FLOWERY BRANCH – The vision of Flowery Branch city leaders and what some local residents envision as a worsening problem “bumped-heads” Thursday evening during an online city council work session and voting meeting.
The disagreement involves a vacant 11.34-acre site at the southwest corner of McEver Road and Gainesville Street. It is currently designated as a “Neighborhood Commercial” area under the city’s Comprehensive Plan, but according to documents attached by the city to the rezoning application of local developer Bret Clark, the city’s vision for that site has changed slightly.
According to those documents: “Staff feels under the current economic climate and the state of retail/commercial building it is unrealistic to envision an 11-acre small scale commercial project on this site.”
As Christmas trees come down, local communities are asking for donations of the old trees so they can be ground into mulch.
In Hall County, 12 compactor sites and the Hall County Recycling Center on Chestnut Street in Gainesville will accept undecorated trees through Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2021. Artificial trees will not be accepted.
City of Gainesville residents and City of Flowery Branch residents can leave their trees curbside for pick-up by their respective cities, while Oakwood residents can drop off their trees at the vacant lot at the corner of Allen and Railroad Streets. The Oakwood collection site will be open through Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021.