Gilmer County restructures two department’s leadership
Featured Stories, News August 14, 2022
GILMER COUNTY, Ga. – An Executive Session late Thursday night at the end the Gilmer Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting saw the board return with formal motions and approvals that moved one department director affecting three people.
As the meeting’s regular agenda ended, the board approved a motion for executive session and said they anticipated action. Upon return, Chairman Charlie Paris made a motion to move Public Works Director Jim Smith to Planning and Zoning Director, a position held by Karen Henson.
With the motion, Paris explained that current Planning and Zoning Director Karen Henson would take on a role as Smith’s assistant in the department. In Public Works, the former Assistant Director Ryan Steingruber will step up as the new Director.
Newly appointed Planning and Zoning Director Jim Smith
Post 2 Commissioner Karleen Ferguson took a moment to thank all three people for their service in the county. Ferguson stated, “I’ll say thank you all for your service. Jim, Karen, Ryan, much appreciated. This has been a difficult, challenging year. Now that we’ve got a little adjustment, we’ve got the dream team back.”
This is not Smith’s first time in the Planning and Zoning Department as he did previously hold positions within it as it used to be Planning and Community Development in the early 2000’s. Smith was formerly the Director of this department.
Likewise, as the newly appointed Public Works Director, Steingruber is not unfamiliar with his position either as he stepped in to the role when Smith dealt with health and family issues in recent years. Steingruber not only stepped in to deliver updates and reports to the county in meetings, but served as the Director in formal capacities with contracts and other day to day operations.
With the motion seconded and unanimously approved, these changes will be taking place immediately as the department undergo the transitions to their new directors.
Chairman assures citizens that changes are to limit density
News January 21, 2021
ELLIJAY, Ga. – After last week’s meeting and discussions addressing Gilmer’s growth and density concerns. The Chairman of the Board of Commissioners as responded to clarify the county’s current actions on the Land Use Ordinance.
Gilmer County Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlie Paris said to FYN, “I think many, many people have taken your article the wrong way. They believe that we are trying to increase the density for the sake of growth. In fact, we are trying to hold the density down by making changes to the land use ordinance that will provide less density, rather than more.”
In truth, three major comments were voiced in the Commissioners’ January Work Session offering concerns over the Land Ordinance as it stands now. The county is looking at its future becoming far more densely populated through if major projects are allowed to continue to grow. However, Paris assured citizens in his response that part of what they are looking at is ways to decrease the county’s density growth. One note of discussion from January’s meeting came over lot sizes. In his response, Chairman Paris stated, “We are trying to ensure that Gilmer County stays a rural, agricultural community and not the opposite. We do this primarily by increasing the minimum lot sizes for building. I know that this will make it more expensive for people to build – although they will have the advantage of more land – but it is the only workable way to reduce density as Gilmer grows.”
Indeed, growth has continued coming to the county, even despite the national pandemic of COVID-19. Just looking at SPLOST Numbers from June and July of 2020, as reported in an August 2020 Article on FYN, saw major economic increases despite widespread closures and shelter-in-place orders at that time. Yet, economic growth also includes the County’s Tourism, which is a major impact. However, the county also noted nine multi-lot developments in July of 2020. A number that showed major changes to parts of Gilmer County’s mostly rural make-up.
With the major increases and continuing uptick in developments like this, concerns have been raised like those noted from County Attorney David Clark. Paris states, “David was warning about what would happen if we did not make the changes – he wasn’t warning us about what will happen if we do make the changes.”
Planning and Zoning Director Karen Henson speaks to the Board of Commissioners about the Land Use Ordinance changes and recommendations.
As previously reported, County Attorney David Clark stated in the meeting, “Gilmer is known and is an agricultural community. The density that is allowed, the size of the lots that are allowed at this current time, is going to change that.”
It is a statement echoed by Paris in his response today as he stated, “Right now, the land use ordinance in Gilmer will allow for a very high density future. The proposed changes will actually reduce the prospects for such a high density future and protect our rural, agricultural status as Gilmer grows.”
The board as whole and the commissioners individually are continuing to look at the density growth and at citizen comments urging them to stop the increasing density in the county as they are currently considering changes to the Land Use Ordinance. According to Paris, these changes are now and have been looking to plug up loopholes and protect certain rural aspects of the county that both the citizens and he want to keep.
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:
Flint Mountain Holdings files for 305 lot subdivision
News July 1, 2020
UPDATE: One big subdivision
According to Gilmer County Planning and Zoning Director Karen Henson, plans indicate that the project will not be divided but will be one large subdivision.
That said, the current phase of the project calls for 123 lots.
Henson did affirm that anything over 125 lots, regardless of lot size, would require a DRI. According to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs website, DRIs (Developments of Regional Impact) “are large-scale developments that are likely to have regional effects beyond the local government jurisdiction in which they are located. The Georgia Planning Act of 1989 authorized the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to establish procedures for review of these large-scale projects. These procedures are designed to improve communication between affected governments and to provide a means of revealing and assessing potential impacts of large-scale developments before conflicts relating to them arise. At the same time, local government autonomy is preserved since the host government maintains the authority to make the final decision on whether a proposed development will or will not go forward.”
Original Post – July 1, 2020
ELLIJAY, Ga. – According to the Gilmer County Office of Planning and Zonning, a four phase project is underway in Gilmer county neighboring the Coosawattee River to open 305 lots off of Highway 282.
The project is called High River, and is being undertaken by Flint Mountain Holdings, LLC., a company based in Blue Ridge according to documents filed with Planning and Zoning. The company is already amidst approvals for Phase 4 of the plans and is selling lots within the project.
The “Whole Development Site Plan” for High River was filed with Gilmer County Planning and Zoning.
Though all under the project name “High River,” phases of the project each have their own names in the documents including “The Plantation,” “Eagle Watch,” and “Mountaintown Crossing.” It is unclear at this time if the project will be one large community or several different subdivisions. However, the Flood Study provided for phase 2 of the project does reference itself as the flood study for phase 2 subdivision, the study was performed as the project comes close to the Coosawattee River and an “unnamed tributary.” Also on the study is the notation “Phase 2 Eagle Watch.”
If this sounds familiar to some, that is because a similar project in the same area was filed in 2011 by Flint Timber L.P. Opposed publicly by some, that project ultimately removed its application “due to the unfavorable economic conditions” according to FYN’s article “Flint Timber pulls application for Mountaintown Creek Mega-development” at the time.
Today’s project comes under Flint Mountain Holdings, LLC. and its authorized agent, signed in the applications, Bill Holt. The project already has filed a draft for declaration of covenants, conditions, restrictions, and easements with the High River project.
According to Gilmer County Planning and Zoning Director Karen Henson, the project is currently looking at 123 lots of 3, or more, acre tracts. Yet, she did say more phases are to come and the total project should reach 305 lots by completion. According to reports the project could reach over 1,200 acres.
FYN is currently seeking more information on the project, stay with us as we offer new details and make sure to click on the documents below for more information:
Phase 1:
Final Application and Review Part 1
Preliminary Application & Review
Underground Utility Verification
Phase 2:
Preliminary & Final Application – Review & Utility
Phase 3:
Underground Utility Verification
Phase 4: