About The Banks County news. (Homer, Banks County, Ga.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (April 10, 2013)
50<t • Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 24 Pages, 2 Sections Plus Supplements • Vol. 45 No. 8 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Property line dispute with Jackson County heats up BY ANGELA GARY Property line disputes between Banks and Jackson counties at Banks Crossing have long been a topic of debate and controversy and the issue has surfaced again. Sam Moon, a member of the board of tax assessors, spoke Tuesday night at the Banks County Board of Commissioners meeting over a property dispute at Banks Crossing. A business at Banks Crossing, BIC Carwash, is being taxed and claimed by both Jackson and Banks coun ties. Moon said meetings with Jackson County officials have not resolved the problem. He added that Jackson officials want Banks to accept their proposal or take the matter to court. He said there has been no resolution to the issue. BOC chairman Jimmy Hooper agreed to dis cuss the issue with Jackson County Board of Commissioners chairman Tom Crow and report back to the commissioners. OTHER BUSINESS In other business at the meeting Tuesday night, the BOC: •unanimously approved a request to accept Oakwood Drive and Maple Drive in The Oaks at Banks Crossing Subdivision, •recognized county attorney Randall Frost for receiving the Ralph Cleveland Distinguished Citizen Award. • approved a request from citizen David Tolar to support the Constitution of the State of Georgia and the Constitution of the United States in rela tion to the Second Amendment. A statement on this was signed by all of the commissioners and read at the meeting. • approved a proclamation supporting National Donate Life Month in April to honor those who are organ donors and to focus attention on the need for organ donors. • approved a proclamation recognizing National Public Safety Telecommunications Week April 15-19. • heard a presentation from Todd McDuffie on consulting services that KCI Technologies offers for a road safety improvement program, which includes striping, signage for bridges and guard rails. The company’s fee would be 10 percent of the federal funding the county receives for the project. McDuffie said $250,000 is the amount he expects the county would receive. • approved the annual agreement with the Boy Scouts for use of Uchee Lodge. • approved a wildfire protection plan presented by Carl Melear with the Georgia Forestry continued on page 2A Plans for The Pottery Proposed plans at former Pottery site include retail, residential development PUBLIC SAFETY Chambers Road shooting investigated Officers with the Banks County Sheriff’s Office inves tigated the shooting of a Chambers Road man on March 30. The call came in to Banks County 9-1-1 dispatch of an accidental shooting at 183 Chambers Road, Commerce. The responding deputy reported he spoke with the man at the residence identified as 43-year-old Mark Zohoranacky and he stated while he was out in his yard shooting his pellet rifle he heard gunshots and then felt something strike him hard in the back. Zohoranacky said it felt as if someone had hit him with a baseball bat, the officer report ed. The officer said there was a small hole in Zohoranacky’s right shoulder area. Zohoranacky was transported to the hospital for treatment by his wife, after he refused medi cal transport from a Banks County EMS unit. Zohoranacky had surgery at Gwinnett Medical Center to remove the bullet that was lodged approximately three inches below the entrance wound. Officers checked with neigh bors in the area in an attempt continued on page 2A BY SHARON HOGAN Proposed plans for the former site of The Pottery at Banks Crossing include a retail and residential development. Banks County community planner Brad Day presented a concept plan for The Pottery site at a development authority meeting last week. The plan includes a hotel/conference center, ath letic fields, grocery store, sidewalk shop ping, residential community, central bou levard and additional retail space. Day said the FDIC had been supervis ing the sale of the foreclosed property over the past 90 days and a number of investors/developers had shown interest in the property. ‘ ’You should see something taking place soon,” Day said. The site concept plan reflects a pro jected investment of over $30 million. “The first project will set the stage for future projects,” development authority chairman Scott Ledford said. Day advised the authority that tools need to be in place to help move any project at this site along. One suggestion Day made on this issue was to expedite permitting. “Regulators have a job to perform, but it needs to be done with customer service in mind,” Day said. Day said the developers could pos sibly look at the local community to provide access transportation/entrances to the property. “We need to have the tools in the bag, so to speak,” Day said. “We need to be pro-active instead of reactive.” SHOOTING RANGE Shooting range gets OK Business permit approved BY ANGELA GARY A request for a conditional use permit to locate a shooting range and training facility in Banks County was approved Tuesday night by the board of commission ers. The BOC approved the request from Elizabeth and James Shi for a conditional use permit for 44 acres on Line Church Road to locate the business. The vote was 4-1 with Sammy Reece, David Duckett, Danny Maxwell and Jimmy Hooper voting in favor of the request and Charles Turk voting against it. Mr. Shi presented the request and said plans are to offer train ing, including classroom time and shooting range experience. The classes will be offered on an indi vidual basis or in small groups. He will offer gun certification based on NRA standards. The hour would be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. The firearms used will be less than .50 caliber. continued on page 2A FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS Back in Time and BlueBilly Grit to be featured The first annual Festival of Arts event scheduled for Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in down town Homer will feature live perfor mances by the Back in Time Band, as well as the BlueBilly Grit bluegrass band. Back in Time is a nine-piece band based in Gainesville. The band is known for its classic rock, soul and East Coast beach music. And for all of those bluegrass fans, the BlueBilly Grit band, winner of the 2012 Telluride Bluegrass Band Competition, will also be performing live during the Festival of Arts. The community is invited to come out and enjoy this free event. “Bring a lawn chair and spend the day enjoying the great music, delicious food and the wonderful works of the participating artists,” organizers state. “Visitors can even enjoy meeting the artists who will be bringing everything from pottery to paintings.” For more information and/or to reserve vendor space, contact Scott Peppers at 706-8704310 or email spep- pers@windstream.net for a vendor application. Completed applications and vendor fees should be returned to Scott Peppers at 389 Parson Circle, Maysville, GA 30558. Space is lim ited and spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Inside •Broome lead girls’ track — page 1B •Homer appoints three officials — page 2A Op/Ed • ‘The state helps the rich get richer’ — page 4A Other news 1 Social 1 Church 1 Obituaries 1 Public Safety 1 Legals 1 Sports 1 Classifieds -7A — 5B - 10-11A - 5-6A - 9,11B - 1-4B -7-8B BANKS COUNTY DEVELOPMENT Development Authority approves $230,000 in funding for entrance roads BY SHARON HOGAN The Banks County Development Authority agreed at a called meeting last week to fund $230,000 for entrance roads into the Banks Crossing 109 industrial site and the Hudson River Business Park. The authority approved borrowing the money from a local bank for the project. Banks County Planner Brad Day advised the council that he was checking with the local banks to get the best rate available. The agreed for Day to continue pursuing a formal bid for a 15-year amortized loan with a five- year fixed rate and no penalty for early payoff. Three lots in the authority’s Industrial Park will be used as collateral for the loan and lease revenue will be used to repay the $230,000 loan, Day reported. The total cost of the two entrance road projects is projected to be around $769,500. The county has received 2012 and 2013 Local Maintenance and Improvement Grants total ing $539,500 to be used for this project. The Banks Crossing 109 project will be first one started and Day projected breaking ground on this project in 30-60 days. “Banks Crossing 109 will go out for bid soon,” Day said. Day advised the council that it would take 2040 days to get drawings for the Hudson River Business Park project. The authority also agreed for Day to handle contact information signs for both properties. OTHER BUSINESS In other business at the called meeting: •the authority met in closed session for approximately 10 minutes to discuss land acquisition. No action was taken. • the authority unanimously approved Day spending up to $5,000 for website work for the development authority. Day said he is collab orating with the Banks County Chamber CVB and Banks County Board of Commissioners for a website that includes shared links and a complimentary look. The development authority regularly meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 4 p.m. in the Wilson Shoals Conference Room at the Banks County Annex, Homer. The next meeting is set for April 16. Lula clean up day set Saturday The City of Lula Community Clean-Up will be held Saturday. Volunteers are encouraged to meet at 8 a.m. at the Lula Depot to pick up litter from the roadsides and area parks. On Monday, April 22, the city will conduct a city-wide Bulk Pick-up. OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS • Railroad Days, Saturday, May 4, 10 a.m. • ’’Some Gave All” 5K Run, Saturday, May 11, 4-7 p.m. •Memorial Day Observance, Monday, May 27, 10 a.m. DISPATCHERS RECOGNIZED The Banks County Board of Commissioners approved a proclamation Tuesday night recognizing National Public Safety Telecommunications Week April 15-19. Deidra Moore, 911 director, (left) is shown with some of the dispatchers who were at the meeting Monday night. Photo by Angela Gary
