About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 2018)
FLOWERY BRANCH New apartments get first approval Group also looking into mixed-use project downtown BY JEFF GILL jgill@gainesvilletimes.com A proposed 324-unit apartment complex near Interstate 985 in Flowery Branch got its first OK from the Flowery Branch City Council Thursday night as part an Atlanta developer’s larger plans for the South Hall city. The apartment complex, Crest Flowery Branch, would be built off Phil Niekro Boulevard at Thurmon Tanner Parkway, just west of 1-985. The complex would feature a club house and swimming pool. The Residential Group is seek ing to rezone the site from highway business to multifamily residential. However, the front portion of the property, facing Phil Niekro, would remain as highway busi ness, a move that would “cre ate a mixed-use environment,” according to a document from the developer. The five outparcels, varying in size from 1 to 114 acres, could contain retail businesses, such as restaurants, Kurt R. Alexan der, principal for The Residential Group, told the council at its Dec. 6 meeting. He said the project could take two years to complete, and rents could vary from $900 to $1,400 per month. “It’s a high-end product, for sure,” community development director Rich Atkinson told the council. The Residential Group has developed upscale apartment complexes in other cities, includ ing One Metrocenter in Nashville, Tenn. The project did get pushback from a couple of residents, includ ing Robert Byrd. “Apartment complexes over whelm the educational system,” said Byrd, a former educator who used to live and teach in Gwin nett County. “The whole reason I moved here was to get away from apartment complexes. “I don’t know how the infrastruc ture around here can handle this many units.” Mayor Mike Miller said, “In all my conversations with the (Hall County) school system, they want that higher socioeconomic in this area.” Atkinson said residents of other Residential Group complexes vary from empty-nesters to younger people. “It’s all walks of life,” he said. The council will give final approval at a later meeting. ■ Please see APARTMENT, 8A AUSTIN STEELE I The Times Kurt R. Alexander, principal with The Residential Group, speaks during an open house at the City of Flowery Branch building concerning plans for downtown redevelopment on Wednesday, Dec. 5. What residents want in parks AUSTIN STEELE I The Times Mack Cain, a park planner working with Hall County Parks and Leisure, speaks during a meeting taking input from the public on the parks master plan at Chestatee High School on Thursday, Dec. 6. Firm will use public opinion to develop master plan for next 10 years BY MEGAN REED mreed@gainesvilletimes.com Residents told Hall County parks staff and planners Thurs day evening that they would like to see more dog parks, preservation of historical sites and parks that have a variety of facilities. The gathering at Chestatee High School was the fourth and final meeting held by Hall County Parks and Leisure to seek input for the parks depart ment’s master plan. People can still fill out a survey online to Take the survey online: projectsurveys.com tell officials what they would like to see added or changed to parks facilities. Clark Patterson Lee, the Suwanee firm hired to develop the master plan, is doing an inventory of current facili ties and will use input from the meetings and the survey to draft the master plan. The draft will go to parks staff for review, and the public will be able to comment on it at one more meeting. Then, the Board of Commissioners will approve the plan, which will guide the parks department for the next decade. Parks Director Mike Little said a gap in services on the north end of Lake Lanier was mentioned at three of the county’s four meetings. The survey asks people to identify which area of Hall they live in, and meetings were held on each end of the county to get input from all areas. Mack Cain, the Clark Pat terson Lee senior landscape architect leading the project, said he thinks parks should fit in with the surrounding environment, and they should have features that people with different interests or needs can enjoy. “We want to make sure there’s something at every single park so that everyone in the community gets to go there and use it and it’s not a single-use park,” Cain said. ■ Please see PARKS, 8A ‘We want to make sure there’s something at every single park so that everyone in the community gets to go there and use it and it’s not a single-use park.’ Mack Cain, Senior landscape architect at Clark Patterson Lee Hall may get freezing rain, snow this weekend BY MEGAN REED mreed@gainesvilletimes.com Hall County could get heavy rain and sleet, as well as possibly the season’s first snowfall, Saturday and Sunday. Saturday night into Sunday morning, the area is forecasted to get some rain and pos sibly freezing rain, according to the National Weather Service. Those conditions are expected to continue throughout the day Sunday. Then, Sunday night into Monday morning, some snow is expected. The National Weather Service empha sizes that the forecast changes often. Updates are available on its website. Northern Georgia is predicted to feel most of the impact of the winter storm, according to a statement from the National Weather Service issued Thursday. “The period of most concern is Saturday night into Sunday for the mountains and far northeast counties. At this time, the counties most likely affected are Eastern Fannin, Eastern Dawson, Union, Lumpkin, Towns, White, Hall and Banks,” the statement reads. “It is way too early to mention amounts but ■ Please see SNOW, 8A Applebee’s in Gainesville has closed BY JEFF GILL jgill@gainesvilletimes.com Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar + Grill at 1705 Browns Bridge Road has closed. “We’re moving,” a sign on the front door says. “Your Gainesville location is now closed.” The sign also urges visitors to go to the res taurant at 31 Bethel Drive in Dawsonville and shows a map of the location. Asked for comment on the closing and moving, Applebee’s said in an emailed statement only that “we greatly appreciate our neighbors’ patronage and look forward to continuing to serve guests at the nearby Applebee’s restaurants in the area.” The restaurant’s closing is the second in recent weeks among restaurants on Browns Bridge. ■ Please see APPLEBEE’S, 8A INSIDE 0 40901 06835 Advice 6B Bridge 6B Business 8B Calendar 2A Classified 9B 8 Comics 7B Life 5B Lottery 2A Opinion 7A Our Region 8A Sports 1B TV/puzzles 6B WEATHER 2A High Low w 48 38 Lake Lanier level: 1,070.58 feet Full pool 1,071. Down 0.14 feet in 24 hours DEATHS 9A Leonard Herring, 84 Bobby McMahan, 85 Mary Roberts, 91 Elios Auttonberry, 89 Frank Bell, 65 Gary Carroll, 53 Allen Daniel, 65 Carole Gaines, 74 Thomas Hedrick, 66 Jacqueline Reese, 61 Adlea Smith Bruce Smith, 70 James Ward, 73 Karen White, 49
