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Our Time and Place:
A History of
Jackson County, Ga
A complete history of Jackson County, Georgia
from 1796 to the present. Written in narrative style for easy
reading. Includes material not found in other books about Jackson
County.
Order this book online
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The Jackson Herald
Jefferson, Georgia
Telephone: (706) 367-5233
Fax: (706) 367-8056
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SITE, FOUNDATION WORK UNDER WAY...
Site and foundation work continues at the Darnell Road site for
a new Jackson County courthouse. County officials say the work
is three weeks ahead of schedule.
Photo by Adam Fouche
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Injunction
request denied
Supreme Court allows BOC to proceed with
financing while lawsuit is appealed
BY ANGELA GARY
The Supreme Court of Georgia has denied
a request for an injunction against the Jackson County Board
of Commissioners pending the appeal of a citizens' lawsuit.
The BOC can now proceed with its controversial financing plan
for a new $25 million courthouse while the case is being appealed.
The BOC won a lower court ruling in the lawsuit filed by members
of Concerned Citizens of Jackson County to stop the planned financing
through the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG).
The group plans to appeal this ruling and had asked for the injunction
for financing so that work wouldn't proceed at the Darnell Road
site until the case has been heard.
At issue is a question over lease-purchase financing for the
$25 million project. The citizens' group argues that the deal
is really long-term debt and as such must go before voters in
a bond referendum. The BOC argues that the deal is not debt,
but a 30-year lease of the as-of-yet unbuilt facility.
County manager Al Crace said Monday that the BOC will move on
the lease-purchase financing agreement with the ACCG and the
process should be completed in 30 to 90 days.
"We were three-fourths of the way through the financing
process when the court issue came up," he said. "We'll
start cleaning all that up and go on with the traditional financing...We
have to go back to the market, the insurers and the underwriters
and get everyone comfortable."
Crace said the site work continues at the site and the foundation
and drain work are under way.
At a BOC meeting Monday night, chairman Harold Fletcher said
the site work is three weeks ahead of schedule. He also praised
the City of Jefferson for their "cooperation" with
the project.
"I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation
to the city of Jefferson for the cooperation in regards to our
beginning work on the courthouse," he said. "We found
them to be very cooperative in every instance that we have approached
them and very helpful to us in resolving technical issues, legal
issues...There were some suggestions that this would not happen
but we're very pleased with the response we've had from the City
of Jefferson."
Ten Commandments now on display
at Administrative Building
BY ANGELA GARY
In a 4-1 vote, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners agreed
Monday night to display the Ten Commandments in the Administrative
Building in Jefferson.
A large framed copy of the Ten Commandments has been placed outside
the State Courtroom, along with several other historical documents.
Commissioner Stacey Britt made the motion which was seconded
by Tony Beatty. Sammy Thomason and Harold Fletcher also voted
in favor of the motion. Emil Beshara voted against it.
"While I believe these are a set of rules that one would
do well to live by, I don't think it would be prudent (to do
this)," Beshara said.
Britt first touched on the issue and mentioned the controversy
in nearby Barrow County because of the Ten Commandments display
in the courthouse there.
"We had a request from our next door neighbor county to
support them in their on-going battle with the Ten Commandments,"
Britt said. "I'd like to make a motion that we support that
and we hang the Ten Commandments."
Fletcher suggested that other historical documents also be hung
in the Administrative Building.
"If we are desirous of doing something that is going to
be positive and not defiant that has the opportunity for success,
I think we should look to those situations that have proved to
be successful. I find, in doing research, that in Nevada, the
commission there, hung not only the Ten Commandments, but the
Code of Hammurabi, the Mayflower Compact, the Magna Carta, the
Constitution and other documents that contributed to the form
of government and rule of law that we have now...I think it's
important that we do something that is going to be successful
and is not going to be hanging it up today and taking it down
tomorrow."
The BOC agreed to display the historical documents Fletcher mentioned,
in addition to the Ten Commandments, the Bill of Rights and the
Declaration of Independence.
The display of the Ten Commandments made national news over the
summer when a federal judge ordered that a Ten Commandments monument
be removed from the Alabama Judicial Building. An Alabama chief
justice had initially refused to do so but it was eventually
removed.
The Barrow County BOC has praised Jackson County leaders for
their decision to hang the Ten Commandments.
"We in Barrow County appreciate that our Jackson County
neighbors are standing in support of the Ten Commandments' right
to be placed in public buildings, and we are grateful for their
support," Barrow County BOC chairman Eddie Elder said.
Proposed YZ Sailors Road rezonings
to see vote Mon.
By Jana A. Mitcham
Nearly all the seats were taken Tuesday
night at the Jefferson as YZ Sailors Road residents waited to
hear proposals for two subdivisions along their road and to offer
opposition to the plans.
The road is not quite a mile long and currently has 10 houses
on it. According to residents, much of the road is taken in family
farms of 15 to 20 acres, traffic is light, and they want to keep
it agricultural and with a rural feel.
But, according to Evelyn Crane, the property "is presently
not being used correctly, in my opinion."
Representing Lower River Properties, Crane, Maysville, presented
a rezoning request to council Tuesday night for two parcels of
land along the road. The first request was to rezone 20 acres
from A-2 (county) to R-2 (city) for a conservation subdivision
with some 40 houses and eight acres of greenspace. The second
request was to rezone 8.45 acres from A-2 (county) to R-1 (city)
for eight houses. Crane also requested the parcels be annexed
into the city, with the 8.45-acre tract's annexation contingent
upon the approve of the 20-acre tract.
In September, the Quad Cities Planning Commission recommended
denial of Crane's requests, citing traffic concerns and 40 houses
on 12 acres as reasons.
Residents who spoke against the requests at the QCPC meeting
were on-hand at the Jefferson clubhouse Tuesday night to voice
their opposition the city council.
The Jefferson City Council will vote on the matter when it meets
at 6 p.m. Monday at the club house.
CHANGES IN THE PROPOSAL
Tuesday night Crane explained that the plans for the conservation
subdivision have been altered since the QCPC meeting to move
1.5 acres of the greenspace to the front of the subdivision.
"I feel like this request conforms," Crane said. "It
would be a nice subdivision with sidewalks. And with the greenspace
in the front, it would be hidden from the street."
When asked by council member Bosie Griffith how many houses were
proposed per acre, QCPC planning director Gina Mitsdarffer responded:
"The maximum density would be two."
Crane added that the lots would be 11,000 square feet, with houses
a minimum of 1,600 square feet for one story and 1,800 square
feet for two stories.
"That's less than a quarter-acre," Griffith said.
Crane said "they would be nice homes, with two-car garages."
She admitted that the road is a quiet one, with very little traffic,
and acknowledged that the subdivisions would increase the number
of cars, "but they won't be coming and going all at the
same time."
Crane said she seeks annexation into the city for its schools
and for water and sewerage services in the conservation subdivision
and for water for the smaller development.
For the 8.45-acre subdivision, Crane proposed shared driveways
for the eight lots, for four driveways instead of eight.
"Jackson County is growing," she said. "I feel
like in the growth, we need quality built homes."
STILL OPPOSED
The residents who opposed Crane's proposal at the QCPC meeting
in September, reiterated those concerns for the Jefferson City
Council Tuesday night.
Albert Jennings told the council members that he had lived on
the road for 40 years, and that the proposed developments would
bring four times the number of houses that are currently there.
He pointed out that there are two poultry farms, four horse farms
and two hay fields in operation and that the residents are worried
about drainage, noise and traffic problems from the subdivisions.
Jessica Allen, too, commented on the "negative influence"
the additional traffic would have.
Sarah B. Gee also spoke again, re-emphasizing that while her
40-acre farm is up for sale, it has conditions to remain in farming.
"We need to keep some farmland in Jackson County so we don't
forget where we came from," she said.
Gee said she felt the subdivisions were "way out of line"
with the city's land use plan.
A resident of nearby Mauldin Road, Rex Wallace suggested "it
doesn't seem like (she) knows exactly what (she) wants to do,
(she) just wants the property."
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