Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY JANUARY 7, 2016 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 15A
TIME
0600 - 1000
3000 - 1600
A
N
ANTIOCH CHURCH RD.
O
ROAD
NO* ACC
DIRECTION
NO. ACC
DRY
23
NORTH
4
WET
6
SOUTH
4
ICY
0
EAST
9
total -
29
WEST
13
TOTAL ----
- 29
TYPE ACC
NO. ACC
SIDESWIPE
2
REAR END
2
RT. ANCLE
16
LEFT TURN
7
OTHER
2
total —
— 29
ANTIOCH CHURCH RD.
-.CO
NOTE:
THE CRASHES INDICATED IN THE ABOVE DIAGRAM
ARE FOR THE FATAL AND INJURY CRASHES ONLY.
LOCATION! STATE ROUTE 515 8 ANTIOCH CHURCH ROAD
FROMi 11/28/05 TOi 12/31/15
COUNTY:PICKENS
DATE: 1/04/16
A document presented by GDOT at the forum Monday shows the location and number of
serious wrecks at the intersection over the past decade, including the three fatal accidents,
marked by the solid black dots.
Continued from Page 1A
Road
spell doom for the town. Speak
ers did not give their names in
the forum that was called at the
request of Talking Rock’s incom
ing mayor Randy Banks.
“Our customers will pass us
by,” said an antique store owner.
“They will not make that u-tum.”
The owner of a convenience
store at the intersection in ques
tion put it bluntly, “This will kill
this little community. It doesn’t
have a lot of growth. Whoever
has a business here is gonna lose
it.” The owner said he had been
through this once before in Butts
County and lost a store after the
road was changed and traffic by
passed around it. He said it was
impossible to even sell the previ
ous location.
He chided the DOT employ
ees as being uncaring about busi
nesses since they received
government paychecks. Another
attendee said the engineers were
only interested in statistics, not
the fate of the people.
DOT officials said their inter
est is the safety of the intersec
tion.
Statistics indicate the need for
something to curtail the high
crash rate, particularly those with
fatalities, at this intersection.
DOT speakers said the fatalities
really stand out as Antioch
Church Road is not a very high
volume traffic route.
Grant Waldrop, GDOT district
Continued from Page 1A
2016
2004 at 418, then dropped to 244
in 2007 and plunged to 90 in
2008, followed by the dismal
low of 27 in 2010. For 2015, new
home permits are up to 63. Com
mercial building permits peaked
in 2003 at 61, and reached a low
of 2 in 2010. In 2015 through
the end of November, commer
cial permits are at nine.
Total building permits, which
also include remodels, mobile
homes and renewals, peaked in
2006 at 910, then fell to its low,
284, also in 2010. This year
through November, total permits
are at 331.
Speaking at the city council
meeting, the economic develop
ment director alluded to a few
ongoing projects he cannot dis-
traffic engineer, said it is rare to
see an intersection that has two
fatal wrecks in a decade. The one
in question has had three, “which
is well beyond what we normally
see. I can’t think of another with
three.”
Responding to the heated
comments, DOT officials said
nothing was built yet or finalized
and they are open to public com
ments but defended the J-turn
proposal as the safest - being
better than a red-light on a route
that doesn’t have the volume to
justify a stop light.
Among the points of con
tention was that many of the
merchants wanted a red light
there, regardless of the traffic
volume or the engineer’s opin
ions. Initially Mayor Banks said
he didn’t favor a red light either.
However, later in the meeting,
summing up the opinion of those
in the crowd, he said, “A red
light may cost a little more but
you are saving a town versus
killing a town.”
Jasper Mayor John Weaver,
who attended the meeting noting
that three of the four comers of
the intersection have been an
nexed into Jasper, also strongly
advocated for a red light and of
fered for Jasper to cover the elec
tricity bill for a signal if one is
installed.
Weaver argued that a red light
would produce “an economic
boon” for Talking Rock, as the
people stopped at the light while
heading to the mountains would
close at this time, but he echoed
sentiments of other local leaders
who feel positive about develop
ment here.
“Right now retail and com
mercial seem to be very active,
especially for this time of year,”
he said. “Some things are trend
ing very positively. I think 2016
is going to be a very good year
for the city of Jasper and Pickens
County and I think everyone will
be pleased with what they see oc
curring.”
A few projects that have yet to
come to fruition are the much-
anticipated Port Royal Water
Park project and a proposed
Dunkin’ Donuts at the site of the
annexed convenience store near
the corner of Highway 53 and
Highway 515. See related article
on Port Royal on Page 1A.
Business licenses in the
county have not shown the same
have time to read signs for the
antique stores and realize there
were things nearby.
DOT officials and Mayor
Banks countered that the idea of
a red light would make the inter
section safer is not evident when
you consider all the wrecks on
Highway 515 at intersections
with traffic signals.
Waldrop said when they look
at a list of the worst intersections
in north Georgia almost all are
places with traffic signals.
Waldrop said he is confident
the J-tum would ultimately be
safer than a red-light and said the
delays caused by bringing a road
with a 65 mile-per-hour speed
limit to a complete stop would be
bothersome.
In another point, many said
the speed on the four-lane, par
ticularly the rural section be
tween Jasper and Ellijay where
everyone flies, is the prime cause
of all the wrecks.
Quite a few of the crowd
called for more police patrols.
Several people in the crowd
asked if this was the first of this
kind of intersection in Georgia
(as reported in the Dec. 17th
Progress from the original meet
ing). Waldrop said it is not, but
when asked repeatedly where
they could go and see one he said
there was one under construction
in Carroll County and some on
city streets in Gwinnett County
and one in Detroit, leaving it un
clear if there is another on a rural
four-lane in Georgia.
rebound as building permits. In
2011, licenses reached a recent
peak with 129 new permits and
630 renewals issued, steadily de
clining to the 2015 figures - 74
new permits and 572 renewals.
Nechvatal has also stressed
what he sees as the importance of
ongoing efforts of the Down
town Alliance, an initiative of the
Pickens County Chamber of
Commerce. The group, which is
comprised of downtown busi
ness owners and other stakehold
ers, has been charged with
developing a plan to improve
connectivity, aesthetics, and
other elements of the downtown
area to attract growth. The al
liance recently requested and re
ceived funding from the city for
a study of the downtown area by
firm Kimley Horn, which will
happen in 2016.
But do residents want signifi
cant economic growth here? Is it
appropriate for the community?
Many residents, for example,
like the fact that JeepFest partic
ipants come to town to spend
money once a year and leave.
At the Family Connections
meeting. Mayor Weaver noted
that the city has utilized time
during the downturn to expand
infrastructure. He also said the
county’s lack of natural water re
sources could be either a “bless
ing or a curse,” and that the lack
of water could limit growth,
which could be positive or nega
tive depending on how much
growth is desired here. Weaver
said growth might draw criticism
from some residents who
“wished he would blow the
bridge across the Etowah to stop
it.”
Continued from Page 1A
Water Park
one from the Port Royal team
since September of 2014. “It’s
just something they need in their
folder to show that [the city] is
willing to do something if it gets
to that point. There’s a lot of
money involved in getting fi
nancing together and they don’t
want to get down the line and
find out we’re not on board.
Lenders want to know up front
where we stand or it dies on the
table. We are not committing to
anything. We are just setting the
groundwork.”
The day before the meeting,
Jasper Mayor John Weaver said
he was concerned about “stirring
up” the public with the percep
tion that this meeting signals
progress in the development.
During the meeting Weaver
Continued from Page 1A
Murder
immediately arrested. Law en
forcement authorities were quick
to point out the alleged murder
was a “specific” incident and
there was no need for alarm in
the community.
Authorities are still remaining
tight-lipped about what actually
happened at 74 Brook Hollow
Circle around 11:30 that night.
Heard’s charge of robbery is
more detailed in a Gilmer
County Sheriff’s Office jail
media report, including “intimi
dation (and) taking control of (a)
substance.”
Heard was arrested New
Year’s Eve in Marietta, accord
ing to a Jan. 1 report by WSB-TV
Channel 2 in Atlanta. Heard es
caped from police custody but
was arrested on the Marietta
square in a matter of minutes.
Marietta police called Heard a
"career criminal" who had only
been out of prison two months.
Gilmer Sheriff Stacy Nichol
son said in a release the arrests of
the three suspects began around
midnight, Dec. 31.
"I am very happy that we
could announce these arrests
prior to the end of the year
2015,” Nicholson said. “The
joint investigation, consisting of
Gilmer Sheriffs deputies/detec
tives and (Georgia Bureau of In
vestigation) Region 8 special
agents, was truly one of the
biggest examples of hard work,
long hours, excellent police work
and most of all, teamwork, that I
have ever witnessed in my ca
reer.
“A huge deal of credit belongs
to the tremendous assistance of
the Pickens Sheriffs Office, Ac-
worth Police Department and the
Marietta Police Department.”
Nicholson added the investi
gation will continue “to tie up
loose ends, and further charges
may arise before it’s over.”
Ledford is in the Pickens
County jail, Heard is in the
Rome/Floyd County jail and
Nunez remains in the Gilmer
County Detention Center, ac
cording to a Gilmer jail spokes
woman.
Abernathy was a small engine
mechanic and a 2012 graduate of
Gilmer High School, according
to an obituary from Bernhardt
Funeral Home. He leaves behind
two sons and a fiance.
Help wanted
at the hospital
Piedmont Mountainside Hos
pital Auxiliary is accepting ap
plications for membership in the
Auxiliary. If you are interested in
being a volunteer at the hospital,
come by the Gift Shop and pick
up an application. The rewards
are too many to count -youjust
can’t take it to the bank!
Volunteers at
Animal Rescue
Volunteers needed for the
Rescued Furniture Store which
benefits Pickens Animal Rescue.
We are in need of volunteers to
help with furniture pickups 2-3
times per month. Donations are
needed for the Rescued Furni
ture Store of household goods
and furniture. Donations may be
dropped off at the store at 371 N
Main St., M-S 10-4. Call 770-
893-8451 about volunteering.
Volunteer at
Grandview Health
Volunteers needed in the ac
tivities Department at Grand
view Health Care Center. We
need individuals as well as
groups that would like to make a
difference in the lives of our res
idents. If you can donate at least
an hour of your time each month
or quarterly, please contact Ac
tivities Director Sounya Stokes
at 706-692-6323.
emphasized that neither the vote
nor the bond would in any way
obligate the city of Jasper or tax
payers down the line.
“This is required by the state
of Georgia and there is no liabil
ity to taxpayers involved,” he
said. “We are simply acting as a
conduit.”
The Progress last spoke with
the CEO of the Port Royal team
in April of 2015, who at the time
said they still needed to secure
$40 million for the project and
that they were on track for a 2017
groundbreaking. Port Royal’s
CEO did not return calls for a
follow-up later last year.
Pickens County Economic
Development Director Gerry
Nechvatal said he speaks with
someone from the Port Royal
team every two to three weeks
but indicated no significant dis
cussions regarding positive, for
ward momentum of the project.
At the called meeting Tuesday,
the economic development direc
tor said the things that have kept
the project viable in the midst of
growing skepticism from leaders
and residents is that Port Royal
“hasn’t fired everyone and gone
home,” he said. “There is a team
working on it everyday. They
haven’t given up but are trying to
put some finishing touches on fi
nancing.”
The authority will meet on
Friday, Jan. 8 and is expected to
sign a resolution that will formal
ize their intent to appoint Stifel,
Nicolaus & Company, Inc. as un
derwriter for the project bonds.
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In Loving Memory of
Maxine Moore
September 30, 1930 - January 8, 2015
To a loving, kind, dedicated Christian and civic-minded
lady who spent her life as a downtown retailer who strove
to improve downtown Jasper for all who lived here. Max
ine, who ran one of the oldest businesses in Jasper until
the day of her passing was named Pickens County Citizen
of the Year in 2008 for her lifelong dedication to the county
through volunteer and humanitarian work. Upon her
passing Maxine left a legacy of unwavering support for
and love of the community she served for so many years.
They say there is a reason
They say that time will heal
But neither time nor reason
Will ch ange the way we feel
For no one knows the heartache
That lies behind our smiles
No one knows how many times
We have broken down and cried
We want to tell you something
So there won’t be any doubt
You ’re so wonderful to think of
But so hard to be without.
We love and miss you so much.
Danny, Ginger & David