The Tri-County Journal
& Chattahoochee Chronicle
PO Box 850, 71 Webb Lane
Buena Vista, GA 31803
229-649-6397
tjournal@alltel.net
Visit the Home page, for a list of headlines from THIS WEEK'S newspaper.
subdivisions for six months
(From the November 21, 2006 issue)
The Marion County Commission approved a six-month moratorium on new subdivisions, declined a request to rezone 70 acres from agricultural to residential, and conducted various other business during its regular monthly meeting last week.
Moratorium
After holding a public hearing, commissioners voted 3-to-1 in favor of the proposed six-month moratorium in which no new subdivisions will be approved. The moratorium does not affect any subdivision plans previously approved. Some of the commissioners had expressed their feeling that the moratorium was needed to make sure there were not too many subdivisions for the infrastructure to support.
Rezoning Denied
A public hearing was also held concerning a request by Ransom Briggs to rezone 70 acres from agricultural to residential. Briggs shared his plan to build affordable homes (1,400 to 1,700 square feet to sell for $100,000 to $130,000) on lots that would be at least one acre each. He hoped to start with around seven homes on Johnny Miller Road and possibly add a few more (or many, depending on how things went) at some point in the future.
He also planned to seek grants to help potential buyers purchase the homes, including a type of grant that would pay around $20,000 down on the purchase for lower-income buyers who qualified for the program.
The Zoning Board had recommended approval of the rezoning request, but an adjoining landowner spoke out against it during the public hearing. Commissioner Ronald Graham made a motion to approve the request, but the motion died without a “second.”
Briggs said he was disappointed, adding that he believed he was doing something that would be good for the community. He noted that while the homes he proposed to build were “no frills” homes, they would still be quality homes that would add more to the tax base than mobile homes, which also depreciate over the years.
“I’m not looking to irritate anybody,” said Briggs. “I want to do something for the community, but I feel I ran into a roadblock.”
Briggs owns around 38 acres of land that is already zoned as residential in the same part of the county, but off of Highway 137. He said he would talk with his family about the possibility of using that land for a similar project.
Commissioners agreed to sign the contract with AIA for architecture drawings for proposed renovations to the courthouse. This is to draw up plans to install an elevator in the courthouse. Since the courthouse is a historical building, renovations and updates will be made without defacing the building.
Reverend Ralph Forsyth presented the commissioners with a petition signed by citizens of the community asking for extra law enforcement officers to work undercover to combat illegal drug activity. The commissioners informed Rev. Forsyth that the sheriff was already working on this by hiring an extra deputy and having a DARE officer.
Two bids were received for the garbage truck. Beck Motors bid $45,000 and Mike Cassotta bid $37,875. Commissioners agreed not to accept the current bids and advertise again.
Bids were opened for the dumpsters. Wrap-It, Inc. submitted a bid of $360 for Lot No. 1 containing 12 dumpsters. Commissioners accepted the bid.
EJ Knight and Mike Cassotta both submitted bids for $25 each for all 87 dumpsters. Both bidders will be asked to resubmit, and the commission will continue to accept bids on Lots 2-8.
Gerald Mixon of the Middle Flint Regional Development Corporation met with the commissioners to discuss the county’s comprehensive plan. The state has postponed the deadline until October 2010; however, a partial plan is due in 2007. The county has a contract with Middle Flint that was signed in 2004. Mixon presented an invoice for a partial payment. The commissioners agreed to pay the invoice at this time, with the balance due upon completion of the comprehensive plan.
Raymond Welch came before the commissioners requesting permission for a commercial dumpster to be placed on his property and for the garbage fees to be waived from his property taxes since he would be contracting directly with Trans Waste for this service. The request was granted.
Travis Welch, water superintendent, presented a water conservation plan to the commissioners. With all commissioners in favor, the plan was accepted.
Welch also reported that the groundwater storage tank is leaking and needs to be repaired. Welch submitted bids to the commissioners. Jones General Contracting bid $15,978 and SIC’s bid was for $16,500. A motion to accept the bid from Jones with a stipulation that the paint be epoxy and a polyurethane finish was accepted.
The next monthly meeting of the commission will be held Tuesday, December 12 at 4 p.m. Anyone wishing to speak on the agenda should call the Commissioners Office (649-2603) at least a week in advance.