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THURSDAY. OCTOBER 5. 2023 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 11A
Continued From 1A
Perrow
Park
also have a great hometown
feel.”
Jasper’s Assistant City
Manager Kim Goldener com
mended council members for
their vision, “as well as many
of our community leaders
who saw the potential for
amazing parks space within
our community for our com
munity to enjoy and for our
visitors.”
“We’ve been talking about
Continued From 1A
Marble Fest
described the way the 41st
edition of the festival is shap
ing up. Among the features
that have her excited:
• The festival has returned
to a two stage plan, with one
for the “local flair” and the
other for headline perform
ers;
• Both a chainsaw artist
and marble sculptor will be
giving demonstrations;
• Expanded food court;
• More arts and crafts ven
dors that previous years.
• Newly relocated Marble
Museum in the same building
as the chamber. “This is a
great chance for local people
to come and visit the mu
seum,” she said. Admission
is free and along with tools,
and photos from the history
of the marble industry here,
there are videos which show
case the unique heritage.
• Expanded Kid’s Zone,
which chamber officials take
great pride in. “It’s almost
double the size of last year’s
and it’s all free. In this econ
omy, it will really help fami
lies to be able to bring all the
kids and when they want to
ride stuff to know that it’s all
free. Thanks to the local
sponsors we are able to offer
this,” Kuriger said. Renasant
Bank is the premier sponsors
and visitors can see other
sponsors on the signage as
you enter the kids zone.
“Just awesome,” Kuriger
said. “The weather, more and
new vendors, great festival
food. We are expecting a big
crowd.”
For more information all
the local festivals this fall,
see the Festival Guide avail
able at pickensprogress.com.
Continued From 1A
Forum
this a long, long, long time,”
said council member Sonny
Proctor who has worked
closely on Perrow Park for
many years. “We’ve had
some stones along the way,
but it was a vision that we
started seven or eight years
ago. It’s unreal and surreal to
finally have these concepts
we’ve been talking about for
so long. I’m just proud to be
part of this project and this
wonderful city council.”
Council member Jim
Looney said “I don’t think
there’s anyone more excited
about this than I am. There
are some good stories about
how we got here today.. .This
is going to be a big part of
continuing to develop the
downtown area. I’m very
proud that this is done and
thank you all for that.”
The city’s first grant appli
cation for Perrow Park did
not make it past state ap
proval. With guidance from
the Department of Commu
nity Affairs, NWGRC and
others, the city strengthened
the application. Goldener
thanked Jasper’s Downtown
Development Authority, the
Pickens County Chamber of
Commerce, the Jasper Mer
chant’s Association, Pickens
Arts & Cultural Alliance, and
several local restaurants and
merchants who “pulled to
gether that economic infor
mation to strengthen our
application and ultimately
help justify that an invest
ment in our community
would be a win-win for
everyone.”
Looney recognized city
staff for their work on the
project, as well as council
and mayor, Rep. Rick
Jasperse, DDA member Jack
Dunn, Robert Keller who
through Atlantic Coast Con
servancy contributed money
for original concept draw
Jasper Fire Chief John Sheerer (holding official designation) with city council and mayor. Sheerer thanked the city
for designating a week in October as Fire Prevention Week.
You can register day-of
but it is recommended partic
ipants register before the
event because of waivers that
have to be signed.
ings, Pickens Chamber Pres
ident Amberle Godfrey, DDA
members Amy Leake, Marty
Callahan, Parish Lowrie,
Amelia McIntyre, and
Matthew Dunn.
The city owns two parcels
totaling approximately 3.2
acres that will be used for
Perrow Park. In 2016 the city
purchased property adjacent
to the green space, which
they have owned since 2000.
Plans at that time were to put
restrooms in a building on the
property that council opted to
tear down last year.
Rezoning approved for
49-home subdivision on
Gennett Drive
City council approved a
rezoning and annexation for
a 16.73-acre parcel of land on
Gennett Drive that will pave
way for a 49 home subdivi
sion.
The property was zoned
Rural Residential in Pickens
County, and was annexed
into the city as R-2. The lot
surrounds Grandview Nurs
ing Home.
A public hearing was held
prior to the vote. No member
of the public spoke against
the request. Jasper Planning
& Development Director
Mary Elizabeth Burgess rec
ommended the rezoning.
Burgess told council the
development would not have
negative economic impact on
the area or overburden the in
frastructure. Water and sewer
is available in the area.
“This is 49 units, not 300
units,” she said.
The size of the property
limits the number of resi
dences to 49.
Burgess added that be
cause Gennett Drive is nar
row and curvy in areas there
will be a required traffic
study, with the developer un
City leaders celebrate a $1 million matching grant for Perrow Park. (L-R) Council
member John Foust, Jasper Assistant City Manager Kim Goldener, council members Kirk
Raffield and Sonny Proctor, Northwest Georgia Regional Commission Executive Director
Boyd Austin, council member Anne Sneve, Jasper Mayor Steve Lawrence, Jasper City
Manager Sonia Jammes and council member Jim Looney.
derstanding that they could
have to fund changes like a
deceleration lane.
She emphasized that de
velopers will have to comply
with and be approved for lot
requirements, site plan re
view, traffic mitigation,
stormwater mitigation and
utilities requirements.
The developer said the
subdivision will have an
HOA and private roads.
Proctor noted that the city
approved the rezoning and
annexation only with their
vote, not site or development
plans.
The rezoning and annexa
tion was approved with con
ditions, with Anne Sneve the
only board member to vote
against the motions.
Other news from
the council:
•Council adopted the roll
back millage rate of 5.22
mils, down from 5.467 mils.
•A proclamation was read
declaring Oct. 22, 2023 as
First Baptist Church of Jasper
Day. The church is celebrat
ing its 175th anniversary.
•Council member John
Foust reported trail work is
underway at Doris Wigington
Park.
•Don Boggus was reap
pointed chair of the Jasper
Housing Development
Board.
•A parcel adjacent to the
Animal Medical Clinic on
Chambers Street was rezoned
so owners can build a single
family residence there.
FIRST JASPER POLICE
DEPARTMENT GRAVITY
RACING DERBY - Jasper’s
Assistant Police Chief Mike
Davis talks about the upcom
ing Gravity Racing Derby on
Saturday, Oct. 14. Davis
spearheaded the derby so
local police could have a
community fundraiser like
local sheriff and fire depart
ments host, and have fun
while doing it.
The derby will be along
Stegall Drive between Mark
Whitfield and Mary Street,
Saturday, Oct. 14 at 10 a.m.
People are encouraged to get
creative and come up with
the most “far out, crazy, non
propulsion vehicle you and
your team can .” Vehicles line
up by 9:30. Registration
forms, rides and guidelines
available at
www.jasperga.us
/jpdderby/index.html.
spot up for election, a high
number of candidates, in
cluding several new faces
here, have entered the races.
Only Post 3 with new
comer Brandon Hannah does
not see competition.
In addition to the forum,
all candidates for local races
are offered a free introduc
tory article in the Progress
and most have submitted
theirs which are available in
this issue and previous edi
tions that can be found at
PickensProgress.com in the
e-edition archives.
Candidates are welcome
to contact the Progress at ar-
ticles@pickensprogress.com
to submit their introductions.
Candidates running for office
in Jasper are:
Mayor
Lora Erdman
Kirk Raffield
Post 3
Brandon Hannah
(Unopposed)
Post 4
Jim Looney (Incumbent)
Dorian Gibson
Post 5
John Foust (Incumbent)
Bethsadia Fernandez
Shirley Mitchell
Anthony Young
Look for coverage next
week of a Nelson candidate
forum held in conjunction
with their regular city council
meeting Monday.
Continued From 1A
Hospital Expansion
Rendering/Piedmont Mountainside Hospital
A rendering of the new unit of Piedmont Mountainside
Hospital, which will add more beds and increase intensive
care and medical surgery capacity.
rently offers surgical services
including but not limited to
General Surgery, Breast Sur
gery, Gynecology, Obstetrics,
Orthopedic, Urology, Vascu
lar and more, along with an
array of advanced imaging,
such as CT coronary an
giogram and diagnostic car
diac catheterization.”
“When construction is
complete, Piedmont Moun
tainside will have a license
for 76 inpatient beds with a
newly constructed...unit that
will predominantly care for
intensive care patients.”
Ray told the Progress bed
expansion discussions began
in 2019 as Piedmont Moun
tainside Hospital’s average
daily number of inpatients
began to rise, then discus
sions escalated in June 2020
when the hospital was ap
proved by the Department of
Community Health for 10 ad
ditional inpatient beds.
“Construction of the beds
was ultimately delayed due
to the COVID-19 pandemic,”
she said. “With the delay, this
permitted Piedmont Moun
tainside the opportunity to
prepare a Certificate of Need
filing for 14 additional beds.”
In December of this year
construction will also begin
on a $15.5 million project
that will add radiation oncol
ogy as a service of Piedmont
Mountainside Hospital. This
project is expected to be
completed by mid to late
2024.
“The purchase of a linear
accelerator (a device used to
treat cancer by delivering
high-energy x-rays or elec
trons to the region of the pa
tient’s tumor) and plans for
construction of a radiation
oncology facility are under
way,” Ray said. “This is so
important because there will
now be an option, here at
home, for quality cancer
treatment through Piedmont
Oncology.”
The CEO believes the ex
pansion will help their hospi
tal provide better services to
Pickens County and neigh
boring areas.
“Piedmont Mountainside
Hospital has been recognized
as one of the top hospitals in
the state through several
measures, including quality,
first and foremost,” she said.
“As a nonprofit, we exist to
serve the surrounding com
munities. This expansion will
enable us to better serve the
needs of our community.”
N. Ga. Conservation Coalition to offer
information on tax credits/rebates
Tuesday, October 10, at 5:30 North Georgia Conservation
Coalition director Dr. Bette Holland will offer information
about tax credits and rebates available to all for investments
in energy efficiency and alternate sources, including electric
vehicles, heat pumps, solar, batteries and appliances. Every
one is invited. Pickens County Library, 100 Library Lane.
TATER PATCH PLAYERS PRESENTS:
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OCTOBER 14 7:30 pm AND OCTOBER 15 2:00 pm
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TATERPATCHPLAYERS@GMAIL.COM 706-253-2800