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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. Find out how Right Choice ENERGY STAR 0 qualified homes make the area’s best builders even better. visit jacksonemc.com/rightchoice Each home qualifies for Jackson EMC’s lowest energy rate Guaranteed Comfort Effective Insulation High-Performance Windows Tight Construction & Ducts ( I . ! I M' / y Energy Efficient Heating &Cooling Equipment Energy Efficient Products Third-Party Verification LEARN MORE AT energystar.gov I^igKt Choice Energy Efficient. 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