Downtown Winder to get face lift

The façade rehabilitation program will provide up to $3,000 per business for storefront improvements including new signs, repairs, painting, brick cleaning and other projects.

The grant funds will be provided through a $25,000 grant program established by Verity Bank.

In addition to the upcoming storefront improvements, a downtown landmark may finally see improvements as well.

Winder Mayor Chip Thompson announced Tuesday that the city may have located a buyer for the Granite Hotel.

The city had partnered with New Urban Solutions to renovate the historic hotel. Built around 1900, the Granite Hotel was to be restored as a downtown residential space, a retail center or a combination of a hotel and retail center. Unable to find investors, the project languished on the drawing board.

Now the city hopes to have a letter of intent from a prospective buyer within the next two weeks.

Thompson said he is optimistic that the hotel renovations will be underway soon.

“I’m hoping everybody is going to get excited about downtown and you’re going to see a lot of good things going on there,” he said.

In other business, the council:

• placed Murphy’s Brass Rail on probation for 90 days due to a violation of the city’s alcohol ordinance. The ordinance requires that 50 percent of a restaurant’s gross sales be from prepared meals and food. Murphy’s had failed to meet that requirement during the past two months.

• rescheduled the November City Council meeting from November 4 to November 11 due to the elections.

• approved a resolution authorizing the ten year lease of a new fire truck.

• approved a memorandum of understanding with the state department of transportation regarding the city’s streetscape improvement project.

• approved a supplemental contract with the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia to extend the period for issuing bonds to 2014. The contract also allows an increase in total bond indebtedness to $1.5 billion and extends the membership contract to 2040.

• amended the city’s sign ordinance to allow one roof sign per building.

• approved the Barrow County Comprehensive Plan and Transportation Plan.

• authorized listing several additional pieces of equipment as surplus.

• issued a quitclaim deed to the airport authority for approximately 260 acres of land that had been previously given to the airport authority by the City of Winder in the 1940s. The land was never officially deeded to the authority as required by state law.

• approved part three of the gas operations and maintenance procedures required by the Georgia Municipal Association.

• approved an event permit for the Lazy Daze Music Festival and pyrotechnics event scheduled for September 20, 2008.

• approved a pawnbrokers license for Scott Garner of Garner Financial Resources doing business as The Title Zone located at 210 East May Street.

• approved a rezone request for applicant Brenda Miller and owner Don Holliday to rezone 3.32 acres at 398 East Broad Street from R-1 to B-1 (neighborhood commercial). Council also approved a conditional use request to allow Miller to operate a daycare at the location.

• approved a variance request by applicant and owner Mohmedali Kassam to allow a wall sign on the west side of the proposed Popeye’s building located at 126 East May Street in Winder.