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THURSDAY. MAY 6. 2021 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 11A
Growth
spots, some town homes, and
a lot more that were only
“talk” at that point.
Waters added that he
would not discuss any spe
cific projects until they have
received zonings, permits,
and are disturbing earth.
Until then it’s just talk, said
the veteran development of
ficer at city hall.
“There is lots of talk - lots
of talk,” he said. “Over the
next 36 to 48 months the
number of new homes [that
will actually be built in these
projects] is too unknown to
be speculated about but it is a
large, large number. There is
so much talk - mixed use de
velopments, residential, at
tached homes, detached
homes, commercial. But
right now it’s just talk. No
body has nailed anything
down.”
The county’s development
director, Justin Kilgore, gave
a less dramatic description
than Waters or Suttles, but
confirmed that there are more
than 200 lots in some phase
of development across the
county, including numerous
“splits” where someone had
cut a parcel into two or
maybe three homesites. The
county has also seen Tate Re
serve on Four Mile Church
Road with over 130 potential
homesites and the Madison
Ridge, Talc Mine Road area,
with more than 70 lots, active
again after sitting mostly dor
mant since the 2008 down
turn.
Kilgore said over the past
year the planning and devel
opment office had handled
180 total permits but that in
cluded everything from new
homes to additions to swim
ming pools at existing
homes. He said it has been a
steady two or three new per
mits applied for every week
with March totals being a
high mark at 17 new permits.
There were a couple of
differences he has noticed in
the county’s growth pattern,
compared to the city, includ
ing more of the small, less
than 10 home site projects
and the use of “in-fill.”
As a general observation,
Kilgore said at the moment
the building in west Pickens
is typically new homes on
new driveways coming off
county roads; for east Pick
ens, it’s “in-fill,” which he
described as building on
parcels in existing subdivi
sions that were empty but al
ready permitted and ready for
construction.
In the county tax asses
sor’s office, Chief Appraiser
Roy Dobbs pointed out that
while someone driving the
roads may initially think the
heavy growth is on the west
end of the county and the
four-lane, it’s actually more
evenly spread as people don’t
see the new homes going up
in Big Canoe, Bent Tree and
may also miss growth along
Monument Road. Dobbs said
the growth is in all areas, sec
tors and categories with the
small farm style homes with
acreage leading the way.
Kilgore also said most of
the developers he has spoken
with have indicated a prefer
ence to stick with lots larger
than three acres so they can
avoid the curb and gutter re
quirements with smaller lots.
There had been no serious
discussion of any mega-de
velopments out in the county,
he said.
But Economic Developer
Suttles believes several
trends make heavy growth
inevitable here. “They’re
coming,” he said.
One of the reasons he be
lieves we will see larger de
velopments is simply the fact
there are properties here large
enough to site one. On Ga.
400 and the area around it
most available properties up
through Forsyth County are
already sold and developed,
leaving developers to look
for new areas.
And Jasper is a particu
larly attractive location right
now with the work-at-home
trend. People are looking at
the map and seeing that the
end of the road (at least in
terms of interstate 575) leads
directly to Pickens County,
Suttles said.
“More and more people
now consider moving further
from the metro area which
points to Pickens County,” he
said.
The desire for the elbow
room trend was seconded by
longtime Chief Tax Appraiser
Dobbs who added during an
April interview that this is
one of the highest levels of
growth he has seen in
decades. However, not par
ticularly unexpected as trends
for people moving from
metro areas to relatively
sparsely populated areas like
Pickens have been building,
even before the pandemic
year, Dobbs said.
He said the key factor
driving the growth is the
space/property people can ac
quire with their homes but
that is also a challenge - to
preserve the rural atmos
phere.
1 H
If
1 < ^
Single houses off driveways, or in some cases two homes off the same drive, is the trend
most visible in west Pickens residential development. Both of these are off of Jerusalem
Church Road, which will also see a new 10-lot subdivision coming.
Continued From 1A
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ens County School District
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safely end this interesting
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Fourth
slightly different lineup. The
Peachtree Rides fair will be
at Lee Newton Park begin
ning Thursday, July 1 and run
through Sunday, July 4. The
parade will be on Saturday,
July 3 and there will also be
entertainment throughout the
day on Saturday at Lee New
ton Park. This year the parade
will begin at 1 p.m. instead of
the usual 10 a.m.
“We wanted to change
that time so that the end of
the parade is closer to time
when the rides will open at
the park, and event will be
going on,” Miller said.
BINGO is back again that
Saturday, and it and other en-
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tertainment will begin di
rectly after the parade.
BINGO will be in the Pick
ens Chamber of Commerce
building and entertainment
and vendors at Lee Newton
Park.
Fireworks will be set off
the following day, on Sunday,
July 4.
“We were trying to change
that to Saturday, but after
things were cancelled last
year we were booked again
for the 4th this year with the
company, and we can’t get
that changed. But we’re
going to make things work
and we think it will work out
very well,” Miller said.
The headlining act High
Ridge Band will also perform
on Sunday in hopes of draw
ing a crowd before the fire
works display, which will be
set off from their regular lo
cation and visible from the
downtown Jasper area. The
band starts at 6 p.m. at Lee
Newton Park stage.
The raffle drawing will be
on July 4 as usual at 10 p.m.
just before the fireworks.
This year’s raffle will be for
cash prizes: 1st - $1,000; 2nd
- $500; and 3rd - $250. Tick
ets can be purchased on fes
tival grounds beginning the
Thursday when Peachtree
Rides opens. They will also
be available from Lions
members beginning in the
next week or so.
If you are interested in do
nating to the club to support
the fireworks or if you are in
terested in being a vendor for
the event please email geor-
gialions@mac.com. See a fu
ture edition of the Progress
for information about parade
applications.
The fireworks display is
scheduledfor 6p.m. on Sun
day, July 4th. Just in case
you missed it, the schedule
for Jasper’s Independence
Day Celebration is on the
Front page.
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Job Opportunity
Pickens County Government has an opening
for full-time Finance Director
This position is responsible for the accurate account
ing of Pickens County’s financial records in confor
mance with GAAP, budget development and
implementation, monitoring revenues and expenditures,
providing timely reporting to departments, managing
and accounting for Pickens County’s property and fixed
assets and facilitating the annual audit.
Minimum Qualifications
Knowledge and level of competency commonly as
sociated with the completion of a baccalaureate degree
in a course of study related to the occupational field.
Experience sufficient to thoroughly understand the
diverse objectives and functions of the subunits in the
division/department in order to direct and coordinate
work within the division/department, usually interpreted
to require three to five years of related experience.
Ability to be bonded.
All applicants must pass a pre-employment back
ground check.
For a full job description and to apply for this posi
tion, go to our website
https://pickenscountvaa.aov/emplovvment-opportunities/
Qualified candidates may submit a resume and ap
plication to applications@pickenscountvaa.aov or in
person at Pickens County Administrative Offices; 1266
E Church St., Jasper, GA30143. Monday - Friday, 8:00
A.M. and 5:00 P. M.
Salary commensurate with experience.
Open until filled.
Pickens County is an Equai Opportunity Employer
and a Drug Free Workplace.
Traditional
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-j 22.