A group of non-residential property owners along Ga. Hwy. 211 in Braselton will soon decide who will serve on the town’s first community improvement district.
The Braselton Town Council approved a resolution on Monday officially establishing a community improvement district — commonly called a CID — in the area largely anchored around several retail centers.
In a CID, non-residential property owners agree to a selfimposed tax to fund projects in the district and elect a board of directors.
Mayor Bill Orr opted Monday to wait until January to appoint two council members to the CID board of directors after three council members — Tony Funari, Peggy Slappey and Richard Mayberry — expressed interest in serving on the board.
An election to name five other members to the board — all of whom must be property owners in the Braselton CID — will be held on Monday, Jan. 24, from 4-4:30 p.m., at 3740 Village Way, upstairs of ACE Hardware. The election must be held within the CID boundaries.
In 2007, state legislators approved House Bill 315, which allowed Braselton to create CIDs throughout its town. Establishing a CID requires written consent from a simple majority of the property owners in the district and written consent from property owners who own 75 percent or more of the assessed value of the land.
For Braselton’s first CID, organizers contacted property owners of 24 parcels in the proposed district — whose properties have a total assessed value of $10.1 million among 39.3 acres.
Organizers ultimately got property owners who own more than 76 percent of the assessed value in the district to approve the proposed CID. It also got consent from 83 percent of the property owners.
The tax commissioners of Gwinnett, Barrow and Hall counties — where the CID is located — further certified the written consents of the property owners.
Most of the property in the proposed district includes retail centers along or off Ga. Hwy. 211, from the Shops at Chateau Elan and Mulberry Centre retail complexes, located in front of the Mulberry Park subdivision. It also includes the Mulberry Walk Shopping Center and Liberty Village, a commercial development located on Ga. Hwy. 211 at Liberty Church Road.
The district, however, doesn’t include a shopping center on Ga. Hwy. 211 anchored by Publix or a large, mixeduse project by Halvorsen Development Corporation on the state highway.
Scott Snedecor — co-owner of ACE Hardware in Braselton and development partner of Liberty Village — is working with Guy Herring of McFarland-Dyer and Associates on a proposed “LifePath,” which may become the CID’s first project. Herring is also working on Braselton’s CID.
The multi-use path calls for 1.7 miles of varying width paths connecting Ga. Hwy. 211 and Thompson Mill Road along existing rights-of-way. It would allow residents to have access to area shops, restaurants and medical offices by walking, riding bikes, or by driving Segways or golf carts.
The concept of the multi-use path may be the first proposal decided by the Braselton CID board, according to Herring.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the Braselton Town Council:
•postponed awarding a contract for the second phase of the Mulberry River interceptor sewer project, which includes connecting sewer service to Oakwood. The project will be funded by Braselton’s 2009 bond package, along with funds from Oakwood. Braselton received nine bids for the project and Strack, Inc. of Fairburn was the lowest responsible, responsive bidder with $2.8 million, according to a report from the town’s engineer. However, the council, at the recommendation of staff, recommended on Monday that it look at alternatives for a lower price, according to town manager Jennifer Dees.
•awarded a contract for $760,760 to W.F. Floyd Construction of Decatur for the town’s ground water development program, which includes adding three new wells to Braselton’s water system. When Braselton received bids in July, they were above the projected costs and the town revised its plans. It eliminated developing a fourth well, but that well could be added later when Braselton can afford it, according to town manager Dees. The fourth well was also the lowest producer of the potential new wells. Overall, the wells are expected to generate about 1 million gallons of water a day.
•approved a bid of $1,000 for about one tenth of an acre on the Mulberry River Walk. George Richard Harper had written to town officials and said that he maintains the property, which is located behind an existing fence on his Fisk Falls Drive property. The land can’t be used for other purposes and Harper said he wants to extend the fence. The council sought bids for the land, which was considered as surplus property.
•approved an alcoholic beverage license for Biba’s Italian Restaurant to sell wine, malt beverages and distilled spirits for consumption. It will also be allowed to sell alcohol on Sundays. The restaurant was located on Ga. Hwy. 211, but moved to 7338 Spout Springs Road.
•approved an alcohol beverage license for CVS to sell wine and malt beverages by the packages. The store is located at 7695 Spout Springs Road and the license reflects a change in management.
