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MAY 11, 2017
Madison County Journal
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Merged with The Comer News and The Danielsville Monitor, 2006
MadisonJoumalTODAY.com
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Vol. 34 No. 16 • Publication No. 1074-987 • Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. *24 Pages, 2 Sections Plus Supplements
NATIONAL POLITICS
Collins
supports
budget,
Trumpcare
Rep. Doug Collins
voted last week to support
President Donald Trump's
budget agenda and to sup
port the American Health
Care Act (Trumpcare)
as a replacement to
Obamacare.
“I have seen the grief that
Obamacare has brought
to northeast Georgians
and have worked for my
entire tenure in Congress
to repeal this destructive
law,” he said.
Collins also supported
the president’s spending
plan through the end of
the fiscal year, a move that
averted a government shut
down.
‘‘The House has listened
to President Trump and to
our neighbors in passing
legislation that reprioritiz-
es the safety and security
of Americans and contin
ues the regulatory reform
efforts that energize our
economy. I am pleased
with this bill’s support for
the Second Amendment,
including my own piece
of legislation. The bill also
provides for construction
funding for the Savannah
Harbor Extension
Project—a critical eco
nomic driver throughout
the state of Georgia—
and allows water usage
discussions among
Georgia and her neighbors
to remain a states—rather
— See “Collins” on 2A
INSIDE
Index:
News — 1-3A
Opinions — 4-6A
Crime — 7A
Socials — 8-9A
Churches — 10A
Obituaries — 11A
Legals — 6-9B
Sports — 1-3B
Classifieds — 4-5B
Schools—10B, 12B
Contact:
Phone: 800-795-2581
Mail: P.O. Box 658,
Danielsville, Ga. 30633
Web:
MadisonJournalTODAY.
com
Mailing
Label Below
14 14 4
Raiders
advance
to Elite 8
— Page IB
Man faces
violence,
drug charges
— Page 7A
Zoning
No go on Hwy. 172
fertilizer facility
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
A planned litter-and-manure-drying
facility for fertilizer material on Hwy.
172 won’t be permitted by the county,
because it doesn’t fall within the appro
priate zoning for the area.
It is zoned for agriculture but needs to
be zoned for industrial use.
That determination was submitted this
week by county commission chairman
John Scarborough to Jeff Smith and his
brother. Stephen, who want to operate a
manure/litter drying facility in a 150’ by
150' building at 8315 Hwy. 172.
Adjoining property owners Rich and
Karen Justinn recently appeared before
county commissioners asking that the
county do something to stop the fertil
izer business from being located a few
hundred feet from their home and very
close to their property line and secondary
living quarters. They said a similar busi
ness in Hart County has a widespread,
overpowering odor and that their way
of life and property values would be
significantly diminished if the Smiths
are allowed to operate the facility on the
property. They said the facility isn’t in
line with the county codes in terms of
intended use and setback requirements.
Jeff Smith said Tuesday that the plans
have been blown out of proportion. He
said odors won’t be worse than regular
chicken houses. He said the facility is
only intended to serve Smith Land and
Cattle Company, which is located just
south of the building on Hwy. 172.
‘‘We’re not giving up.” said Smith, add
ing that he and his brother are prepared to
fight a legal battle to use the building as
they intended.
Scarborough penned a letter to Smith
this week, informing him of the county's
Jeff and Stephen Smith want to run
a manure/litter drying operation out
of this facility off Hwy. 172. They
were informed this week that they
will need a rezoning to industrial
use to make that happen.
stance.
“It is Madison County Building and
Zoning Office’s determination that the
current zoning classification of that prop
erty is not compatible with the fertilizer
production operation you seek to oper
ate.” wrote Scarborough to Smith. “The
North American Industry Classification
System (NAICS) places this activity in
the industrial category as a type of “man
ufacturing.”
Scarborough wrote that “neighboring
Franklin County deemed this type of
fertilizer operation to be manufacturing
and required a zoning classification of
commercial industrial.”
He also mentioned a facility in Hart
County, Rose Acres, a large poultry pro
duction operation.
“As part of their operation. Rose Acres
implemented a production process sim
ilar to the one you propose to operate,”
wrote Scarborough. “While Hart County
does not use zoning classifications, coun
ty administrators deemed this process to
— See “Fertilizer” on 2A
HOUSING
■r.
Commissioners voted 5-0 Monday to approve a
subdivision on Piedmont Road.
Subdivision
approved on
Piedmont Road
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
A 72-lot subdivision on Piedmont Road was
approved by county commissioners Monday.
The board of commissioners voted 5-0 to
approve a request by Reliant Homes to rezone two
parcels totaling 71.73 acres on Piedmont Road in
District 3 from A-1 to R-l. The homes will be a
minimum of 1,600 square feet for one-story hous
es and 1,800 square feet for two-story structures.
A spokesperson for Reliant said that the compa
ny handled Bryce Landing and that the homes will
be similar to that subdivision.
No one spoke in opposition to the zoning
request.
Also Monday, the board approved a request by
Athens Cellular Inc. representing Sandra Smith to
rezone a 12.73-acre piece of land from A-2 to A-l
with a conditional use for a 180-foot cell tower
off Hwy. 72. A spokesman for Verizon said the
company is trying to improve coverage in the area.
Board members agreed that they would like to see
county policies changed to allow conditional use
permits for cell towers in A-2 properties.
CLOSED SESSION POLICY
The board held a tense discussion over county
commission chairman John Scarborough’s sug
gestion that the board allow the county clerk into
closed-door meetings to record minutes of the
— See “BOC” on 2A
EDUCATION
COUNTY SEAT
BOE votes to extend single
school day for solar eclipse
By Margie Richards
margie@mainstreetnews.com
The county school board took the
unusual step of extending a single day of
school on the 2017-18 school year due
to a solar eclipse.
The Madison County Board of
Education voted Tuesday night to extend
the school day on Monday, Aug. 21. by
30 minutes. Superintendent Dr. Allen
McCannon explained that the apex of
the eclipse would be about 2:38 p.m.
when it is expected to be “close to dark.”
He said for safety reasons and to make
the rare experience an “educational day,”
the school day was being extended for a
short time. Special eclipse safety glasses
will be furnished to students and staff to
view the eclipse. He said the glasses cost
about 50 cents each and students will be
allowed to keep them.
In other matters, assistant superin
tendent Bonnie Knight reported that
an expanded summer feeding program
will be held again this year. She said the
program fed over 26,000 meals over the
summer last year. The no-cost lunch is
for kids ages 1 to 18 and no registration
is needed and meals must be eaten on
site. Lunch will be served May 30 to
July 28 (except for July 3 and 4). The
main location is the high school cafe-
z
teria, where in addition to lunch from
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., breakfast will
also be served from 7:30 to 8 a.m.
A “lunch bus” will have the following
schedule: The Learning Train (10:20
to 11 a.m.), Colbert 1 st Baptist (10:25
to 10:45 a.m.). Tranquility Forest Park
(11 to 11:25 a.m.), Joy Baptist Church
(11:35 a.m. to 12:05 p.m.), Hwy. 106
trailer park (12:10 to 12:25 p.m.), Neese
trailer park (12:35 to 12:50 p.m.), Irvin
Kirk Road, Danielsville (1 to 1:15
p.m.) and Sherwood community in
Danielsville (1:20 to 1:45 p.m.).
A “lunch truck” will have the fol
lowing schedule: Ila school park
(11:15 to 11:35 a.m.), the Madison
County Recreation Department by the
tennis courts (11:40 to noon), Comer
— See “BOE” on 2A
D’ville to get
new restaurant;
Subway moving
By Margie Richards
margie@mainstreetnews.com
Danielsville will soon be getting a new restaurant.
Danielsville Hot Wings plans to open in the old
Master Baster’s Barbecue building on General
Daniel Avenue North, according to discussion by
the city council at their business meeting Monday
night.
Mayor Todd Higdon said the owner, Cliff
Chambers, is working with the health department
on their menu. An opening date has not been deter
mined.
The council also noted that work has started on
the new Subway Restaurant building, which will be
located in front of the shopping center. Work crews
broke ground on the lot on Monday.
The council heard a first reading for amendments
to the zoning issue. City clerk Susan Payne asked
for feedback over the next few weeks from council
members so that the final draft of the amendment
can be ready for the June council meeting. She
noted that public hearings will be required before
the council votes on the changes.
Police chief Brenan Baird reported that he has
gotten good feedback from officials of the Madison
County drug court, which is meeting in the city hall
meeting room on Tuesdays and Thursdays, per an
— See Danielsville” on 2A
