Newspaper Page Text
Page 4B
October 5, 2022
Reporter
Pictured, left to right, are Bobby Melton, Jennie Caldwell, Steve Coleman.
Jennie Caldwell joins Forsyth
Planning & Zoning Commission
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Jennie Caldwell was sworn in as a mem
ber of Forsyths Planning & Zoning Com
mission at the Sept. 26 meeting. Caldwell
is a project manager at Carter Engineering
Group in Macon. She was the Forsyth
branch manager at Bryant Engineering
LLC from 2019 until August 2022 and was
named a partner at Bryant Engineering in
February 2022.
Caldwell is familiar with the Forsyth
Planning & Zoning Commission, hav
ing presented plans for projects on behalf
of clients to Planning & Zoning and to
the Commission in its Design & Review
capacity a number of times. She holds a
degree in civil engineering from Georgia
Tech.
She joins Chair Steve Coleman, Vice
Chair Martin Presley, Phillip English, Hal
Clarke and Kathy Rowland on the Plan
ning & Zoning Commission, with one
board seat still vacant.
High Falls Max Edwards
celebrates 90th birthday
Max Edwards will cel
ebrate his 90th birthday
on Wednesday, Oct. 5 with
about 50 family and friends
at the High Falls State Park
Pavilion. He and his wife,
Angel, have lived in High
Falls for over 30 years.
Max is a Korean War
veteran with two Purple
Hearts, and proudly served
for 26 years in the U.S.
Marine Corps. He was a
drill instructor at Parris
Island after being wounded
in Korea. He is also retired
from Delta Airlines, where
he met his wife of almost 43
years. They have been active
members of Rock Springs
Church and Living Word
Church.
Max has two daughters,
one son and lots of grand
children. He is an avid
golfer and also stays busy
maintaining his average in
High Falls.
Even after Dobbs, Monroe Co. supports Life Chain
Nearly 30 pro-life supporters
from all around Monroe County
were standing on both sides of
N. Lee Street praying silently
while holding anti-abortion
signs on Sunday afternoon. The
group was part of the annual
Life Chain event which has been
held in Forsyth on the 1st Sun
day in October since 1990.
A few smiling passersbys
honked and waved as they read
signs proclaiming: "Abortion
Kills Children," "Jesus Forgives
& Heals," "Pray to End Abor
tion" and other similar slogans.
There were others who scowled
as they drove by.
Jess Stephens, who applied for
the city permits for the group to
meet and pray on the sidewalk,
told the Reporter, "We believe
that life begins at conception and
that all life matters. Life is made
in the image of God, so we want
babies to have the right to life."
When asked what if the preg
nancy was due to rape, Stephens
said obviously they believe that
rape is horrible, but even that
life should have a chance to live.
"Punish the offender but do not
punish the baby." She said that
since the recent Dobbs decision
overturning Roe vs Wade, many
people think abortion has ended
but that isn't true.
Only 13 states have completely
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banned abortion. Six
states and Washing
ton, D.C. still allow
abortion with no
limits. In Georgia,
abortion is legal
until a heartbeat can
be detected which
can be around 5
1/2 to 6 weeks after
gestation.
The Life Chain
movement began in
California in 1987
as a peaceful and
prayerful public
witness of pro-life
individuals praying for our
nation and for an end to abor-
H.iv w
V JESUS
I Forgives
1 & Heals
tion. Now groups in 1,000 cities
across North America, including
23 in Georgia, participate in the
event.
D
anning & Zoning OKs plans for Manor at Montpelier 3
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Forsyth Planning & Zoning
Commission recommended ap
proval of a variance for a garage
at Freeman Funeral Home and
approved the preliminary plat for
Phase 3 of the Manor at Mont
pelier subdivision at its Sept. 26
meeting. Jennie Caldwell took
her seat as a member of the com
mission so that it is now only one
member short of a full seven-
member body.
James Freeman asked for a vari
ance to build a garage at the back
corner of the Freeman Funeral
Home lot on Brentwood Street.
Freeman needs the variance in
order to build the garage 10 feet
from the property line whereas
the residential zoning of the
lot requires a 60 foot setback.
Freeman said there is an existing
garage on the upper rear corner
of the lot that sits on the property
line. He said he will probably take
that garage down after he builds
the new one. Freeman said he
wants enough room around the
new garage (10 feet) to keep grass
trimmed around it.
Planning & Zoning member
Martin Presley asked if there will
be any problem with neighbors
in building closer to the property
line than the zoning ordinance
requires. Freeman said on one
side is the back of Brentwood
Apartments and on the other side
is a vacant lot whose owner has
no current plans to develop it, so
he doesn’t anticipate any objec
tions. Presley said that if Freeman
wants to build a new garage on
the footprint of the old one it will
be grandfathered and he wont
need a variance.
Freeman said he will do that if
necessary but would like to build
where it will give him more park
ing. The garage entrance will be
on the side. Planning & Zoning
member Phillip English asked if
there will be a screen between the
garage and the apartments; Free
man said the apartments have
a stand of trees on the property
line.
Planning & Zoning chair Steve
Coleman recused himself from
the discussion and vote because
he does surveying for Free
man, but the vote was otherwise
unanimous. The variance will be
advertised and the request will
go before city council for a final
decision.
Planning & Zoning unani
mously approved the preliminary
plat for Phase 3 of the Manor at
Montpelier in its Design & Re
view capacity, which is a final de
cision without need for approval
by city council. Developer Matt
Gilbert presented the request for
approval to Planning & Zoning.
Gilbert had presented requests
to Planning & Zoning regarding
Manor at Montpelier Phase 3
twice previously. He first asked at
the beginning of the year that the
35 acres for Phase 3 be annexed
into the city and zoning be such
that he could build on R-3 size
lots, rather than the larger lots
required by R-l zoning, because
two creeks and a sewer easement
prevent building on about 10
acres.
When the city annexed the
property but didn’t approve the
zoning he requested, Gilbert im
mediately asked that the property
be "un-annexed,” but city council
refused to "un-annex." He came
back to Planning & Zoning
and council in July. He agreed
to larger lots, meaning fewer
houses, no driveways opening
on Montpelier Road, and some
other upgrades to the Phase 3
project and was returning for ap
proval of the revised plat.
He told Planning & Zoning
there will be a 20’ buffer around
the perimeter of the project and
the homes will connect to exist
ing sewer lines. The commission
approved a minimum of20,000
sq. ft. lot sizes, which is in line
with R-2, rather than R-3 (15,000
sq. ft.) or R-1 zoning. He said the
homes constructed will follow
the quality standards of those
constructed in the Manor at
Montpelier Phases 1 & 2.
CALENDAR
Continued from Page 1 B
Oct. 10 (Columbus Day) at The
Club at River Forest. Tee Off
at 12 noon. Cash prizes to the
top three teams and for lon
gest drive and closest to pin.
RSVP 478-994-0438 or golf® 1
anchorofhopefoundation.org.
Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28
Forsyth Farmers
Market every Friday
Forsyth Farmers Market is
open for its 2022 season on
Fridays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. It
will be at 9 North Jackson
Street (the lot behind Persons
Banking Company) each Friday
through October. Vendors
offer locally grown produce
and homemade goods. For
more information, call 478-
994-7747 or email mcordy®
cityofforsyth.com
Oct 14-15
Kingdom Builders
project weekend
The annual dates for Monroe
County Kingdom Builders to
work on the houses of elderly
and needy homeowners will
be Friday and Saturday,
Oct. 14-15, to coincide with
Monroe County Schools Fall
Break. Those who need as
sistance, those who would like
to volunteer and those who
are able to donate materials
or support the project in other
ways should pick up informa
tion and applications as soon
as possible at Circle of Care,
Monroe County Reporter
(478-994-2358), Forsyth
United Methodist Church (478-
994-5706) or other participat
ing churches.
Oct. 15
Butterfly Release at the
Pregnancy Center
The Pregnancy Center of
Monroe County will have a
Butterfly Release: Pregnancy
& Infant Loss Awareness Event
on Saturday, Oct. 15 from
10:30-1 1:30 a.m. at 562 N.
Lee St. All who have expe
rienced miscarriage, ectopic
pregnancy, stillbirth or infant
loss are especially invited.
Health Insurance Seminar
Chambliss Christian Center,
Inc. will present a Health
Insurance Seminar on Satur
day, Oct. 15 at the William H.
Hubbard Complex, Highway
83 S, Forsyth, from 10 a.m.-1 2
noon. With open enrollment for
Medicare beginning on Oct.
15, this is an effort to help
people get the healthcare cov
erage they need. The special
guest speaker will be insurance
agent Shania Chambliss.
Oct. 15-Nov. 13
30 for 30 Walk-a-Weigh
Monroe County Extension
invites everyone to participate
in 30 for 30 Walk-a-Weigh:
Walk 30 minutes per day for
30 straight days from Oct. 15-
Nov. 13. Find encouragement
from daily social media posts
created by Cooperative Exten
sion professionals across the
country and weekly Facebook
Live Walk-a-Weigh classes
from Monroe County Exten
sion agent Amanda Harner.
478-994-7014 or Amanda.
Harner@uga.edu
Oct. 21
Fall Festival & Chili Cook
off
K.B. Sutton Elementary will
have a Fall Festival and Chili
Cook-off on Friday, Oct. 21
from 6-8 p.m. Admission is $5/
person for ages 4 and up. It in
cludes inflatables, one token for
chili voting, tattoos and games.
There will also be concessions,
face painting, a dunking booth,
cake walk and hay ride. The
festival is open to the public.
Boys & Girls Club Thriller
5K Run
Boys & Girls Clubs of Centra
Georgia (BGCCG) will host a
5K run on Friday, Oct. 21 at
6:30 p.m. beginning at Luther
Williams Field, Macon in Caro
lyn Crayton (Central City) Park.
Awards will be given to the
best M/F costumes, judged by
a panel of Club Kids pre-race.
Several community leaders
are running the 5K as ambas
sadors. Online registration is
available. $20 for all entries
received by Sept. 30, $25 for
entries received Oct. 1 -20,
$30 on race day with limited
t-shirt availability. Thriller Run
5K is still open to sponsorships,
as well as volunteers. For more
information, contact special
events coordinator DeMarcus
Beckham at dbeckham@bgccg.
org.
Oct. 22
Boy Scout Troop 51 Ham
burger Plate Fundraiser
Monroe County Boy Scout
Troop 51 will have a Ham
burger Plate Fundraiser on Sat
urday, Oct. 22 from 4-7 p.m.
at Old Mill Market, 94 East
Adams Street, Forsyth. Plates
are $10 and include Sleepy
Creek Farms beef hamburger
and fixings, chips, and an Old
Mill Market cookie. Tickets
must be purchased in advance.
Call 478-258-1453 to pur
chase tickets.
Fox City Witches Ride
The Fox City Witches Ride/
Walk to benefit United in Pink
with be Saturday, Oct. 22 at
5:30 p.m.with check-in at 4:45
p.m. at the Farmers Market on
North Jackson Street. Cost is
$25/person. Register online or
in-person at Monroe County
Tag Office, A Girl & A Goat
or Old Mill Market by oct. 6
to guarantee a t-shirt.
Dog Leg Classic Charity
Golf Tournament
The 2nd Annual Dog Leg
Classic Charity Golf Tourna
ment will at Forsyth Golf Club
on Saturday, Oct. 22 with
registration at 7:15 a.m., shot
gun start at 8 a.m. Proceeds
benefit Monroe County Band
programs. Registration is $50/
player, $200/foursome.
Oct 22
Bolingbroke Community
Cleanup
Volunteers are needed for
Bolingbroke's fall cleanup on
Saturday, Oct. 22 at 9 a.m.
Volunteers will meet at Mount
Zion Baptist, 179 Mt. Zion
Church Road, Bolingbroke.
Gloves are suggested.
Oct. 30
Trunk or Treat at the
Sheriff's Office
Monroe County Sheriffs
Office, 1 45 L. Cary Bittick
Dr., Forsyth will host a free
and safe Trunk-or-Treat for
the whole family on Sunday,
Oct. 30 from 2-4 p.m. Wear
costumes, bring trick-or-treat
bags and collect goodies from
decorated trunks.