Ellijay’s Fourth of July celebration

Community
July

ELLIJAY, Ga. – Events going on all weekend have set Ellijay, Georgia, as a prime North Georgia location for the 4th of July holiday as local wineries, organizations, churches, and the city itself have prepped for Sunday night and Monday to celebrate America’s Independence Day.

The main draw is the city celebrations lasting all evening on Monday, July 4, 2022. With partners in the City of Ellijay and the Gilmer Chamber, the Downtown Ellijay Business and Community Association (DEBCA) kicks off the day’s events at 3 p.m. with the patriotic program including music on the square and the annual parade at 6 p.m. After that, citizens will only have a few hours to shop, visit and then find a seat before the 9 p.m. fireworks display. DEBCA is still looking for Parade Participants, Vendors, and Volunteers to help direct the parade. To be a part of this Community Event come by Gilmer Arts, 207 Dalton St (across from ETC) or visit the event page online.

In addition to the main event, Buckley Vineyards will be having their 4th of July celebration on Sunday, July 3rd from 12:30pm-10:00pm. They will be having food, live music, and fireworks including an open mic event from 1 p.m. to 8:00pm, Robbie Litt Band will be performing. Fireworks will start after dark. Reece’s Cider Co. will be having live music performers and food trucks all weekend long. On the 4th, Hush Money will be performing form 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Smokehouse Grill will be catering. Cartecay Baptist Church will be hosting a food, fellowship, and fun event at 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 3, 2022, with hamburgers and hot dogs and are asking attendees to bring dessert if you feel up to it. They will have “bouncy houses, kiddie train, and games” before hosting a movie. This comes in addition to other live music events on Sunday and Monday at other wineries and events that aren’t holding fireworks displays.

Citizens should also pay closer attention this weekend with increased traffic from both vehicles and foot traffic in the area as well as recent changes like the addition of the stop sign on North Main Street.

Gilmer calls Special Meeting for Millage Rate

News
Gilmer County BOC, Intergovernmental Agreement, session, Meeting, Board, speed

ELLIJAY, Ga. – The Millage Rate is one of 5 items on the agenda this week during a special called meeting of the Gilmer County Board of Commissioners to be held on Friday, July 24, at 10 a.m.

The other items include the Swimming Pool, Vehicle Financing Documents, a Review of Roles and Responsibilities of the Board of Commissioners, and disposing of Surplus Real Property.

Meeting

Agenda for Gilmer County’s July Special Called Meeting

Property taxes and the millage rate are set into the agenda discussing a “Resolution Authorizing the Advertisement of the Rollback Rate.” Set at 6.898 mills last year by adopting the rollback rate, the county went through discussions over both the Millage Rate and the 1.5 mills Bond Rate.

Last year discussion came from then-commissioner Dallas Miller and Citizens Joene DePlancke over the Bond Millage. After refinancing bonds in previous years, Holden said in August of 2019 that the 2020 payment is expected to total just over $4 million. Still, discussions were made about, specifically, about the .5 mill on that bond payment millage rate to cover the payments.

As discussions will move forward with the Millage Rates for County and the Board of Education, who each have their own rates, the county approve its rates and awaits the BOE to set their rate, before final approval of both rates together  can come in August, if the county follows the same schedule as previous years.

The swimming pool has been put on hiatus since near the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak as the Commissioners look to see what financial fallout would come from the shutdowns. However, discussions have started up again this month as the Board of Commissioners look for Bid specifications to begin the next step in the project.

The project got as far as the demolition of the old pool before stopping. The commissioners approved finishing that stage before coming to a full halt.

The bid process could start as early as next month with authorizing to advertise, however, to reach that point, obtaining the proper specifications is the current hurdle. Some discussion came during their regular July meeting voicing their disappointment that the designers of the pool came with estimates but are not going to deliver bid specifications. Paris said, “It surprised me that they couldn’t give us those specs…”

Disposing of Real Property is the other new business on the special meeting agenda. Agenda items like this sometimes do not specify a specific property in case multiple properties need to be discussed. However, an earlier copy of the agenda stated disposing of the former Planning and Zoning office as at least one of those properties.

Board of Commissioners cancels July Work Session meeting

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Gilmer County BOC, Intergovernmental Agreement, session, Meeting, Board, speed

ELLIJAY, Ga. – As the nation continues watching numbers fluctuate and news reports of the the state and national governments commenting and putting forth orders in response to the COVID-19 virus, the Gilmer County Board of Commissioners have cancelled their July Work Session.

Citing the recent spike in cases of the Coronavirus, the Board of Commissioners released an email through County Clerk Edwina Daman saying that they will cancel the work session on Wednesday July 8, 2020, at 9:00 a.m.

They will still be holding Thursday’s Regular Meeting at 6:00 p.m. The statement in the email said, “We plan on having the Public Comment Meeting and Regular Meeting on Thursday in the Courthouse parking lot.

The Public Comment Meeting starts at 5:00 p.m. and the Regular Meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. While no other statements have been made at this time, rumors have circulated that certain members of the courthouse may have been potentially exposed to COVID-19 as well.

Flint Mountain Holding Development before the Commissioners this week

News

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;

  1. 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

  2. Frosty Mountain – 17 lots – 3+ acre tracts – A-1(Agricultural) – off Old Bucktown Road – gravel roads –  Eastern section of Gilmer

  3. Walker Reserve – 10 lots – 5+ acre tracts – A-1(Agricultural) – off 52 West – gravel road – near  Murray County Line

  4. 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

  5. Highland Pointe – 19 lots – 1+ acre tracts – R-2(Residential High Density) – paved road – off Eller Road & Stone Road – East section of Gilmer

  6. The Hammock – 88 lots – 1 acre or less – R-2(Residential High Density) – paved roads – off Roundtop Road – Southern section of Gilmer

  7. Oakhill Farms – 6 lots – 1.5+ acre tracts – (Residential High Density) – paved road – off Mulkey Road – Eastern section of Gilmer

  8. 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

  9. 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:

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Regular Meeting:

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