Entries by Lorin Sinn-Clark

Planners nix smaller house plan

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in Top Stories & Breaking News, Winder Archives

Friday, September 24. 2010

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The Winder Planning Board gave a thumbs down to Winder City Councilman David Maynard’s request to reduce the minimum square footage for a home built within the city limits.

Citing concerns about the local tax base and continued growth in the Barrow County schools during a time when home values and real estate tax revenues are down, the seven-member board voted unanimously Tuesday night against recommending the ordinance change to the Winder City Council, which will likely be considered at the council’s October 5 meeting.

Maynard proposed revising city zoning ordinances to reduce the required minimum heated living space to 1,200 square feet for residential dwellings constructed in the R-1, R-1A, R-1B, TNPD, A-1 and A-2 zones. Currently 1,600 square feet are required in R-1 (low density), R-1A (medium density) and A-1 (agricultural), while 1,400 square feet are required in R-1B (high density), TNPD (Traditional Neighborhood Planned Development) and Z-2 (agricultural) zones.
[Full Story »]

Airport authority discusses leases

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Lorin Sinn-Clark

in Winder Archives

Friday, September 24. 2010

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While the Barrow County Airport Authority is reportedly asking one airport tenant to pay $9,000 more per month to keep his lease, members of the authority agreed to grant another tenant a lease discount at the authority’s Sept. 21 meeting. [Full Story »]

BCSO to handle towing for Winder

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Lorin Sinn-Clark

in Winder Archives

Sunday, September 19. 2010

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In a brief but action packed meeting Tuesday night, the Winder City Council approved turning tow truck dispatch over to the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office, heard a financial report detailing where the city stands two months into FY 2011, debated a controversial beer-wine license application and received an award for excellence in operation of two wastewater facilities.

The council unanimously approved a one year “Towing Services Agreement” with the BCSO in an effort to “increase efficiency, stop duplicating services and make it easier for citizens to reclaim towed vehicles,” Winder Mayor Chip Thompson said after the meeting.

Prior to the agreement, the Winder Police Department dispatched tow trucks from an approved rotation list to incidents and accidents within city limits, while county E-911 operators handled all other wrecker dispatch. [Full Story »]

COLUMN: Work in ER will be missed, despite stress of it all

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Lorin Sinn-Clark

in Editorial Archives

Sunday, September 19. 2010

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“Please take a moment to locate the nearest exit, keeping in mind it may be behind you…White lights lead to red lights, which indicate exits.”
— Airline safety guidelines [Full Story »]

Auburn officials set rates for new stormwater tax

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Lorin Sinn-Clark

in Top Stories & Breaking News, Winder Archives

Tuesday, September 14. 2010

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City of Auburn residents will soon be paying $30 per year in a new stormwater tax while commercial property in the town will be charged up to $600 per year, depending on the size of the impervious surface.

The Auburn City Council approved the new taxes Sept. 2. Residential customers will be billed an extra $2.50 per month on their water bills to pay for the tax while commercial customers will pay in three payments, or one lump sum.

The new stormwater taxes go into effect on January 1, 2011 and a grace period will be given. [Full Story »]

BOE hears facility plans

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Lorin Sinn-Clark

in Top Stories & Breaking News, Winder Archives

Sunday, September 12. 2010

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The Barrow County School System may soon begin some major changes in its school facilities. Superintendent Wanda Creel walked the Barrow County Board of Education through a five-year upgrade plan when the board met Tuesday night. The upgrades would be paid for by SPLOST and previously approved GSFIC (Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission) reimbursement funds.

The first phase this year would be to purchase land for a new middle school and renovation of the Early Learning Center in Bethlehem and County Line Elementary School. Also proposed for this year is the relocation of the Alternative School/ PLC (Performance Learning Center), located at 905 Mulberry Road, to the Teacher Recruitment Center (106 Church Street, Winder) Construction of a new middle school, which will replace Winder-Barrow Middle School, would also begin. [Full Story »]

COLUMN: Remembering 9-11

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Lorin Sinn-Clark

in Editorial Archives

Sunday, September 12. 2010

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“Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day? Did you shout out in anger…Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer…or did you just sit down and cry?” – Alan Jackson lyrics
[Full Story »]

COLUMN: Good ‘ole car

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Lorin Sinn-Clark

in Editorial Archives

Sunday, September 5. 2010

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“Not what we have, but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.” - Epicurus [Full Story »]

Jump in students slams bus routes

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Lorin Sinn-Clark

in Top Stories & Breaking News, Winder Archives

Friday, September 3. 2010

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A whopping increase of 650 additional students since the first day of school is putting pressure on the Barrow County School System, affecting everything from school finances to bus routes. Overall, the system gained 213 additional students from 2009 with a current total of 12,810 in the system.

Superintendent Wanda Creel told the Barrow County Board of Education Tuesday that as of “the 20th day count” (a traditional time to tally students at the beginning of a new school year), there are 650 more students enrolled in Barrow County than were reported on the first day of school. This increase has resulted in a “tremendous amount of difference in bus routes” and, she told the board, the transportation department is “working feverishly” to increase drivers and busses in order to meet current needs.

“We will continue this process until we get stabilized,” Creel said, which she projected will be “around the end of September.”

In the meantime, parents are being notified of route changes in letters, which are “going out as routes are adjusted,” she said. [Full Story »]

Barrow WSA fronts money to county

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Lorin Sinn-Clark

in Top Stories & Breaking News, Winder Archives

Tuesday, August 31. 2010

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In a brief called meeting Tuesday night, the Barrow County Water and Sewage Authority (WSA) agreed to front funds to Barrow County so that the county’s number one pump station and pipeline project can get under way. The authority also decided on the process that will result with one of four firms winning the bid to transform the former Holsenbeck Fire Station into a new home base for the Barrow County Water Department’s maintenance shop and offices.

Mark Whiddon, director of Wastewater Services for Barrow County asked members of the WSA to approve “pre-funding” in the amount of “at least $150,000 so that work on the county’s SR 53/316 pump station and pipeline project can begin while final approval of an already applied for Georgia Environmental Finance Authority loan is obtained. The pipeline will service the county’s industrial development property at the intersection of SR 53 and Hwy. 316 and is part of some $4-million in projects the GEFA loan will fund.

Saying that the county’s application is “in its final form” and contract release is expected soon, Whiddon told the authority the BOC’s plan is to repay the authority with the first draw on the loan, which is expected “as early as the end of September.” [Full Story »]

Entries by Lorin Sinn-Clark

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