Election for town’s CID ahead Monday

An election to decide who will serve on Braselton’s first Community Improvement District — also called a CID — will be held on Monday, Jan. 24.

The district will include 24 parcels along Ga. Hwy. 211 — from the Shops at Chateau Elan and Mulberry Centre retail complexes to the Liberty Village commercial development, next to Liberty Church Road. It stretches through Hall, Gwinnett and Barrow counties.

Only those property owners within the district boundary will be allowed to cast a vote in the election — which will be held from 4-4:40 p.m., at 3740 Village Way, upstairs of ACE Hardware.

The election will name five members to the board of directors of the CID. On Monday, the Braselton Town Council also named council member Tony Funari and town manager Jennifer Dees to the CID board.

In a CID, non-residential property owners agree to a self-imposed tax to fund projects in the district and elect a board of directors.

Elsewhere in Georgia, CIDs have been established around Gwinnett Place Mall, along Ga. Hwy. 78 in Stone Mountain, and in the area of Jimmy Carter Boulevard, Buford Highway and Beaver Ruin Road in Norcross.

Each of those CIDs have plans that focus on improving infrastructure — such as roads — in the area, increasing business development opportunities and enhancing property values.

For the Braselton CID, the first project may be a proposed “LifePath,” which would be a multi-use path that connects 1.7 miles of varying path widths along Ga. Hwy. 211 and Thompson Mill Road in the existing rights-of-way.

The LifePath 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 CID would help fund the LifePath — or other projects — in the district. 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 the proposed LifePath.

The Braselton Town Council also recently earmarked $88,000 of Gwinnett County sales tax revenue to construct a sidewalk along Thompson Mill Road (Ga. Hwy. 347) — from Ga. Hwy. 211 to the Gates of Braselton and possibly as far as the entrance of the Woodlands of Chateau Elan, depending on remaining funds.

Other Business
In other business on Monday, the Braselton Town Council:

•decided to authorize the use of Barrow County Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) revenue to construct a new pedestrian bridge on the Braselton Mulberry RiverWalk. The project will cost an estimated $121,780 and Braselton has $140,270 of Barrow County sales tax revenue earmarked for parks and recreation available. The bridge will be located near an existing vehicular bridge on Liberty Church Road/Thompson Mill Road, at the Barrow-Jackson county line.

•accepted items from Bobby Patterson, Jefferson, from the town’s former blacksmith shop. The items — which included a decades-old large aerial photo of downtown Braselton, letters and newspaper articles — will be placed in the Braselton Heritage Center. Patterson’s grandfather was the town’s blacksmith from 1937-1956. He and other family members also did blacksmith work in Braselton, Patterson said.

•approved a resolution to partner with the Georgia Department of Revenue to ensure proper payment of sales tax.

•approved the qualifying fees for the November 2011 general election for council District 1 (currently held by Richard Mayberry) and District 3 (currently held by Tony Funari). The qualifying fee will be $36 for each seat and qualifying will be held Aug. 29-31.

•approved several appointments for town positions. Jennifer Dees will again serve as town manager, clerk, voting registrar and election superintendent. Council member Tony Funari was named to another term as mayor pro tem. Council member Peggy Slappey will again serve on the Braselton Visitors Bureau Authority. Gregory Jay will continue serving as town attorney.