properties. “We have a lot of industrial action in the city.” Hill said, adding that there’s also 725 acres of commercial property available to be developed across the city. As growth continues in the surrounding area and in Commerce, Hill said the city will need to address the lack of workforce and af fordable housing. “A young couple can’t afford a house for $450,000 when they start out,” he said. “We’ve got to have a place for our police of ficers and teachers and young professionals to live. And we’re going to have to figure this out.” The city will also need to consider how it’s going to fund necessary infrastructure im provements as that growth comes. The city may look at implementing impact fees in the future, Hill said, which could help fund some of those needs. He noted extensive planning and an impact fee study will be necessary if the city decides to move forward with adopt ing impact fees. OTHER HIGHLIGHTS Other highlights from the State of the City included: •a pay raise implemented this year, increas ing salaries by $2.20 an hour for employees across the city. Hill noted the increase has made a big difference in the city’s hiring abilities. He pointed to the police department as an example, noting the department is fully OTHER BUSINESS In other business March 27, the council: • green-lit the city’s 2023-2024 strategic plan. • re-appointed Angela Haun to the Down town Development Authority. • approved annexation and a zoning change to R-1 from A-2 for 11.65 acres front ing on Rambler Inn Rd. at Rolling Acres Ct. near Sterling Lake Way. Applicant D. Cole Hudgens sought the annexation and zoning staffed for the first time in years. •improvements to downtown. The old Bi- Lo building is fully occupied and the Waters Bros, building has been reopened. Work on the 1818 building across from the civic cen ter also continues. •natural gas expansion. Hill said they plan to update the city’s connection to the Transco Pipeline and run a new gas line up Hwy. 334 as a backup for the line on Hwy. 441. •expansion of the city’s water and was- terwater capacity. The city plans to build a new wastewater facility in the coming years, adding 1 million gallons-per-day in capacity. The project is expected to cost $30-$40 mil lion. In the water department, the city contin ues to look at plant and pump improvements, in addition to new well sites. The city is also looking at regional partnerships for both wa ter and wastewater. •downtown infrastructure. Hill noted the sewer lines that run down Hwy. 98 through downtown will need to be replaced. The massive project will likely involve rerout ing Hwy. 98 while one lane of traffic is dug up on either side of the railroad to allow the sewer lines to be replaced. The project is still preliminary. No engineering has been com pleted and there’s no estimated cost. •the Wrangler/civic center project. Repairs alone that are needed on the building are ex pected to total $8 million. The city decided to move forward with a larger $12 million ren ovation instead. That project will address the needed repairs, and also convert the building into a multi-use facility to house the civic center and a new city hall. The police depart ment will move into the existing city hall and the fire department will take over the existing fire/police building. Hill said the project will alleviate pressure on existing city offices and includes downtown parking improvements. •implementing automatic meter informa tion technology for utilities. •having the city’s infrastructure mapped out in GIS. •creating a Historic Preservation District. change in order to subdivide the property into a maximum of five single-family residential lots, with one home already existing. The ap plicant had originally proposed for there to be eight lots, with one already existing. • approved a zoning change from C-l to MFR for 0.976 acres fronting on Athens St. and Wilson Ln. Applicant Chris Worley al ready has three single-family homes on the property and the zoning change allows for the construction of three additional homes. Light continued from 1A a traffic light at Hwy. 53 and Twin Lakes Blvd. Though traffic study numbers reportedly fell just shy of DOT thresholds, the DOT advised the develop er to move forth with its application due to the an ticipated growth of Twin Lakes-Cresswind and an adjacent Publix projected to open in summer 2024. Twin Lakes-Cresswind will grow to 2,600 homes once its build-out is complete. City officials said Kolter submitted the application last week and will be no tified by the DOT of ap proval or denial toward the end of April. If approved, a contract must be arranged. Once a contract is in place, the DOT estimates a six- month construction period for the traffic signal. Kolter is footing the cost of the signal, according to city officials. Hoschton residents have frequently asked about a traffic light at Hwy. 53 and Peachtree Rd., but the lo cation at Twin Lakes Blvd. takes precedence with the DOT. “They do it based on the need,” Hoschton City Man ager Kidd-Harrison said recently. “So the first need, obviously, is right there be cause that’s where the Pub lix is going to be ... then they’ll start looking to see if Peachtree needs a red light.” CITY OF HOSCHTON NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS The Hoschton City Council will conduct public hearings at Hoschton City Hall, 79 City Square, Hoschton, GA 30548, at 6:00 p.m. on the following dates: April 13, 2023 May 11,2023 The purpose of the public hearings will be to gain public input on the following matter: An Ordinance to Amend the Code of Ordinances of the City of Hoschton, Georgia, to amend Ordinance 0-20-06, known by short title as the Development Impact Fee Ordinance, fully titled as follows: An Ordinance Relating to the Regulation of the Use and Development of Land in the City of Hoschton, Georgia; Imposing a Development Impact Fee on Land Development in the City of Hoschton for Providing Public Safety, Park and Recreation and Related Facilities Necessitated by Such New Development; Stating the Authority for Adoption of the Ordinance; Making Legislative Findings; Providing Definitions; Providing a Short Title and Applicability; Providing Intents and Purposes; Providing Rules of Construction; Providing Definitions; Providing for the Computation of the Amount of the Development Impact Fee; Providing for the Payment of a Development Impact Fee; Providing for a Development Impact Fee Service Area; Providing for the Establishment of a Development Impact Fee Trust Fund; Providing for the Use of Funds; Providing for the Refund of Fees Paid; Providing for Exemptions and Credits; Providing for Review of the Fee Schedule; Providing for Appeals; Providing a Penalty Provision; Providing for Severability; Providing a Repealer; Providing for Codification; Providing an Effective Date; and For Other Purposes.” Amendment of this ordinance is anticipated to include but shall not necessarily be limited to the following: Amend Section 7, “Computation of the amount of development impact fee” to modify or repeal and replace the Residential Development Impact Fee Schedule and the Non-residential Development Impact Fee Schedule; Amend Section 10 to repeal the fire facilities impact fee trust fund; and amend Section 11 to repeal a provision regarding the use of fire facility impact fees. This city reserves the right to amend any additional section or subsection of Ordinance 0-20-06 not specifically cited here, as it deems appropriate. A vote on the amendment may take place as early as the regular meeting of City Council on May 15, 2023, All interested persons are invited to attend. The proposed ordinance amendment is on file in Hoschton City Hall, 79 City Square, Hoschton, GA 30548, and available for public inspection during regular business hours. For more information, call 706-654-3034. This the 29 th day of March, 2023 This the 12 th day of April, 2023 Jefferson continued from 1A
