About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (June 17, 2020)
LOCAL The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com Midweek Edition - June 17-18, 2020 5A Man charged after Friday chase through BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com A set of spike strips stopped a Buford man who allegedly led a handful of law enforcement agen cies on a weekend chase reaching speeds as high as 100 mph, police said. Flowery Branch Police noticed a 2011 gold Toyota Camry around 9:30 p.m. Friday, June 12, in the city’s downtown area. Chief David Spillers said the car was stolen out of Gainesville and wanted by Gwinnett County Police, who had chased the vehicle earlier that day. “The vehicle led offi cers on a chase in the downtown area of Flow ery Branch, and at one point attempted to strike one of the officers who was driving another vehicle as the pursuit was David underway,” according to Flowery Branch Police. The suspect vehicle reached speeds of 80-100 mph on McEver Road to Ga. 20, as it eventually headed toward Forsyth County. Law enforcement from Hall, Gwinnett and For syth counties joined the Georgia State Patrol in the pursuit. The car eventually stopped at the intersection of Ga. 9 and Atlanta Road in Forsyth County, where three people in the car got out and ran into a wooded area. The Forsyth County Sheriffs Office’s K9 unit tracked down the suspected driver, Lamont Wash ington David, 35. The other two occupants were not found, though police were unsure if there were any charges for these two people as a result of the chase. 3 counties David was booked into the Hall County Jail, where he is being held on a $13,740 bond. He was charged with aggra vated assault, theft by receiving stolen property, driving on the wrong side of the road, speeding, reckless driving and fleeing or attempting to elude. Defense attorney Andy Mad dox did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday, June 16. Man charged with rape, furnishing alcohol to minor BY JEFF GILL jgill@gainesvilletimes.com More housing targeting University of North Georgia students is being proposed. Johns Creek-based bSide Partners is looking to develop a 12.5-acre site at the Thur- mon Tanner entrance to UNG’s Gainesville campus. “With the growth in UNG enrollment, the ongoing rede velopment of the old Lanier Tech campus and the immi nent development of (other nearby student housing), this part of Oakwood will truly serve as a welcoming gate way to the city and the uni versity,” bSide Partners says in its application. The company is propos ing 259 units for a total of 378 bedrooms in a complex bounded by Thurmon Tan ner, Mathis Drive, Landrum Education Drive and Front age Road. The complex also would feature a clubhouse and 205-space parking deck. Amenities include pool, dog park, trails and green spaces. The company is seeking rezoning from residential to planned residential develop ment, so it would need final approval from Oakwood City Council before it can proceed. The project was scheduled to go before the Oakwood Plan ning Commission on Monday, June 15, but that meeting was canceled. If approved, apartments could reach “substantial completion” by June 2024, according to bSide. The project would con tinue a recent development trend of student housing in the area. An 18-cottage develop ment off Frontage Road and Thurmon Tanner opened in August 2019 A 488-bed student housing project was approved last year by Oakwood off Atlanta Highway/Ga. 13 and Front age Road. “This is similar to dorm- style living that you would have on traditional college campuses but in the form of privatized student housing,” Eric Johansen, spokesman for the project, told the coun cil in February 2019. “We believe this provides another student housing option. It could be a great centerpiece for the rest of the growth .. in this area.” The complex, which will be known as The Prox, also is being developed by bSide. Also, off-campus student apartments — up to 550 beds — could be developed at 3055 Tumbling Creek Road, next to the campus, as part of a purchase agreement between UNG and DeKalb County-based Mallory & Evans Development LLC. Tumbling Creek Road runs between Atlanta Highway/ Ga. 13 and Old Oakwood Road. Also on the road is the Lanier College & Career Academy. BY NICK WATSON nwatson@ gainesvilletimes.com A Gainesville man is accused of providing alco hol to a minor and sexu ally assaulting her at his residence, according to authorities. Jose Tomas Pedro, 21, was charged with rape and furnishing alcohol to a minor. Hall County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded around 10:45 a.m. May 31, to North east Georgia Medi cal Center, where a girl was being treated. Authorities did not disclose the girl’s age. “According to the initial inves tigation, the victim met Pedro through interactions on social media. A rela tive of Pedro drove him to pick the victim up in her neighborhood and dropped the two off at Pedro’s resi dence on Georgia Avenue where he provided her alco hol and sexually assaulted her dur ing the early morn ing hours of May 31,” Hall County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Derreck Booth wrote in an email. Booth said Pedro’s rela tive, who does not face charges at this time, drove the girl back to her neigh borhood “unaware of what had occurred.” Pedro was booked into the Hall County Jail June 11, where he remains. There is also an immigra tion hold listed on the Hall County Jail database. The case is still under investigation. Defense attorney Matt Leipold did not immedi ately return a request for comment Tuesday, June 16. NOTICE TO HALL COUNTY TAXPAYERS The Hall County Board of Commissioners does hereby announce that the millage rate will be set at a meeting to be held at the Hall County Government Center, Commission Meeting Room located at 2875 Browns Bridge Rd, Gainesville, GA on Thursday, June 25,2020 at 6:00 PM and pursuant to the requirements of O.C.G.A. § 48-5-32 does hereby publish the following presentation of the current year's tax digest and levy, along with the history of the tax digest and levy for the past five years. CURRENT 2020 PROPERTY TAX DIGEST AND 5 YEAR HISTORY OF LEVY COUNTY WIDE 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Real & Personal 6,953,739,405 7,154,996,528 7,726,413,353 8,485,434,166 9,208,749,923 9,889,002,783 c Motor Vehicles 305,581,170 231,413,280 176,446,340 139,750,710 116,248,700 100,550,510 O V Mobile Homes 23,300,014 23,106,159 23,141,759 23,163,615 24,001,444 24,031,636 U A Timber-100% 516,433 190,596 471,608 173,531 378,224 564,708 t u Heavy Duty Equipment 90,613 370,133 333,006 566,426 410,529 496,407 y E Gross Digest 7,283,227,635 7,410,076,696 7,926,806,066 8,649,088,448 9,349,788,820 10,014,646,044 W Less Exemptions 627,748,549 611,142,931 627,362,343 652,175,758 701,808,420 695,122,941 d NET DIGEST VALUE 6,655,479,086 6,798,933,765 7,299,443,723 7,996,912,690 8,647,980,400 9,319,523,103 e R Gross Maintenance & Operation Millage 8.8790 8.9390 9.7790 8.3040 8.0260 7.7620 A r A T Less Rollback (Local Option Sales Tax) 3.1440 3.2230 3.0790 2.9440 2.9280 2.9090 e E NET M&O MILLAGE RATE 5.7350 5.7160 6.7000 5.3600 5.0980 4.8530 a TOTAL M&O TAXES LEVIED $38,169,173 $38,862,705 $48,906,273 $42,863,452 $44,087,404 $45,227,646 TAX Net Tax $ Increase $131,255 $693,533 $10,043,568 ($6,042,821) $1,223,952 $1,140,242 Net Tax % Increase 0.35% 1.82% 25.84% -12.36% 2.86% 2.59% 259-unit housing complex would cater to UNG Pedro virtual SGRAND OPENING — please join us — MEDICAL PARK 2 IS OPEN! FREE ONLINE SEMINARS ALL SEMINARS BEGIN AT 12:30 P.M. JUNE 17 JUNE 19 JUNE 22 Weight Loss Help Through a Team Approach Choosing a Resident for Care Enjoy the Foods You Love Again Alex Nguyen, MD Monica Newton, DO Casey Graybeal, MD JUNE 23 So You Have a Hernia...What’s Next? Ronald Lewis, MD JUNE 24 Brain Health Tools for Well-being Devin Vicknair, PhD DRIVE-THRU PHARMACY GIVEAWAY JUNE 15-JUNE 26 Get a prescription filled with us in our drive-thru and receive a free pill organizer. DRIVE-UP DRUG TAKE BACK JUNE 20, 11 A.M.-2 P.M. Drop off expired or unused prescriptions in our parking lot with the Gainesville Police Dept, and receive a free pair of sunglasses. VIRTUAL TOUR OF MEDICAL PARK 2 JUNE 26, 12:30 P.M. Hear from our providers and tour the building on NGHS Facebook. Visit nghs.com/grandopeningfor more info and to register. Medical Park 2
