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THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2008
Lula tables action on controversial zoning request
BY SHARON HOGAN
A large crowd turned out in Lula
last week for a public hearing on the
annexation and rezoning request for a
planned unit development, Highland
Lakes Subdivision, proposed for
Railroad Avenue/West County Line
Road,
More than a dozen people spoke in
opposition to the request submitted to
the City of Lula by property owners
Roger Murphy and Richard Butler,
Butler-Murphy, LLC. Bill Gresham,
Gresham Planning and Development,
Inc., Clarkesville, represented the prop
erty owners at the meeting.
No action was taken on this request
by the council. The matter was tabled
until the March meeting. The council
members unanimously agreed to ask
the developers to present a traffic study
to the council before any action is taken
on this request.
The proposed development will have
105 single-family detached craftsman-
style homes located on 43.126 acres
in Banks County. The homes being
proposed would have rock and brick
accents. The property is currently
zoned agricultural.
The developers have a divided
entrance proposed for this development
due to issues with the sight distance at
the point of entry and exit.
At last week’s meeting, Gresham
said that the developers are proposing
a walking trail and picnic area and,
depending on the age of the residents,
possibly some playground equipment.
Gresham also said a homeowner’s
association is mandatory by the devel
opers for Highland Lakes.
Gresham added that this development
will add about 300 residents to Lula’s
tax base. A PUD allows for reduced
linear feet of streets and water lines and
this reduces the cost of the develop
ment and this savings can be passed on
to the buyers, Gresham explained. He
said the developers have tried to cre
ate affordable housing for the citizens
of Lula.
Lula City Manager Dennis Bergin
said that this PUD application is for
residential use only and no commercial
will be allowed without the developers
coming back before the council to seek
approval,
Most of those who spoke in opposi
tion to this development are concerned
with the traffic on Railroad Avenue/
West County Line Road. Tim Haynes,
Harris Circle, said the road is not safe
and there is not enough property to
widen the road because of the railroad
and other landowners. Haynes also said
he was concerned with how this would
adversely affect his property.
Laverne McClure, a resident of West
County Line Road, whose property
joins the proposed development, said
she is concerned with the safety on the
road also,
David White, Lula Farm Road, said
he is concerned with the water issue.
“These developments could tax
Lula’s water resources,” White said.
White said there is no stop sign at
the end of the road coming out of
Waterford Glen Subdivision, another
new development in the City of Lula,
and this causes a hazard.
White also said he is concerned with
the impact these developments will
have on the schools and EMS services.
White told the council that he was
sorely disappointed that two of the
council members didn’t find the hear
ing important enough to attend. Mayor
Milton Turner told White that council
member Mordecai Wilson recently had
hip replacement surgery and would
be absent from the council the entire
month of February. Councilman Judah
Echols came in to the public hearing
later on,
White said, “I am disappointed
the room is not standing room only.”
Several times during White’s com-
ments he stated, “Lula council is elect
ed to serve the citizens of Lula, not
developers.”
Kirk Adams, Homer Highway, said
he is concerned with the sight distance
when you enter Railroad Avenue/West
County Line Road from this develop
ment. The entrance to the development
is located in a curve. Adams also said
road maintenance is a concern to him.
Adams said there is no road frontage
on this property.
Eddie Hickman, Griffin Lake Drive,
told the developers and Gresham that
he owns a 400+ acres working farm
with cows, hogs, etc.
“Last year we spread about 50 loads
of chicken litter on this farm and every
one knows how chicken litter smells,”
he said. “I don’t want to hear any com
plaints about odor.”
June Griffin Hickman, Griffin Lake
Drive, said the Waterford Glen devel
opment and this proposed PUD devel
opment would mean two new schools
would be needed in Banks County.
J. Hickman said, “I am a teacher and
I know what I am talking about.”
Others who spoke in opposition to
this request were Adele Kushner, Terry
Mize, Anita White, Teresa Johnston,
Stacy McClure, Kay Jameson, Lane
Griffin and Shawn Johnston.
Baldwin council lifts city's total outdoor watering ban
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Baldwin City Council agreed
Monday night to lift the city’s total
outdoor watering ban.
In a unanimous vote, the council
approved the state’s latest watering
guidelines.
Mayor Mark Reed said the “river is
up” and the city needs to look at the
restrictions,
“Under the new guidelines, we can’t
wash cars, but we can plant flowers,”
Reed said,
Council member Ray Holcomb
said, “I personally would like to see
them (the restrictions) eased a little. I
would like to do some pressure wash
ing myself.”
Reed said, “The customers conserv-
ing has cost us money.”
Council member Robert Bohannon
said that the city still needs to meet the
10 percent reduction.
“With the repairs that we’ve made,
we should be O.K. on this,” he said.
The state guidelines approved by the
council will allow the citizens to hand
water existing landscape between
midnight and 10 a.m. for no more than
25 minutes on designated days based
on odd-numbered and even-numbered
addresses. Odd-numbered addresses
may water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Sundays. Even-numbered addresses
may water on Mondays, Wednesdays
and Saturdays.
Hand watering is defined as one
person with one garden hose with a
PUBLIC NOTICE
The Town of Alto is accepting sealed bids for
the purchase of a 2000 Crown Victoria on
display at the Police Department through
March 7, 2008. The bids will be opened at the
March 11, 2008 Regular Council Meeting and
the car will be awarded to the highest bidder.
Statement of Nondiscrimination
Jackson EMC is the recipient of Federal financial assistance from the
Rural Utilities Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
and is subject to the provisions of Title VI and Title VII, of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Civil Rights Act of 1991, Section 503
and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, The Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1991 and the rules and regulations of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Labor, OFCCP,
which provide that no person in the United States on the basis of race,
color, national origin, age or handicap shall he excluded from participa
tion in, admission or access to, denied the benefits of, or otherwise
subjected to discrimination under any of this organization’s programs or
activities.
Tlie person responsible for coordinating this organization’s nondiscrim
ination compliance efforts is William P. Ormsby, Manager, Corporate
Administration. Any individual, or specific class of individuals, who feels
that this organization has subjected them to discrimination may obtain
further information about the statutes and regulations listed above and/or
file a written complaint with this organization; or the Secretary, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250; or the
Administrator, Rural Electrification Administration, Washington, D.C.
20250, and the Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Federal
Contract Compliance Programs, Washington, D.C. 20250. Complaints
must be filed within 180 days after the alleged discrimination.
Confidentiality will be maintained to the extent possible.
spray nozzle that shuts off automati
cally when it is released.
Swimming pools can be filled as
well under the latest guidelines. There
are no clock or calendar restrictions
on the filling of swimming pools.
The swimming pool exemption was
granted due to concerns that neglected
and partially filled pools could pose
risks to public health and safety, said
Environmental Protection Division
Director Carol A. Couch in a press
release on the latest guidelines.
Couch also stated that people who
successfully complete an Outdoor
Water Use Registration Program will
be allowed to water newly-installed
landscape up to three days a week
following the odd-even schedule for
a period of 10 weeks following plant
ing.
The Outdoor Water Use Registration
Program will be available online at
www.urbanagcouncil.com beginning
on March 15, the press release states.
Citizens can also contact their county
extension agents for information about
the registration.
The council agreed to these guide
lines, but also stated that this could
change if the 10 percent reduction is
not met,
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215 Mercer Place, P. O. Box 1241
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Homer Baptist Preschool
Fall Registration
2-Day - 2-year-olds ($80.00 Monthly)
2- Day - 3-year-olds ($80.00 Monthly)
3- Day - 3-year-olds ($100.00 Monthly)
4- Day - 4-year-olds ($115.00 Monthly)
5- Day - 4-year-olds ($125.00 Monthly)
Homer Baptist Preschool is ranked in the over 95% percentile for
kindergarten readiness. Our Pre-K program includes a library for
beginning readers and computer lab. We are fortunate to have over
half of our Pre-k children reading early readers before they enter
kindergarten.
Here, your child can receive the very best in spiritual knowledge,
education and prayer. When children are introduced to learning
with these key elements it is carried on for a lifetime. Registration
begins on March 3, from 8:00 until 11:00, Monday through Friday.
A $45 registration fee is due at the time of registration.
For more information, contact (706) 677-1039.
SPACE IS LIMITED SO DON’T DELAY!
5028 Hwy. 441 S. • P. O. Box 499 • Homer, GA 30547
Maysville seeks citizen input
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
City of Maysville officials are
seeking input from the people
they represent.
The city is working on its new
comprehensive plan and wants to
hear from citizens about the direc
tion they want the municipality to
go in future years. The first of sev
eral public hearings was held last
Thursday on the matter as Adam
Hazell of Georgia Mountain Rural
Development Center spoke to the
city council members, as well as
two citizens who attended.
Hazell, who is a planning direc
tor for Georgia Mountain RDC,
explained the process of updat
ing the comprehensive plan say
ing Thursday’s meeting officially
started the process and was one of
three required public hearings on
the matter.
Currently, Hazell is in the pro
cess of conducting research and
obtaining city-related documents.
He said the first public meeting
is held to explain the process.
Hazell said a comprehensive plan
is required by state law to have a
qualified local government status.
Without it, eligibility for outside
assistance would be suspended.
“This plan will help be a guide
book for city leaders,” Hazell
said. “We want to hear from the
citizens on what they want from
their city in the next 20 to 30
years.”
Citizens can submit comments
or ideas for the plan to Hazell at
Town of Maysville Comprehensive
Plan, P.O. Box 1720, Gainesville,
Ga. 30503. He can also be con
tacted at 770-538-2617 or by
e-mail at ahazell@gmrdc.org.
The next public hearing on the
Maysville comprehensive plan is
scheduled for March 3 at 6:30
p.m. in the library.
Lula meeting set March 4
on State Route 365 proposal
Lula City Manager Dennis Bergin
is urging Lula residents to attend the
final public information open house
on SR 365 improvement scenarios
proposed by the Georgia Department
of Transportation.
The meeting is scheduled from
5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4,
at Lula Elementary School, 6130
Chattahoochee Street. Residents can
drop any time during this two-hour
period,
The scenarios proposed by the DOT
will address safety, congestion, mobil
ity and economic development along
SR365.
Additional study information can be
obtained from the DOT project man
ager, Jason Crane at (404) 656-5360or
jcrane@dot.state.ga.us.
Lordy, Lordy Look Who’s 4011
Charles
Rogers
Please honor Charles with your presence at an
Open House Birthday Celebration
at Pendergrass Baptist Church
on Saturday March 8, 2008 at 2 pm.
Charles would love to see all classmates,
friends and family.
RSVP 706-654-6482
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