Newspaper Page Text
THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2007 - PAGE 5A
No Change In County's Plan
For Vote On Sunday Sales
$50 Million Bond To Be On Feb. 5 Ballot Too
By Angela Gary
Everything is “on track” for
a special election Feb. 5 in
Jackson County, despite efforts
by some to get a vote for liquor
by the drink on Sundays taken
off the ballot.
A large crowd attended a recent
meeting of the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners to ask
that the referendum be called
off. No action was taken at that
meeting. At a meeting this week,
county officials reported that
everything is “on track” for hold
ing the election.
County attorney Julius Hulsey
gave a brief update at the meet
ing on the Feb. 5 special elec
tion on liquor by the drink on
Sundays and on a $50 million
bond issue for recreation proj
ects. He said both issues have
already been forwarded to the
justice department for approval
and the absentee ballots have
been printed.
Other Business
In other business at the BOC
meeting:
•Ray Bauerband was reap
pointed to the county airport
authority.
•Tim Cornelison was reap
pointed to the county planning
commission.
•Shirley Turner was reap
pointed to the county board of
adjustment.
•Robert Schwalbe was reap
pointed to the dangerous dog
committee.
•Helen Gunnels, Roger Brock
and Jimmy Peck were reappoint
ed to the parks and recreation
committee.
•agreed to a contract with
Allen-Smith Consulting for the
services of grant-writing to apply
for a Community Development
Block Grant.
•agreed to approve the annual
federal contract for the trans
portation program.
• approved a contract with
American Pest Control for coun
ty buildings.
•established a special revenue
fund for federal shared forfeited
assets.
•agreed to a lease purchase
agreement with ACCG-Wachovia
to finance new sheriff’s vehi
cles.
•agreed to a $358,215 contract
with the Georgia Department of
Transportation for the resurfac
ing of Ridgeway Church Road
and Sanford Road. The DOT
contribution will be $214,929
and the county’s portion will be
$143,286.
•approved the Raco Parkway
Road Agreement.
•adopted a partial update to
the comprehensive plan.
•approved a right-of-way
mowing and maintenance agree
ment between the DOT and the
county for State Route 403 and
Interstate 85.
•approved a lease agreement
with Mountain Stream Saddle
Club for 25 acres on Wheeler
Cemetery Road, adjacent to
Hurricane Shoals Park, for a rid
ing arena and buffer.
•agreed to create a citizen’s
advisory committee to inves
tigate methods and means to
restore the historic courthouse.
•agreed to create a special
tax district for street lights on
Kendall Creek Subdivision,
Berry’s Landing Subdivision
and Rivers Edge Estates.
Commissioners Unveil New
Digital Zoning Map For Jackson
By Angela Gary
The Jackson County Board
of Commissioners approved a
new digital zoning map Monday
night.
The map replaces 200 tax
maps. Planning director Scott
Carpenter reported that it took
staff 10 months to complete
the project. The update includ
ed poring over the old tattered
maps that had handwritten
notes on them. County staff
also met with city officials to
make sure municipal boundar
ies and annexations are up to
date. Thousands of inconsisten
cies and errors were corrected,
Carpenter said.
“This moves us into the digital
mapping age,” Carpenter said.
In other zoning business at the
meeting, the commissioners:
• approved a request from Neil
Koelbl with The Knight Group
to change the conditions on the
zoning of 150 acres on Hwy.
124. The condition requiring that
a fence be located along the
property line with White Plains
Baptist Church was eliminated.
Instead, a 25-foot vegetative buf
fer will be required.
•approved a request from
Terry Rowe to rezone 4.69 acres
on Pond Fork Church Road
from A-2 to A-R to combine the
tract with an adjacent lot that is
already zoned as A-R.
•approved a request from
James Owens of Double O
Bonding to rezone five acres
on Jackson Parkway from A-2
to CRC to locate a commercial
office.
•approved a request from
Beatrice Stewart to rezone five
acres at 355 Brockton Loop
Road from A-2 to A-R to locate
all of her property into a single
zoning district.
• approved a request from Matt
Miller to rezone 3.37 acres at 303
Brooks Road from A-2 to R-1 for
a second residential lot.
•approved an amendment to
the unified development code
that addresses the maintenance
of stormwater retention ponds in
subdivisions. The ordinance now
requires these to be maintained
by homeowner’s associations.
Chad Priest points to drawings of a pro
posed third monument-style sign that Ingles
officials would like to erect to promote their
new store, gas station and pharmacy. The
Commerce Planning Commission has rec
ommended that the city council deny the
company’s request for a variance in the city
sign ordinance.
— Say No To Ingles Sign Request
Cont. from Page 1A
ing inspector Billy Vandiver, but
Vandiver said he met with com
pany representatives last week.
The company reportedly plans
to build a new store diagonally
across the intersection from CVS,
and while CVS is under one sign
ordinance because it’s in the cen
tral business district, Walgreens
would be under the same ordi
nance as the Ingles store.
“Whatever we do for you, we’ve
got to let Walgreens do,” said
Perry, “and if we’ve got one big
monument entrance at 441 and
another one on South Broad
Street because we gave you one,
this town is going to look tacky
and cluttered.”
The chairman also spoke to the
argument that the sign is needed
by motorists.
“I don’t buy your argument that
people will not know what it
is,” he said. “People who shop
at Ingles go to Ingles and know
how to get there. Ain’t that many
strangers coming up 334 hunting
a grocery store.”
Member Johnny Eubanks con
curred, pointing out that most
traffic to the store from the south
will come up U.S. 441, and most
traffic entering from 334 will be
coming from the north.
“We want to leave you with the
intention (that) we’re trying to
do what’s in the best interest of
the community because of the
way the site is being designed
and handled,” Caputo said. “If
you have something there at the
entrance way, it’s only going to
look better, and it’ll be better for
the people coming in and out.”
“All we’re talking about is a
marketing tool,” Perry said. “You
put a sign up to make people
come to your store to buy your
products, so how many rules do
we allow you to violate so you
can market the way you think
you ought to market as opposed
to the way we think the signage
ought to be?”
Ingles, said Caputo, “doesn’t
want to violate any ordinance
... They want it to be a win-win
situation.”
Perry made the motion to rec
ommend denial of the request.
Rezoning For Annexation
In the only other business, Dink
Wood didn’t have nearly as much
trouble getting the planning com
mission’s blessings for a rezoning
for annexation of a half-acre par
cel on Maysville Road.
Wood, whose auto repair busi
ness is already in the city, seeks
rezoning from HRC (highway
retail commercial) in Jackson
County to C-2 (commercial) in
the city.
The planners voted unanimous
ly to recommend that the city
council accept his request.
— Scandal Another Blow To Baseball
Staff-Produced News Photos Can Be Purchased
MainStreet Newspapers Inc.
offers staff-produced pho
tos from its five newspapers
available for the ordering of
prints online at its web site,
mainstreetnews.com. Based in
Jefferson, the company owns
The Commerce News, The Jackson
Herald, The Madison County
Journal, The Braselton News and
The Banks County News.
Access to the photos cata
logue is available from a but
ton on the mainstreetnews.com
web site. The photos are hosted
by DotPhoto Inc., a firm which
specializes in making prints
from digital photographs and
which manages photos for a
number of newspapers across
the country.
There will be approximately a
one-week lag time between the
time photos are published and
their availability at the online
site.
Those who don’t have Internet
access in their homes may visit
area public libraries that offer
the service.
Cont. from Page 4A
game that produced so many
heroes.
But now I ask, if Paul Simon
& Art Garfunkel couldn’t find
Joe DiMaggio in 1968, how do
you expect my generation to
find him today? Outside of New
York and Boston, I’d argue that
NFL and NCAA football and
even the sordid Ultimate Fighting
Championship draw larger televi
sion audiences.
Something has to be done to
engage my generation in what
Legal Notice
Custom Retail Development Inc. has applied for a beer and
wine license to sell malt and vinous beverages by the package
at 783 Ila Road, Commerce, GA 30529 with an opening date
of now open. All history checks have been completed and there
are no negative responses. The owner of the property is CGR
Enterprises Inc.
Weekly Health Tip From Kim Bost
Pharmacist - Owner
Merry Christmas!
What a joyful time of year filled with shopping,
Christmas parties, more shopping, Christmas
cards, homemade goodies, and more shopping!
We can see how easy it becomes for the
“busyness” of our lives to interfere with
remembering the true reason we celebrate
Christmas - the wonderful truth that our God
loved his people so much that he sent a Savior.
Through His Son, we are offered a relationship
. with the God of the Universe. Through His Son,
we are offered salvation and everlasting life.
Through His Son, we are offered deep joy,
peace, contentment, wisdom, and love. WOW!
'Is there any amount of shopping that can 1
uncover a gift to compare to the gift freely given
to US ALL in Jesus Christ? Take time this
holiday season and connect to God through
Jesus this Christmas season. Check out the
church page for listings of local church services
and put one on the top of your list.
706-335-0099
1939 Homer Rd., Commerce, GA
Intersection of 441 By-Pass and Homer Rd.
In Commerce Professional Park
Monday-Friday 9 - 6; Saturday 9 - 12 Noon; tigertownpharmacy@aitel.net
seems to be a dying game. I can’t
pretend to have the answers, but
as I reminisce over the past six
months of athletics, the games
that stand out to me are the unbe
lievable wins Appalachian State
and Arkansas had over Michigan
and LSU respectfully. Watching
the New England Patriots chase
the ‘72 Dolphins undefeated sea
son draws me in every Sunday
afternoon. During a year where
three players reached 500 career
home runs, a rookie threw a no
hitter and the most sacred record
in all of athletics was surpassed
by Barry Bonds, I still find myself
skipping over the MLB box scores
in search of the most outrageous
moron in the police blotter.
Hasco Craver is executive direc
tor of the Commerce Downtown
Development Authority. He lives in
Commerce.
FOR ONLY $5 PER MONTH,
YOU CAN LIST YOUR GROUP'S MEETINGS!
Let your members know when your group is meeting!
Call (706) 367-5233 to advertise your meeting time, place and date in...
• The Jackson Herald • The Commerce News • The Braselton News
• The Banks County News • The Madison County Journal
& UNITY LODGE
F&A.M.
No. 36, Jefferson, GA
1st Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m.
A. Ben Wurtz • 706-367-1400
Borders St. behind Tabo's 260
JEFFERSON ROTARY CLUB
Meets Tuesdays
Jefferson City Clubhouse
12:30 p.m. • (706) 654-2237
Clay Eubanks, President
260
COMMERCE
^AMERICAN LEGION
Commerce Rec. Dept. Post 93
Carson Street - 1st Mon. night
Each Month, 7:30 p.m.
335-6400
BANKS COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
meets first Monday each month
7:00 p.m. in the Banks Co. Historial
Courthouse at 105 U.S. Hwy. 441
North in Homer Pd.-2/2008
JEFFERSON
^AMERICAN LEGION
Albert Gordon Post 56
Each 3rd Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Harvie Lance, Commander
Phone (706) 654-1274 310
i 1 * 1 Georgia Real Estate Investors
Association, Inc. - Athens
Meets the third Thursday each month
7:00 pm at the Holiday Inn
197 East Broad St, Athens, GA 30601
Tom Hewlett - Chapter President
mailto:thewlett1@charter.net
website: www.gareia.org Pd 10/07
The Jackson Co. Republican Party
Would like you to meet us for
breakfast the second Sat. of each
month, 8:00 at The Jefferson
House. For more information, call
706-652-2967 or email
fishyglass@yahoo.com Pd.05/08
BANKS COUNTY
Mi AMERICAN LEGION
Post 215
Meets each 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m.
In Homer, GA at the
American Legion Building on
Historic Highway 441 Pd.06/08
A&jfe, VETERANS OF
W ! FOREIGN WARS
Post 4872, Hurricane Shoals Convention Ctr.
Each 4th Monday, 7:00 p.m.
Mike Buffington, Commander
Phone 706-335-6532 263
JEFFERSON LIONS CLUB
Meets 2nd & 4th Monday
Jefferson City Clubhouse
6:30 p.m. • (706) 367-1400
Mark Bradley, President
260