Thurmond’s vote is decisive in Crystal Falls development
News March 22, 2019
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Against a unanimous recommendation of denial by the Planning Commission and despite the opposition of two county commissioners and a large number of area residents, the Dawson County Board of Commissioners voted Thursday to allow a developer to add 1,012 new homes to the Crystal Falls Lake and Golf Community.
The property is located west of Cowart Road between Yellow Creek Road and Kelly Bridge Road. In 2005, the owner developed a golf course in the community but since then, only five homes have been sold and the owner’s representative argues that his client is losing about $1 million per year to maintain the golf course.
A large number of area residents filed into the meeting room to express their opposition to the development. Some said it would destroy the quality of life in this mostly rural southwest corner of the county. Others complained about increased safety concerns and traffic congestion.
Commissioners Julie Hughes-Nix and Sharon Fausett joined with the crowd in opposing a request by Dawson Cherokee Capital, LLC to rezone 1,038.46 acres from Residential Sub Rural (RSR) to Residential Planned Community (RPC).
Commissioners Chris Gaines and Tim Satterfield voted in favor of the request, resulting in a 2-2 tie. Dawson County’s Chairman Billy Thurmond only votes when it is necessary to break a tie. In this case, he voted to allow the development to go forward.
In a phone conversation Friday, Fausett, who made the motion to deny the request, said, “I had a lot more phone calls and emails from people who did not want this than I did from those who supported it. My job is to represent them, if I didn’t, I would feel like I was not doing my job.”
Nix, who seconded the motion said, “When I was elected to this office, I promised to listen to the citizens who put me here. I listened and the people who are most affected by this development spoke very clearly, saying it will ruin their quality of life. That’s why I voted against it.”
Gaines said, “It was a tough decision, probably toughest decision I’ve had to make since being elected to the Board of Commissioners.”
Before the request was adopted, he added a series of stipulations aimed at making the project less objectionable to opponents, including:
- Reducing the number of entrances from three to two plus one for emergency vehicles only;
- Developer is required to abide by the development of a regional impact study;
- Developer must do another traffic impact study once 50 percent build out is reached;
- Developer must pay $70,000 to help pay for a traffic light on Cowart Road once it exceeds acceptable traffic standards.
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1 Comment
“Before the request was adopted, he added a series of stipulations aimed at making the project less objectionable to opponents, including:” I am happy to see Commissioner Gains stipulations. I hope we see more like this to require the developer providing some of the cost of their development.