Major Zoning in the cities comes before the BOC
News August 21, 2022
GILMER COUNTY, Ga. – With concerns over traffic and access from both cities, the Gilmer Board of Commissioners worked in conditions to an approval for a zoning change to R-5 Residential Multi-Family High Density Re-Zoning in the area of Progress Road and Coosawattee Drive.
Coosawattee Drive is the road where Ronnie Thompson Ford sits, the road connects Progress Road to Highway 515, Mountain View Drive comes off of Coosawattee Drive and has the Best Western and Appalachian Beverage before intersecting Highway 515. All three roads are important as the development sits between the three roads. Discussiong also arose for multiple access points connecting to at least two of the three roads.
The development, known as Gilmer Village, is expected to house up to 100 units for single family homes and townhomes.
Taking into account both cities concerns, and with input from Jim Smith, the county’s new Planning and Zoning Director who was still Public Works Director at the time, the largest issue that brought the three entities together was road access and maintenance. While the county has jurisdiction on the land and, therefore, the zoning, the cities own the surrounding roads. With Progress Road lying in the city of Ellijay and Mountain View Drive in the city of East Ellijay.
This means that while the county does make the ultimate decision for the zoning, it is up to the cities to grant road access and to carry the burden and maintenance on those roads from the extra traffic and the safety of potential foot traffic.
With East Ellijay adamantly opposed to Mountain View Drive access, Ellijay’s concerns rested on improvements being made.
Within the county, Post Commissioner Karleen Ferguson stated that this location was prime for this type of development. She spoke on the accessibility of water and sewer as well as its location among the higher density areas. Her only concern was the length of rentals as she requested an additional condition to prohibit short term rentals which eventually became restated as rentals under 90 days.
A recent traffic study in the area also suggested right turn lanes on Coosawattee Drive at both ends, according to Smith, in order to aid in turns onto Highway 515 and Progress Road.
With most of the attention on Mountain View Drive and East Ellijay’s stance against access to the road, alternatives were presented with multiple access points on Progress Road or connecting a access onto Coosawattee Drive. Thus, conditions were eventually set on the re-zoning. Originally, the motion required two entrances with one on Mountain View and one on Progress, but that was later amended.
In final form, the motion was approved with conditions to include two entrances connected to “one or more public roads” and the developer funding right turn lane upgrades on Coosawattee Drive as pointed out in the traffic study.
In addition, the development could host even more changes as Post Commissioner Karleen Ferguson discussed studies about a potential traffic light at the intersection of Highway 515 and the two side roads of Mountain View Drive on one side and Highland Crossing on the other. While this isn’t pressing, Ferguson noted that the increase in traffic could help sway the Department of Transportation in putting one there.
Gilmer holds meeting for Amicalola Falls Scenic Byway
News July 26, 2022
ELLIJAY, Ga. – The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is moving forward with a project to designate a scenic byway between Gilmer, Pickens, and Dawson counties. Meetings are being held this month informing citizens about the byway and answering questions on the topic.
Each county is looking to hold one meeting for the the project, allowing their citizens an opportunity to attend a closer location. The counties’ Boards of Commissioners have already approved the initial process of the designation for the byway. Gilmer approved it in November 2021.
Gilmer’s meeting, led by Janet Cochran, saw citizens attending and questioning the projects aims and benefits to the county and balancing them against the costs. Many citizens questioned whether the project might increase traffic on local and state roads as one of the main roads of the byway travels along Highway 52 between Dawson and Gilmer. However, the entirety of the byway involves several offshoots, loops, and branches of the route connecting small roads into it, roads like Orchard Lane.
But the inclusion of many of those side roads are part of the discussion as Executive Director of the Greater Gilmer Joint Development Authority (JDA) Kent Sanford said that is part of what they are asking citizens for. Sanford said that utilizing input from citizens who live in the area, they can not only offer suggestion or requests to move certain sections or alter the route in ways to provide the best scenario as well as offering suggestions on improvements to the route.
A map of the proposed Amicalola Falls Scenic Byway as presented in the July 2022 meeting with citizens.
That is part of the Georgia Rural Economic Development organization’s process in the byway designation. They will offer recommendations to government entities from local county commissioners to the state and GDOT on the needs of this route to both improve and maintain the scenic nature of the byway. Cochran said that this could be an increase in trash pickup, addition of certain things as a part of the Corridor Management Plan. However, the committee itself has no power to enforce or accomplish these tasks as they can only suggest them to the roads management.
This is all to maintain the six intrinsic qualities of a byway including scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological, and recreational sites. Of which, the route being designated has five qualities. Only archaeological wasn’t found.
Being 81 miles long, the Amicalola Scenic Byway touches jurisdictions of Dawson County, Dawsonville, Gilmer County, Ellijay, Pickens County, and Jasper.
Cochran told citizens that the designation does not come with a widening of the road, construction, or other private property encroachments. There will be signs erected identifying the byway on the roadside, but no major expansions are included. On of the only restrictions that comes with the designation is no new billboards will be erected. Something that Sanford says Gilmer County already has in its ordinances.
A map of Gilmer’s portion of the Amicalola Falls Scenic Byway route proposed in the July 2022 meeting.
Gilmer’s meeting saw both opposition and support for the project as some suggested renaming it to include apples in the name and others worries about the state coming in to widen and control the roads. Still others spoke on the byway’s potential to add traffic to certain roads already under stress and in major need of repair. Countering that, some spoke about the byway’s plan to aid “market share,” a term used by Cochran, as draining tourists from the apple houses and directing them elsewhere. Similar discourse came in November 2021’s Gilmer BOC meeting as the board was questioned on the designation, its benefits, and “ulterior motives.”
In that meeting, Paris said he had begun thinking of something similar to this for Boardtown Road, though it would be a county designation and not a state designation.
Sanford said that the plan is to increase information and as people are likely to see the signs while already visiting the area. This could lead them to following the road after visiting apple houses and traveling in different directions instead of immediately returning via the same road after visiting their original destination. Cochran also assured citizens that the scenic byway doesn’t restrict their rights to develop their land along the road. As the county ordinances still dictate Land Use, citizens will not have any change in that area either. The county is also not required to fund any of the initial process of the designation. The meetings, information distribution, and even putting up the signs, if the designation is completed, is covered by Georgia’s Rural Center.
That process continues now, after this meeting, as the development of the Corridor Management Plan begins. Another meeting will be held to present that plan and it is sent to GDOT for approval and review by the DNR and DCA and then must be approved by the commissioner and board. If approved, it will join the 17 other Scenic Byways designated in the state. Citizens can find all scenic byways on the GDOT’s Scenic Byways page.
Hotel/Motel Tax raised in Gilmer BOC special meeting
News January 30, 2022
ELLIJAY, Ga. – A special called meeting of Gilmer’s Board of Commissioners saw the official motion and approval of a change in the Hotel/Motel Tax from five percent to eight percent and included tourism product development (TPD) Projects.
The meeting saw the continued discussion of the topic that was brought up last year after Gilmer Chamber President and CEO Jennifer Grimmer responded to Post Commissioner Karleen Ferguson’s request for information. Grimmer had already provided information to the cities at their request and delivered similar to the BOC.
In December 2021, Grimmer said that going above five percent in the tax opens up tourism product development (TPD) options. Grimmer explained that this fund could be used to build or improve things like river access, signage, parking lots, public bathrooms, and other projects. Gilmer is currently 100 percent marketing and does not use any of the funds for tangible or “brick-and-mortar” improvements.
With this approval, certain areas have to be listed for general guidance on projects for the county to pursue. The board stated that the project list can change from year to year, but the county is to disclose the general ideas where they will use the TPD options to fund. They noted that approval in the county’s meeting is for the resolution to be sent for approval in state legislation. In fact, Post Commissioner Hubert Parker’s motion for approval included submitting the request to Speaker David Ralston.
These stated projects were labeled as Parks, Trails, and Recreation facilities. Though throughout the meeting, the board’s exploration of projects lead to additional funding for the pool and wayfinding signage. Additionally, 18% of the funds collected must be used for the TPD projects.
Recently, the county’s pool project has failed to see real progress as bids for the project have not received any submissions. The board discussed that some questions to those interested said the addition of a diving well had some affect on their decisions. The diving well would increase project costs and liability costs for the county. Brief discussions still saw interest from board members to pursue the diving well if possible.
Additionally, in the special meeting’s Citizens Wishing to Speak section, the board heard a presentation from Robert Ferguson about his recent attendance of the Gilmer Chamber’s “Leadership Gilmer” course. Robert said that part of the course was to find a project to work on to improve the county. He went on to add that his project that he worked on with a group of people in the course was wayfinding signage. Providing handouts and extra documentation, Robert noted the abundance of signage in Ellijay for different things including a large portion of real estate signage. He also noted a lack of signage for visitors to utilize in increasing tourism guidance.
The addition of more wayfinding signage would help visitors quickly navigate to sites like local businesses, vineyards, the downtown area, and even historic places like the Tabor House. Though not a part of this same project, it is something the Chamber has noted as helpful and important for those unfamiliar with our county. Having inspected signage on their own, the Chamber recently updated signage on the Highway 515 Welcome Center and main office in the last year.
These two projects were a current focus for the Board of Commissioners with TPD, but they also discussed future possible projects briefly. Ultimately, with the project list updated annually, they elected to focus on the 2022 projects and push discussion for 2023 to a later date. Additionally, sending the resolution to state legislation requires the current project list and County Attorney David Clark noted that this change would not be finalized and implemented until Georgia’s Governor signs the bill into law. This could occur in May or later.
After signing, Clark said there is a notification period as well. If the signing is delay, the change could occur as late as September of 2022.
Grimmer also returned to speak at the Special Meeting offering information. She noted that TPD funding could have doubled in 2021 according to projections. She reasserted to the BOC that the Gilmer Chamber was a point of information on the subject with no financial interest as the increase would lower the Chambers percentage received in order to balance out to the same collection.
It was noted that while the Parks, Trails, and Recreation facilities denoted as projects are considerations and the county is not bound to complete projects in all the areas. However, they cannot work on projects outside of those areas until added to the list during the annual discussions.
County approved commercial lot rezoning at Flint Mountain Development
News, Videos July 14, 2020
ELLIJAY, Ga. – Holding their Regular Meeting at a special location, the Gilmer BOC (Board of Commissioners) met at River Park this month, avoiding the courthouse due to COVID-19 exposures.
Due to the recent spike in cases and closures of many county offices until yesterday, the Commissioners opted to cancel their work session and later chose to move their site of the Regular Meeting outside before eventually choosing a pavilion at River Park to avoid rainfall expected during the meeting.
During that meeting, they approved a commercial rezoning request for a development by Flint Mountain Holdings on Highway 282 in Gilmer. Though not directly a part of their 305 lot subdivision plan, it is in the same vicinity, set to be used for boating equipment and a bait shop according to the Commissioners. An isolated commercial lot, Chairman Charlie Paris voiced a comment about the zoning being such, but saw no reason to deny it saying, “If we zone it C-1, there is any number of things that they can do there, but given the location of this property, I can’t imagine that it would be anything that wasn’t associated with the water and the lake.”
Citizens gathered at River Park for the Commissioners July 9, 2020, meeting to avoid weather and COVID-19 exposures in the courthouse.
Ferguson questioned about the property and its relation to Corps of Engineers property. Through discussion, Planning and Zoning Director Karen Henson said the Corps had received a letter and had not made any comments against the zoning change.
Also in their meeting, the board approved a resolution moving forward with the County’s TAN note, although the TAN was previously approved, the item now is to formally approve the contracts for the TAN to be finalized.
The Board also discussed new appointments to other boards. Two spots are still unfilled for the Keep Gilmer Beautiful Advisory Board. Bill Craig was approved to the Building Authority Board.
Flint Mountain Holding Development before the Commissioners this week
News July 6, 2020
ELLIJAY, Ga. – Many citizens are still discussing the topics around the Flint Mountain Holdings, LLC. development project on Highway 282 this week as some voice concerns on social media or with their elected commissioners.
This week sees a small part of the development before the commissioners, our current understanding is the commercial re-zoning on this month’s agenda revolves around lake usage, such as boat storage or equipment. It is not a part of the 305 lot total development.
The “Whole Development Site Plan” for High River was filed with Gilmer County Planning and Zoning.
While recent months have seen the Commissioners not accept comments in meetings on Planning and Zoning, citizens can still phone their Chairman and message their Commissioners with concerns or questions. The public comments in the meetings have been skipped in recent months as legal counsel suggested the commissioners should not be holding a second planning and zoning hearing in the commissioner meetings. Indeed, some zoning issues have become equivalent to this in the past.
Despite this, citizens are taking to social media saying that they have just recently learned of the development and are wanting to voice their opinions as citizens of the county to their officials. Others are already voicing opinions on both sides, comments on FYN’s article “Flint Mountain Holdings files for 305 lot subdivision” have seen some citizens indicating they are fine with the additional large subdivision saying, “Development is a fact of life! Just hope this development will follow all guidelines & not harm our beautiful Coosawattee river!”
Others on social media are calling the development a large step away from Gilmer’s style and appeal as a smaller mountain town.
Indeed one popular post shared by several people states,
“Other projects under way in Gilmer County include Watersong Phases 1, 2 and 3 – located on Gates Chapel Road on the western side of Gilmer County, with 43 lots; and The Hammock with 88 lots sized 1 acre or larger located off Roundtop Road in the southern portion of the county.
Located in the north central portion of Georgia, Gilmer County is known for its mountains and annual Apple Festival. More than 55,000 acres of the county lie in national forest. The county’s population grew from 13,368 in 1990 to 30,674 as of 2017, and its population is projected to exceed 32,000 by the year 2040, according to the U.S. Census.”
Indeed, when questioned about current and previously approved multi-lot developments in the last 12 months, Karen Henson, Planning and Zoning Director for Gilmer County said in an email::
There are 9 multi-lot developments that currently have plans filed in Gilmer County;
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Cherry Lake Phase 30 – 16 lots – 1 acre or less – R-2(Residential High Density) – paved roads – off Joanne Sisson Road – Northern section of Gilmer
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Frosty Mountain – 17 lots – 3+ acre tracts – A-1(Agricultural) – off Old Bucktown Road – gravel roads – Eastern section of Gilmer
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Walker Reserve – 10 lots – 5+ acre tracts – A-1(Agricultural) – off 52 West – gravel road – near Murray County Line
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Red Oak Estates (fka The Falls) – 22 lots – 1+ acres – R-2(Residential High Density) – paved roads – off Roberts Ridge Road – Western section of Gilmer
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Highland Pointe – 19 lots – 1+ acre tracts – R-2(Residential High Density) – paved road – off Eller Road & Stone Road – East section of Gilmer
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The Hammock – 88 lots – 1 acre or less – R-2(Residential High Density) – paved roads – off Roundtop Road – Southern section of Gilmer
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Oakhill Farms – 6 lots – 1.5+ acre tracts – (Residential High Density) – paved road – off Mulkey Road – Eastern section of Gilmer
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Watersong Phases 1,2&3 – 43 lots – 1.5+ acre tracts – A-1(Agricultural) – Greenspace Development – gravel roads – off Gates Chapel Road – Western section of Gilmer
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High River – Phases 1-4 – 123 lots – 3+ acre tracts – R-2(Residential High Density) – gravel roads – off Crossroads Church Road – Western section of Gilmer – More phases to come – total of 305 lots at completion
All 9 of the above have been approved by the Gilmer County Planning Commission within the last 12 months according to Henson. This is only the unincorporated parts of the county as the cities have their own zoning ordinances.
Further, Henson did confirm with FYN that the development will be requiring the previously reported DRI study, mentioned in our previous article, as the total project will collectively surpass the 125 lot minimum.
Flint Mountain Holdings re-zoning for commercial use will be before the Board of Commissioners this week during their work session on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. and Thursday during their regular meeting at 6:00 p.m.
Work Session:
Regular Meeting:
