Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, March 3, 2022 | Volume 134 Number 46 | Jasper, Georgia | 24 pages, 2 sections | Published Weekly | $1.00
Prominent developer has big
plans for the heart of Jasper
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
The lead developer of a large
mixed-used project near Ingles in
Jasper, who is also a lead developer
of The Mill on Etowah in Canton,
said they are progressing steadily
through the pre-construction phase
with the next step to be the land dis
turbing permit.
The project will encompass
around 22 acres on parcels between
Ingles and The Retreat at Jasper.
Project plans call for 177 residential
units, including 152 multi-family
apartments and 25 townhomes, as
well as between 30,000 and 40,000
square feet of commercial space.
The apartment units will be in three-
story buildings.
Price for the residential units are
not finalized at this time, according
to the developer.
A PUD zoning for the proj ect was
recommended by Jasper Planning &
Zoning then granted final approval
by Jasper City Council last year,
prior to the residential moratorium
being put in place.
Lead developer Grant Schmeelk
is also one of the lead developers for
the popular “The Mill on Etowah”
development in Canton, which is in
part housed in a renovated denim
factory. It includes Reformation
Brewery, restaurants, retail shops,
entertainment space and other ele
ments. Schmeelk told the Progress,
for the Jasper project their commer
cial area will include some retail,
professional, and medical spaces. He
QPUBLIC/Map
An area behind Ingles may be developed to include three-story apartments and commercial space.
Airport
hangar
rental list
acquired
By Alex Goble
Staff Writer
On Feb. 14 the Pickens
Progress received a copy
of both the airport’s mas
ter list for hangar rentals
and the waitlist for said
hangars after filing open
records requests.
The requests were made
after several pilots ques
tioned the list’s where
abouts and the order
leases were being as
signed.
There does not appear
to be anyone who holds
more than one of a single
type of hangar outside of
companies like Cherokee
Flight Training, although
See List on 10A
Perrow building demolished for park project
Alex Goble / Photo
One of the white buildings in Perrow Park being taken down by city of Jasper crews on Tuesday. The second white
building is planned to be demolished by Wednesday as part of the transformation of the area at the corner of South
Main and Spring streets into a park that could include an amphitheater.
The historic Perrow Cabin at the same site is not slated for immediate demolition, but its future is uncertain.
Covid
absent in
Pickens
schools
Administrators
have fingers
crossed it will
stay that way
By Dan Pool
Editor
dpool@piekensprogress.com
Early reports indicate
that COVID cases in the
Pickens schools went on
winter break and haven’t
returned - at least not yet.
Now, school officials
are hoping the virus will
remain absent for the re
mainder of the school year
which ends in May.
The school system re
ported zero cases of
COVID among students
and staff on Monday and
only a single case (staff
member) Tuesday, after
returning from winter
break last week. Monday
was the first day since the
Omicron spike began in
January where the schools
reported zero cases.
“Fingers crossed to the
end of the year [May
27th],” said Superintend
ent Tony Young. “I check
See Absent on 11A
Parents of daycare children still at
whim of quarantine requirements
*
Me-
4 1 hm
-
Angela Reinhardt / Photo
A pre-k class offour-and five-year olds at Country Kids have an end-of-the day snack before parent pick up. This
Jasper daycare center, like others in the state, is still required to quarantine and contact trace, which puts parents
and employees in a difficult spot. “Knock on wood, ” the center has gone two weeks without having to quarantine a
class, the owner said.
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
Listening to Country Kids Owner
Rhonda Mullins explain procedures
they are required to follow for quaran
tining is an exercise in mental acrobat
ics. Day one of quarantine starts on this
day. Here’s what happens when a child
is exposed at school. Here’s what hap
pens when a child is exposed at home.
Here’s what happens when a child or
teacher tests positive. Here’s how con
tact tracing works.
“Yes, it’s very confusing, like a puz
zle” Mullins said as she pulled out her
thick “COVID” file of Georgia Depart
ment of Public Health guidelines and
other COVID paperwork from the last
two years.
The daycare owner said “knock on
wood” they have not had to quarantine
a class in the last two weeks - and with
COVID cases on the decline she hopes
that trend continues - but unlike our
local K-12 public schools, daycare cen
ters are still required to quarantine and
contact trace. Mullins and many exac-
See Daycare on 11A
noted they have worked well
with the city of Jasper during
the process, and that, “It was a
natural move for us to come
from Canton to Jasper.”
Jasper Mayor Steve
Lawrence is excited about the
project, which he said, “Of all
the developments we’ve had
this one makes a lot of eco
nomic sense for the city of
Jasper.”
Developers are working
with the city to secure a land
disturbing permit, and ground
will be broken sometime after
that.
Election Campaigns
Josh Tippens
announces
candidacy for
Post 2
commission Page 3A
Rick Jasperse
seeks re-election
Page 3A
Obituaries - 6A
• Anita Arnold
• Ben Jones
• Brenda Radford
• Consuelo Hernandez
• Ernie Green
• Jane Goodwin
• Jim Kraemer
• Joyce Sparks
• Keith Moseman
• Stacy Gunn
• Susan Spofford
Contact Us
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Jasper, Ga. 30143
706-253-2457
www.pickensproaress.com
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