Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 3A
Lula... continued from page 1A
“We have seen this after we
looked at it,” he said.
City Manager Dennis Bergin
said Highway Business District
zoning actually recognizes the
residential in the area. CBD zon
ing does not allow for any out
side storage.
Turner said he is also con
cerned with the hours of opera
tion of a business at this location
due to the residential in the area.
The mayor instructed Means that
a privacy fence would be needed
along the close property adjoin
ing this site.
Means said, “Would we be
able to plant trees or would we
need to actually erect a fence?”
Turner said, “It will be long
term to get trees along the line,
if this needs to be done quickly
you will need to erect a fence.”
The city’s zoning states that
under highway business any
thing located within 50 feet of
any residential area has to have
a privacy fence.
Bergin also said, “The entrance
is very narrow and would need
to be improved upon.”
No one attended the public
hearing to speak in opposition to
this request.
The rezoning of this property
was on the agenda for the coun
cil meeting held after the public
hearing.
Two area residents attended
the council meeting to speak to
the council in opposition to this
request. Both Jewell Armour and
Garnett Smith said they must
have misunderstood the meeting
times.
Armour owns property next
door to this location. He said, “I
have nothing against the people.
Armour has a concern with
the property being commercial
in the middle of the residential
area. “I think commercial of
any kind is out of place here,”
he said.
Armour said the buildings that
are there now attracted some
break-ins. He said, “I don’t know
what business is going to be
there and how can it be appro
priate in a residential neighbor
hood. I oppose business in our
front door.”
Smith said he has a problem
with 18-wheelers entering the
site. He said, “I am concerned
with the 18-wheelers coming
over the hill there and they
swing over into my yard and
tear it up. It is a very dangerous
place coming over the top of the
hill.”
“I would like to ask you not to
allow it to come,” Smith said.
Means said, “I understand the
concerns that have been raised
here.” He again said if the prop
erty is not rezoned it will mean
a large financial loss on the
buildings that are there to his
parents.
Armour said, “I guess we
would like to know what you
are looking at there. My elderly
mother lives at the entrance to
this site.”
Means again said, “One person
looking at the property is a per
son who erects metal buildings.
He wants to use it for trucks and
his business.”
Armour said, “Mike told me
that the person who is looking at
this also has race cars he plans
to put down there. I don’t think
we want race cars down there
hossing around at all hours of
the night.”
Turner recommended that con
ditions should be applied to the
rezoning. He said it should be
considered for highway busi
ness district, the ingress and
egress should be improved and
the business hours should be
not later than 8 p.m. due to
the residential area around the
property.
Turner said he understood that
some fabrication would be done
at this site, but most would be
done off-site.
Council member Vicky
Chambers said, “It bothers me
to have a business district in the
middle of a residential district.
I am concerned with the noise
level any time during the day if
someone is working on a race
car.”
Council member Judah Echols
said, “I have an issue with the
race cars down there at all hours
of the night revving up the
engines, I lived close to a race
shop when I was growing up, so
I know what it is like.”
Council member Larry Shuler
said, “I don’t go for a business
in the middle of a residential
area.”
BOC... continued from page 1A
of Natural Resources Law
Enforcement, spoke to the com
missioners about this hunt. He
said Outdoors Network will
be the main sponsor this year.
Registration will be handled
through the Banks County
Extension Office. The com
missioners also talked with
Loudermilk about the possibility
of the DNR planning a hunt for
handicapped hunters only at the
county farm.
•approved the annual animal
foster home agreement con
tract with Commerce Veterinary
Hospital. The contract is effec
tive Dec. 31, 2007, through Dec.
31, 2008.
•tabled any action on the bid
to modify the front lawn at the
recreation department. The com
missioners want to cut the hill
down at the front of the build
ing and erect a sign. Only one
bid was received on this and
the board is currently seeking
additional bids. This will be on
the agenda for the May 13 BOC
meeting.
•approved a change order to
the renovations at the courthouse
dealing with security issues
at the entrance to the facili
ty. Anthony J. Turpin, Pieper
O’Brien Herr Architects, was
given the go-ahead to do the
design for a security wall at
the entrance to the courthouse.
Turpin reported to the BOC that
a sprinkler system installed in
the entire courthouse facility
will not be required by the state
fire marshal’s office due to the
type of fire alarm system that is
being installed. Banks County
Administrative Assistant Angela
Sheppard and Turpin presented
an estimate to the commission
ers on an addition to the court
house. The estimate was pre
sented by Turner Construction
in the amount of $515,349 for
construction and Turpin said the
cost of the architects to design
the addition would be $62,170.
The commissioners voted unani
mously not to pursue the addi
tion.
•Sheppard told the commis
sioners that the GEFA loan
amount for the Yonah-Homer
Road water line project will be
reduced by $579,953. This is
money that was not spent on the
project. The total loan amount
approved was $2,854,600, the
new loan amount is $2,274,646.
•unanimously approved a trans
fer of the alcoholic beverage
license for Sonny’s Bar-Be-Que
due to new ownership.
•approved placing $140,929
coming from the development
authority into the capital funds
account to be earmarked for the
development authority to use in
the future for land acquisition.
•approved an increase in the
amount spent for training for
Senior Magistrate Judge Henry
David Banks. The amount will
be increased from $300 to $600.
•approved an amendment to the
purchasing policy. All budgeted
purchases with an estimated cost
in excess of $10,000 will require
solicitation of formal (advertised)
competitive sealed bids unless
the item is purchased through a
State of Georgia contract which
was bid by the Department of
Administrative Services.
•met in closed session for 10
minutes to discuss personnel. No
action was taken.
BOE honors local Young Georgia Author winners
RECOGNIZED STUDENTS
The Banks County Board of Education recognized the following students at the April 21 meet
ing: front row, from left, Noah Wagner, system winner of the Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention
Institute's 2008 Safety Belt Poster Contest and Marshall Williams, kindergarten Winner Georgia
Young Author's Award; back row, from left, Charlie Kiefer, BCMS Geography Bee champion;
Michaela Letson, third grade winner Georgia Young Author's Award; Sefali Patel, ninth grade win
ner Georgia Young Author's Award; Crystal Dee Wiley, 11th grade winner Georgia Young Author's
Award and Governor's Honors Winner; Brianna Rivera, fourth grade winner Young Author's Award;
Meaghan Patrick, sixth grade winner Georgia Young Author's Award; Amanda Jones, eighth grade
winner Young Author's Award and Paul Coughlin, fifth grade winner Young Author's Award.
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
The Banks County Board of
Education honored local Young
Georgia Authors winners during
its April meeting.
Winners honored by superin
tendent Chris Erwin and the BOE
include:
•Marshall Williams, kindergar
ten.
•Katelyn Wade, first grade.
•Abigail Armistead, second
grade.
•Michaela Letson, third grade.
•Brianna Rivera, fourth grade.
•Paul Coughlin, fifth grade.
•Meaghan Patrick, sixth grade.
•Hannah Garrison, seventh
grade.
•Amanda Jones, eighth grade.
•Safali Patel, ninth grade.
•Kristofor Hellmeister, tenth
grade.
•Chrystal Dee Wiley, eleventh
grade.
•Diana Taylor, twelfth grade.
The BOE also honored Charlie
Keifer for being the Banks County
Middle School geography bee
champion. Keifer qualified to
compete in the state competition
and was named one of the top
100 students in the state.
Wiley was also recognized for
being selected for the Governor’s
Honors Program.
An Pham was announced as the
winner of the DAR essay con
test. He will now compete in the
regional competition.
Noah Wagner was honored for
being the system winner of the
Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention
Institute 2008 safety belt poster
contest.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at Monday’s
meeting, the BOE:
•approved the following per
sonnel items during a closed ses
sion:
•Mary Wildes, special needs
director, 2008-09 school year.
•Paul Hoch, teacher and assis
tant football coach, 2008-09
school year.
•classified personnel, resigna
tion, Chad Denton, custodian,
Banks County Primary School.
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