Headlines

Seems like the Douglas County Sentinel is improving...actually writing about crime news and problems our county has...such as the BOE is the second highest paid BOE in the entire state.  They've also revamped their website, and it seems to be much easier to navigate.  Links below...

Douglas BOE second highest paid in Georgia

Another suspect charged in copper theft ring

Man allegedly chases girlfriend with butcher knife

Father and son facing shoplifting charges

However...they did not report on this...a dangerous guardrail on Chapel Hill Road that cost one woman her life and another man barely escaped with his...a month after his accident, the guardrail STILL has not been moved.  I hope it will be moved before another accident happens there.  

http://www.wsbradio.com/news/news/local/dangerous-douglasville-guardrail-not-yet-moved/nXbD6/

Douglas County Planning & Zoning Meeting

The meeting will be held tomorrow, May 7, at 6pm at Citizen's Hall in the Douglas County Courthouse.  The agenda can be found here:  http://douglascountyga.suiteonemedia.com/web/Player.aspx?id=75&key=-1&mod=-1&mk=-1&nov=0  Some of the highlights:

• Request for an amendment to the zoning conditions for the property located West Chapel Road and Yeager Road.  Land Lot(s) 4,5 & 32, District 2, Section 5, Parcel(s) various.  Lot size:  54.0 acres +/-.  Commission District 3.
• Request for a Special Use Permit to allow a church in a planned centr at the property located at 560 Thornton Road, Suite 112 & 113:  Land Lot(s) 374, District 18, Section 2, Parcel(s) 7.  Lot size:  4.02 acres.  Commission District 1.
• Request for a rezoning from L-I to H-I to allow a recyclling center at the propety located at 4366 Bankhead Highway:  Land Lot(s) 733, Distrist 18, Section 2, Parcel 41.  Lot size:  7.689 acres.  Commission District 1.

Douglas County Commission Meeting May 7

The meeting will be held tomorrow at 10am at Citizen's Hall at Douglas County Courthouse.  You can read the work session agenda here:  http://douglascountyga.suiteonemedia.com/web/Player.aspx?id=60&key=-1&mod=-1&mk=-1&nov=0

A few of the highlights:

• 2013 Tax Anticipation Note (TAN) - Authorization to bid in the amount of $10,500,000 and use Gray Pannell & Woodward LLP as the County's Note Counsel.
• Public Hearing to obtain citizen input into the formulation and adoption of the amended Thornton Road Urban Redevelopment Plan for Douglas County and to submit the Opportunity Zone documentation to DCA (Department of Community Affairs).
• Public Hearing to initiate the 2013 Comprehensive Plan for Douglas County.   
•  Resolution supporting efforts to maintain the Tax-Exempt Status of Municipal Bonds.
• Authorization to approve an Intergovernmental Agreement with Cobb County for the resurfacing and rehabilitation of a portion of Factory Shoals Road between the Cobb County line and Six Flags Road located in Land Lots 0705 and 0706 of the 18th District, 2nd Section and authorize the Chairman to sign all related documents. 
• Authorization to advertise for proposals for qualifications based professional transportation engineering services for projects PI#0012618, PI#0012620, PI #0012621 and PI#0012622 recently approved by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). 
• In trying to find the details of these projects, I found this--plans for roads until 2040--and some of the plans include:
• Extending Douglas Blvd to Midway Road (to be completed by 2040)
• Widening Chapel Hill Road to four lanes (now two) from Central Church Road to Stewarts Mill Road (to be completed by 2030)
• Widening Chapel Hill Road to four lanes (now two) from Dorsett Shoals Road to Central Church Road (to be completed by 2040)
• Widening Hwy 92 beginning at Brown and Malone Streets to Nebo Road in Paulding County, then from Nebo Road to SR 120-Marietta Hwy (to be completed by 2020)

New Businesses Coming Soon

I've been searching bid websites...companies who are looking for contractors to build businesses.  I found a few new businesses coming to Douglasville over the next few months.

• Subway, 2750 Chapel Hill Road.  This will be Subway's SIXTH location in Douglasville.  Douglasville now has more Subway locations than McDonald's locations (four).
• Academy Sports, Hwy 5 & Bright Star Connector (this has been mentioned, I know):  The store should open in September of this year.
• Medline Manufacturing; estimated start date is the first quarter of 2013.
• An addition to the ICU unit of Wellstar Douglas Hospital; estimated start date is the second quarter of 2013.
• A headquarters and general production facility for GenAgain Technologies in Lithia Springs.  The company converts mixed waste plastics into synthetic crude oil.  The construction should be finished by June of this year.

I know Douglasville will also be acquiring a Krispy Kreme soon.  If anyone knows of any other new businesses coming soon, please feel free to post a comment.

Owner Of Fouts Mill Has Died

A little bit of history here...yes, there used to be a mill on Fouts Mill Road.  Herbert Clay Fouts owned the mill and ground corn into cornmeal and flour.  His obituary can be found here:  http://whitley.tributes.com/our_obituaries/Herbert-Clay-Fouts-95660126

I did some Google searching and found some great photos someone had taken of Fouts Mill back in 2006.  http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3536994  There are also some photos of the unpaved Grey Road below that.

For Sale In Douglas County

Found via Loopnet.

• 66 acres of commercially-zoned land at the intersection of Thornton Road and I-20.  Price not disclosed.
• 2070 Fairburn Road...two commercial buildings, one of which is occupied with a martial arts studio.  Asking price is $375,000.
• 5570 Fairburn Road...a self-storage unit.  Asking price is $1,625,000.
• The farm at 4935 Hwy 166 is still for sale.  Asking price is $6,100,000.
• 2302 Lower River Road...a residence in the New Manchester community.  $95,000.  
• Porter Paints store location at 2148 Fairburn Road.  $900,000.
• 146.16 acre golf course in Greystone subdivision.  $440,000.
• Anneewakee Falls subdivision.  132 developed lots.  $1,056,000.
• 7.96 acres running along Slater Mill Road and I-20.  $1,200,000.
• The car wash in front of Lowe's on Douglas Blvd.  $495,000.
• 6150 Stewart Parkway; a carwash that was recently foreclosed on.  $695,000.
• 8990 Hwy 5...an office/warehouse.  $799,900.

The remaining properties were found on other sites.

• 494.21 acres of heavy industrial land on West Strickland Street.  $5,000,000.
• 7377 Strickland Street; commercial building.  $485,000.
• 4336 Central Church Road; "Potential Commercial"; directly across the street from Kroger.  Additional adjoining property available.  $450,000.
• 3050 Stone Oak Drive (directly off Chapel Hill Road); "Potential Commercial".  $450,000.
• 4290 Willow Ridge Road; across the street from Kroger on Chapel Hill Road.  $350,000.
• Land on Dawn Foods Parkway.  $350,000.
• 5009 Highway 5--includes Landmark Cafe, the fruit stand, the beauty salon.  "Long term lease in place."  $310,000.
• 3882 Bomar Road; just off Chapel Hill Road...zoned Commercial.  $300,000.
• 4918 Stewarts Mill Road; Commercial.  $300,000.
• Land on Chapel Hill Road already approved for a medical office.  $299,900.
• Potential Commercial property in a subdivision...4 acres near West Georgia Technical College.  $275,000.
• 8424 Adair Street; Commercial.  $259,900.
• 8486 Bowden Street; looks to be behind the city parking deck.  $200,000.
• 8444 Campbellton Street; former bank location.  $199,000.
• 6501 Church Street; former dry cleaner location.  $199,000.
• 6680 E Broad Street; shop next to the Irish Bred Pub.  $150,000.
• 3139 Bright Star Road; ad says a new bowling alley is being built across the street.  $129,900.
• 6676 Hwy 78; an empty shop.  $129,900.

Headlines

Fire Destroys Home on Banks Mill Road--Douglas County Sentinel

Local Business Hit By Copper Thief--Douglas County Sentinel

World War II Vet Loal Theo Teal, 87, Dies Patch.com-8 hours ago KDB Thanks Community for Clean Up Effort Patch.com-8 hours ago Our History: A Bridge to the Past Patch.com-13 hours ago

Hiding Restaurant Scores

I'm not sure when it was changed, but you can no longer get a list of current restaurant scores on the Cobb/Douglas County Board of Health Website.  The site now directs you to a "search" where you can search by restaurant name or zip code.

If you search by zip code, it does not give you the score on the list that generates--you have to click on each individual restaurant to see the score.  I do like that they now include the infractions on each score--but it would be easier if there was still a list that included said score.

A lot of the sales tax revenues, I'm sure, come from restaurants...I imagine this will make it easier for restaurants with a low score to attract more customers.  Even upscale restaurants can get a low or failing score.

The Douglas County government website does make a list like this, but their last list is dated February 17 - March 14.