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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Development authority helps
Gilmer with proposed resolution
By RAY UGHTNER
HHJ Staff Writer
The Houston County
Development Authority has
been discussing ways to help
existing industry.
An inducement resolution
to issue $7 million in bonds
might help Tom Gilmer.
Gilmer’s new 300,000-
square-foot warehouse next
to Graphic Packaging
International in Perry is
connected by a carton con
veyance system to take the
product to Gilmer
Warehouse and Logistics.
Development Authority
Attorney Mike Long said the
possible bonds, up to $7 mil
lion, would pay for new
equipment and to repay the
original bonds issued from
the Regional Development
Commission.
He said it was “a phantom
issue,” with the only change
being the transfer of title of
the property to the Houston
County Development
Authority until the bonds
are repaid.
The authority approved
the request subject to it
being agreeable to Gilmer.
The authority is also sell
WR
From page 1A
proposed softball complex.
“We have set aside $2.2
million in the budget to
begin work and we hope to
compress that by doing a lot
of work in-house,” said
Walker. “We should be able
to do the grading work this
year.”
In other business, Walker
told council members that
he had sent a letter to the
Peach County Commission
alerting them of the city’s
intentions to annex 773
WR confronts Shirley Hills traffic woes
Mayor releases study examining speeds, volume along Arrowhead Trail
By TIMOTHY GRAHAM
HHJ Staff Writer
Warner Robins Mayor
Donald Walker presented a
traffic engineering report to
the City Council on Tuesday
that studied traffic flow on
Arrowhead Trail in the
Shirley Hills neighborn
hood.
The report was undertak
en after residents along
Arrowhead Trail alleged the
city had not responded to
complaints of speeding and
running stop signs along the
street. Several residents
along Arrowhead Trail put
signs in their lawns calling
for Mayor Walker to “police
the streets.”
The study targeted traffic
speeds near three intersec
KATRINA -
From page 1A
• Trinity United
Methodist Church, 129
Houston Road, Warner
Robins, 923-3797;
• Perry Volunteer
Outreach, 801 Commerce
St., Perry, 218-2274, which
does not accept clothes.
• Andrew United
Methodist Church, 2470
Hwy 127, Kathleen, 987-
7934, is assisting as a liaison
between host families pro
viding housing and evac
uees.
• Shirley Hills Baptist
Church, 615 Corder Road,
Warner Robins, 923-5571,
has received so many dona
tions it has contacted the
Houston County
Development Authority
about leasing a building to
store and set up a clearing
house for the items, accord
ing to Development
Authority Executive
Director Morgan Law.
• Middle Georgia
Technical College President
Ivan Allen has offered the
use of the college’s four trac
tor-trailers and drivers to
the county to transport
items down to the gulf coast.
Allen said Peach County has
ing a 1.06-acre lot on
Whiting Way to the local
Board of Realtors for
$50,000. Authority member
Larry Snellgrove asked for
something in the deed refer
ring to the number of jobs
created so the sale price
doesn’t affect the appraisal
of other land in the area.
Authority member Neal
Talton noted, “the location
is the worst thing on the
lot.”
The lot is between Margie
Drive and Houston Lake
Road, off Osigian Drive on
Whiting Way, explained
Executive Director Morgan
Law.
Law said he has met with
prospects looking for a
75,000- to 105,000-square
foot building with rail access
for a distribution center.
The company is looking to
relocate from Butts County
to be closer to markets in
Florida and Valdosta.
Law said they looked at
the Perry spec building
probably 10 times, but
would have to retrofit it, so
they would rather start from
the ground up. He said the
operation would “bring us
acres there in the near
future.
“We are probably the best
thing that has ever hap
pened to Peach County,”
joked Cowart.
The council approved the
appointment of Bob Dubiel
to the Warner Robins
Convention and Visitors
Bureau.
The council also approved
an amendment to the
Houston County Service
Delivery Strategy that
would move two tracts of
tions: Arrowhead Trail and
Belmont Drive, Arrowhead
Trail and Chestnut Drive,
and Arrowhead Trail and
Pennsylvania Avenue. The
speed limit along Arrowhead
Trail is 25 mph, and the
traffic volume was deter
mined to be between 1,720
and 1,821 vehicles per day.
The study observed that:
“Arrowhead Trail has
always been a problem for
its residents as well as our
Police Department. Over the
years multi-way stops have
been installed to attempt to
slow traffic. They probably
have helped to slow vehicles
at or near them but haven’t
done anything to reduce the
overall speed along
Arrowhead Trail. The aver
already contacted the col
lege about using one truck.
A 1 Stewart, a Red Cross
volunteer and community
relations and government
affairs representative for
Boeing, said Trinity UMC
has opened God’s Mart, and
so far has helped 28 adults
and 34 children displaced by
the hurricane. Stewart said
Trinity is accepting clothing
and has a desperate need for
toiletries and toothbrushes.
He said another 460 evac
uees have been sheltered at
the 4-H camp at Rock Eagle
near Eatonton. He said as
people transition through,
they need the basics - shel
ter, food, clothing and med
ication.
Carchedi said the Red
Cross has closed small shel
ters and people are being
put into alternative housing,
hotels and motels as the
area impacted by the hurri
cane is not safe and they are
being asked not to return
home for some time.
She said they have had
two families relocating to
the area and the local chap
ter has provided their first
month’s rent for free.
The Red Cross is accept
100 jobs.”
He said he also had a Hur
ry of calls from prospective
call centers, with one being
a 400-person operation. Law
said they are looking for
about 40,000 square feet
and the inbound call centers
can go into old Foodmax or
Wal-Mart sites.
The authority approved
spending $5,400 for its
audit, to be conducted by
the same accounting firm
doing the county’s audit.
Law noted last year the
authority’s audit was late
which delayed completion of
the county’s audit.
Law said he is also work
ing on changes in the job
description for the adminis
trative assistant following
personnel changes in the
office. Law said he’s looking
more towards a project man
ager or more of a “right
hand to me” to handle
requests for information
and work with existing
industries.
Some of those administra
tive assistant duties are
being handled by the office
assistant, Law said, with
more responsibilities being
added to that position.
land totaling 157.052 acres
along Sandefer Road from
Warner Robins’ service
delivery area to that of
Perry. The land has been
purchased by the Houston
County Board of Education
and is the proposed site for a
new middle school if the pro
posed Special Purpose Local
Option Sales Tax (SPLOST)
measure passes.
“It would not be economi
cally feasible for us to serve
this property for a number
of years,” Walker said.
age speed is about 35 mph -
that’s 10 mph over the post
ed speed limit.”
The study determined
that the sign shop should
evaluate the best locations
to put up more speed limit
signs. It also suggested that
increased police presence
would help reduce the
speeding.
“Would it be possible to
authorize certain people to
report the license numbers
of cars that speed in the
neighborhood?” asked
Councilman Terry Horton.
“It does not matter who
we appoint - sooner or later
human nature will kick in
and they will start reporting
people they don’t like,” said
ing monetary donations at
its Web site,
www.redcross.org or by mail
to the local office, 346,
Corder Road, Warner
Robins, GA 31088. Checks
should be made payable to
the American Red Cross,
with “disaster” in the
memo.
Carchedi said some 500
pints of blood have been
used so far and blood drives
will be held locally at Lowe’s
today, at Belk Matthews at
the Galleria Mall on Friday
or anytime at the Macon
office.
Robins Air Force Base’s
Family Support Center is
also taking care of evacuees.
Christine Parker, the
director of the Family
Support Center at Robins
said they are taking care of
military and Department of
Defense civilian employee
evacuees, most from
Randolph Air Force Base.
She said her office is provid
ing mostly lodging, a safe
place to ride out the hurri
cane’s aftermath. Currently
they are helping 30 families,
with about 16 staying on
base.
‘We suspect there are
LOCAL
Giving blood for Katrina victims
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HHJ/Timothy Graham
Williams Barrett of Warner Robins was first In line to give blood Monday at the Red
Cross blood drive at Wal-Mart. Red Cross nurse Rosel Mailt makes sure everything
goes smoothly. /
“Sewer would have to be
pumped and we would have
to hire new police and fire
officers to serve the area.”
The council approved an
amendment to the city’s
alcohol residency require
ment ordinance. The old
ordinance required that the
manager of an establish
ment selling alcohol had to
be a resident of Warner
Robins. The amendment
would allow the manager to
live within 30 miles of the
city limits. Councilmen
Councilman Dean Cowart.
“We need to do something
to slow down people in our
residential neighborhoods,”
said Horton. “This is a prob
lem all over the city and not
just here.”
“Maybe we could adopt
Terry’s idea but just limit it
to certain residential areas,”
said Councilman Matt
Stone.
“I will talk to Police Chief
Brett Evans and see what
we can do,” said Walker.
“They were checking this
area before the complaints
and they will continue to
check it. I have faith that
the police department will
take care of this problem. I
am taking it personally.”
another 50 to 100 in the
Middle Georgia area,”
Parker said. “We are asking
them to call the family
Support Center. That way
we can let Randolph Air
Force Base know and help
them get accountability of
all its people.”
Parker said she is focusing
on DoD civilian employees,
and well as active duty mili
tary and veterans.
“We want to make sure
their needs are met and we
know where they are,”
Parker said.
She added that the Family
Support Center can provide
financial assistance and help
match up evacuees with
lodging, medical needs and
getting kids in school.
Parker asked that evac
uees have their military ID
or a driver’s license as well
as any medications they
need. The number for
Family Support Center is
(478) 926-1257 or e-mail
family@robinß.af.mil.
“Chances are you will get
a voice mail,” Parker said,
“Leave name and a contact
number and we will call
back.”
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2005
Dean Cowart and Terry
Horton opposed the amend
ment.
The amendment came at
the request of the owners of
a proposed Italian restau
rant off Russell Parkway.
The owners and their man
ager live in Hawkinsville.
The council also approved
the sale of surplus city prop
erty to the Warner Robins
Church of Christ for $2,000.
The land is located adjacent
to the church and behind
the Flash Foods Market off
U-Stor-lt
Self Storage
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