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PAGE 2A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 4. 2021
Continued From 1A
Council
would allow for smaller lot
sizes of around 4,500 sq. ft.
He also said his email stated
the stream was not consid
ered a trout stream and that
only a 25-foot buffer was re
quired. Westbrook said he
had requested a meeting with
the city manager prior to the
council meeting “to avoid
getting to this point” of con
fusion, but that his request
was not granted.
City Manager Douglas ad
mitted to an oversight and
said he overlooked the email,
and further that he was not
able to meet as he had prior
engagements and a death in
the family late last week.
Still, city attorney David
Syfan said the site plans as
presented did not appear to
be attached homes as the ap
plicant stated, and that he
would not want the city to
annex the parcels and give
the developer a false sense he
would be able to build 75 lots
in an R-3 zoning. Westbrook
said the lots in the plan are
intended to be attached, and
that he would remove the
structures on the site plans
that could not be attached to
others. Westbrook noted that
the city chose the R-3 desig
nation for him as being con
sistent with the zoning his is
currently under with the
county, and that he and his
team had worked very hard
to fit the zoning to bring
quality, affordable housing to
Jasper.
Council member Sonny
Proctor said he has followed
the project closely since the
beginning, but that the Febru
ary 1 meeting was the first
time he has heard it discussed
as an attached-home project.
Council member Kirk
Raffield originally motioned
to deny the request, but after
realtor Cherie Martin asked
what happened to their con
sideration to table the re
quest, council member Anne
Sneve motioned to table. The
motion was seconded by
council member Jim Looney
and ultimately passed by
council.
Council grants request for
coffee shop drive-thru,
pending traffic study
JAX Coffee Shop owner
Cindy Elliott, whose shop is
located at 61 Main Street in
the heart of downtown
Jasper, requested an ease
ment at the rear of the build
ing that would allow her to
install a short drive-thru area
for customers. According to
the proposal, patrons would
drive-thru on Mark Whitfield
Drive and exit by turning
right onto Stegall Drive (a
one-way street).
Jasper City Development
Manager Lonnie Waters said
barring possible issues with
traffic the drive-thru could
create on Mark Whitfield
Street, he felt the project was
viable. He noted the city
would lose one parking
space.
City attorney David Syfan
also expressed concern about
traffic issues if the drive-thru
had several cars in line. The
business owner, who has
worked at high-volume chain
coffee stores in Canton and
other areas, did not feel that
the volume they do would
produce a backup and that
they had plans for customers
with larger, time-consuming
Called Meeting
Pickens County Board of Commissioners
Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021 at 5:30 p.m.
in the conference room, ste. 168
The BOC Meeting for January 21,2021 was can
celled due to COVID-19. The meeting has been
rescheduled as a “Called Meeting” on Thursday,
February 4, 2021 at 5:30 pm.
In addition to limited socially distance seating at
the meeting, please join the Board of Commission
ers meeting via Zoom. Details to join the meeting
are as follows:
Board of Commissioners - Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/2105979001 ?pwd=cStJRjRvSIY0e
HMyUVNENVVPdWdDZz09
Meeting ID: 210 597 9001
Passcode: AQD1CW
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The council tabled a proposal from a developer who wanted to create a 75-home sub
division on N. Main Street between Hood Road and Lumber Company Road.
orders to pull into a parking
spot to wait.
Elliott said she enjoys
being downtown near the
courthouse and hopes her
business can continue to add
to the downtown community.
Council members John
Foust and Sonny Proctor
were also concerned with
possible traffic issues, and
agreed with the attorney that
a traffic study should be com
pleted prior to approval.
There was discussion of is
sues schools busses and par
ent drop-off could create
during school hours for
Jasper Middle School. Foust
also mentioned a possible
blind spot when making the
him onto Stegall.
Proctor called that short
area at Stegall Drive between
Main Street and Mark Whit
field a crucial area for down
town, which has come up
before in possible plans for
outdoor seating and other
ideas, and he said he would
prefer to have professional
guidance.
Kirk Raffield, who mo
tioned to approve the request
without a traffic study, said
he felt “completely comfort
able with this action” as that
area is low-speed and pedes
trian. Sneve, who seconded
Raffield’s motion, said coun
cil has spent a lot of energy
promoting the downtown
area and that she wanted to
do what she could to support
businesses. Sneve added that
in the mornings, where stu
dent drop-off could overlap
with morning coffee rash,
she didn’t see much of an
issue as drop-offlines are not
long like pick-up lines are in
the afternoon. She added that
school pick-up time would
likely not be a busy time for
the coffee drive-thru, and that
“there’s not that much traffic
in Jasper” when compared to
other towns and cities.
After Foust and Proctor
reiterated that they would
prefer to have traffic studies,
Raffield withdrew his motion
and made a new motion that
they approve the request con
tingent on a favorable traffic
study. The request was origi
nally made for an easement,
but council approved a li
cense that would auto-renew
every year but be revokable
prior to renewal if council
deemed there to be an issue
down the road with possible
future tenants.
Other news from council:
•Council adopted their re
vised zoning ordinance and
zoning map, and new sign or
dinance. They can be found
on the city website at
www.j asper-ga-us
•Council approved their
revised City Charter, which
will be sent to the legislature
for final approval. Revisions
were made because the old
city charter had inconsisten
cies and needed to be made
“more solid,” according to
the city manager. Mayor
Lawrence called it “an his
toric motion for us.”
•Council approved adver
tising for a four-way stop at
the intersection of Old
Philadelphia Road Ext. and
Collins Road.
•Council appointed David
Keller to continue serving on
the Jasper Planning & Zon
ing Commission.
•Council approved Marty
Callahan to continue serving
on the Downtown Develop
ment Authority.
•Council approved Brad
Stephens to continue serving
on the Downtown Develop
ment Authority.
Attorney James Johnson
puzzled by official
Kentucky colonel honor
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
Several weeks ago when
local attorney James Johnson
was asked to send his resume
to the office of the Governor
of Kentucky, he had an idea
of what might be happening.
Then a Fed Ex driver
showed up with a package
containing a certificate rec
ognizing Johnson as a duly
commissioned Kentucky
Colonel.
Johnson said the title
doesn’t come with official
power or perks that he is
aware of.
“It’s an honorary title,” he
said. “Being a bom south
erner, it’s kind of cool to be a
Kentucky Colonel.”
Some research shows that
a Kentucky Colonel is “the
highest honor bestowed by
the governor of Kentucky” in
recognition of accomplish
ments. Though Johnson’s
commission doesn’t cite any
particular acts, he felt it was
likely for his work as a city of
Jasper judge and with estab
lishing the Appalachian Chil
dren’s Center in Ellijay.
The title of Kentucky
Colonel dates back to 1813
when the first “aide to camp”
of the governor of the blue-
grass state was commis
sioned. To become a
Kentucky Colonel you must
be nominated by another
Colonel.
And here’s the mystery.
Johnson has no idea who
nominated him.
“I am not looking to pat
myself on the back, but I re
ally would like to find out
who nominated me. Maybe
when they see this in the
paper, they will come for
ward,” he said. “I’d like to
thank them.”
When asked if he now
wishes to be addressed as
Col. Johnson, he said very
plainly, “I do not.”
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