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THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019 | $1.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com
How to keep that New Year
resolution alive, get out, 6a
Honestly Local
BRASELTON
Housing for older adults proposed
Planners to consider new 195-lot age-targeted subdivision in South Hall
Hall County Planning Commission
What: Proposed rezoning for 195-lot, age-targeted subdivision off
Union Church Road in South Hall
When: 5:15 p.m. Monday, Jan. 7
Where: Hall County Government Center, 2875 Browns Bridge Road,
Gainesville
BY JEFF GILL
jgill@gainesvilletimes.com
South Hall residential growth
may keep rolling into the new
year.
A 195-lot, age-targeted subdivi
sion has been proposed on nearly
60 acres off Union Church Road
and Old Winder Highway/Ga. 211
near Braselton.
Pulte Homes is seeking the
development, requesting a rezon
ing from agricultural-residential to
planned residential development.
The subdivision, which could be
gated, would include an amenity
area with a dog park, gathering
area with pavilion or gazebo, park
ing area and mailbox kiosk. The
amenity area may also include
walking trails, passive pocket
parks and a fire pit, according to
Pulte’s application.
“Existing structures located
on the property will be removed
prior to the development of the
property,” the application states.
The property now has several
single-family residences, a single
wide mobile home and various
outbuildings, according to Hall
County staff report on the pro
posal, which is set to go before the
Hall County Planning Commission
on Monday, Jan. 7.
Brian Rochester, a Gainesville
engineer representing the appli
cant, said Pulte also is proposing
the development market to people
55 and older.
Older adult housing is a trend in
the area. To the west of the prop
erty is Village at Deaton Creek
subdivision, an age-restricted
community that was approved for
1,400 lots by Hall County in 2005,
the county’s staff report says.
The report also says that Pulte’s
request is not consistent with
Hall’s Comprehensive Plan, as the
recommended density for residen
tial areas is 2 homes per acre and
the Pulte subdivision proposes 3.3
units per acre.
However, the planned residen
tial development zoning classi
fication “is intended to provide
opportunities for a more flexible
placement, arrangement and ori
entation of residential structures,”
the report states.
The planning staff is recom
mending approval of the proposal
■ Please see HOUSING, 8A
La Casa Del Taco opening soon
HALL COUNTS
Smallwood
SCOn ROGERS I The Times
La Casa Del Taco will open on Wednesday Jan 9, at 5533 Atlanta Highway in Flowery Branch. The restaurant will serve
authentic Mexican food.
Father and son bringing familial Mexican food to Flowery Branch
BY KELSEY RICHARDSON
krichardson@gainesvilletimes.com
Bringing a taste of family recipes to
Flowery Branch, Oscar Munoz and his
son, Oscar Jr., will serve up authentic
Mexican cuisine at their upcoming res
taurant La Casa Del Taco.
The restaurant will officially open
on Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 5533 Atlanta
Highway in Flowery Branch.
Oscar, co-owner and head chef of
La Casa Del Taco, said he had always
dreamed of opening his own restau
rant since working in French and Ital
ian kitchens in Chicago.
Now that most of his children have
reached adulthood, he decided it was
time to bring a taste of his native Mexi
can cuisine to Hall County.
Oscar Jr. said his mother, Maria,
helped develop the dishes for the res
taurant, and included some of her fam
ily recipes.
“It’s scary sharing our recipes,”
he said. “We love them, but us loving
them and people liking them is com
pletely different.”
Backing up its namesake, the restau
rant will have a variety of tacos includ
ing steak and al pastor. The al pastor
will be slowly cooked in the spit-grilled
style, then sliced off in thin strips with
a large knife.
Oscar Jr. said all of the ingredients
for the tacos will be grilled, which will
provide a healthier option for those
wanting to stay away from fried food.
During the morning, La Casa Del
Taco will prepare breakfast Mexican
food, like burrito and taco dishes that
incorporate bacon and eggs.
Oscar Jr. said his favorite menu
■ Please see CASA, 8A
reflects on 21
years of service
BY MEGAN REED
mreed@gainesvilletimes.com
In Don Smallwood’s 21 years on the Hall County
Planning Commission, the county’s population grew
by almost 50 percent — growth that Smallwood was
at the center of as the commission’s
chairman.
He joined the commission in 1997
and was chairman for most of his time
on the advisory board, which considers
zoning and development proposals and
votes on recommendations to the Hall
County Board of Commissioners.
Smallwood presided over his last
meeting Dec. 3, when he announced
his retirement. He still has his business,
D-Jay Petroleum, to keep him busy.
He said the job was enjoyable, although it was difficult
at times.
“I’ve seen several commissioners come and go, and
I’ve seen several members of the planning board come
and go, but we’ve been
You always try
to be fair to the
application, fair
to the county
and fair to the
people that are
already there.’
Don Smallwood
Hall County Planning
Commission Chairman
Smallwood
fortunate in Hall County.
We’ve had good people,”
Smallwood said.
He said the county has
seen much development
over the last 20 years, put
ting the planning commis
sion in the sometimes tough
position of balancing the
rights of property owners
or businesses with rights of
neighbors who have con
cerns about their changing
hometown.
The debate can get
emotional, he said, and he
understands that people
may not want to see their
neighborhood change.
“You just have to look at what it is, where it is, how it is
and then make your decision based on that,” Smallwood
said. “You always try to be fair to the application, fair
I Please see SERVICE, 8A
State committee wants lotto to support veterans programs
BY JOSHUA SILAVENT
jsilavent@gainesvilletimes.com
A Georgia Senate study com
mittee is recommending that new
scratch-off lottery tickets be created
with proceeds directed to support
programs and services for military
veterans.
“That, in itself, is a great idea,”
said Johnny Varner, a Hall County
resident who retired from the Army
in 2006 after 20 years in the military.
Varner now works to connect vet
erans and others in need with steady
work through the Goodwill Career
Center in Oakwood.
And his longtime leadership in
a local American Legion chapter
has kept Varner close to the educa
tional, financial and medical needs
of veterans.
Six states offer lottery games that
raise money for veterans’ services,
such as job training, housing assis
tance, mental health counseling and
meal programs for the disabled.
Last year marked the 25th anni
versary of the Georgia Lottery Cor
poration, which was established
under the leadership of former gov
ernor Zell Miller.
According to the Georgia Budget
and Policy Institute, the lottery has
generated billions of dollars in rev
enue from scratch-and-win prizes
at convenience stores, as well as
money-ball drawings on live televi
sion for huge cash winnings.
About a quarter of lottery sales
proceeds support public education,
most notably, the HOPE scholarship
and grants, paving the way for afford
able college and university studies
for in-state students.
The remaining revenue covers
overhead, payouts to winners or is
put into a reserve fund.
GBPI reports that the state legis
lature “appropriated $367 million
from the lottery in the 2019 state bud
get for pre-Kindergarten and $808
million for HOPE scholarships and
grants, totaling $1.2 billion.”
Varner said Georgia is a great
■ Please see LOTTO, 8A
AUSTIN STEELE I The Times
A state study committee is recommending that the state’s lottery
corporation create scratch-off ticket games with revenues
distributed to agencies supporting veterans.
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