The Habersham County Airport Business Park has been a hot-button issue in Habersham politics since December, when commercial realtor Wade Rhodes brought his concerns about development and engineering at the business park forward to the county commission.
Those comments sparked discussion and concern as the parties involved began sharing their sides of the story, and over the course of meetings, public comments and media coverage, the involved entities are working together to come to a conclusion.
Weeks after the initial discussion started, the City of Baldwin, Habersham County Board of Commissioners and the Habersham County Development Authority will meet Wednesday evening to discuss the current state of the Habersham County Airport Business and Industrial Park.
“I feel we are working to eliminate any issues with development moving forward,” Chairman Bruce Palmer tells Now Habersham. “We will issue a joint statement from Habersham County Board of Commissioners, Habersham County Development Authority and the City of Baldwin after the meeting on Wednesday evening.”
Baldwin Mayor Joe Elam is hopeful the meeting will be productive, and he hopes it well help the city move forward with a variance for development in the business park.
“I hope that the group can come to an agreement on the covenant agreement the city has sent to the HCDA,” Elam says. “This is very important for us to have our second reading of the HCDA variance request for the stormwater ponds at the Business Park. I also hope to hear the vision that the HCDA has for the business park. This would help the city align future permit applicants with the vision and help us be more unified.
The public is encouraged to attend the meeting, which will be held at the Habersham Electric Membership Corporation’s Community Center Room in Clarkesville to accommodate a large group of people.
“We hope by having a public meeting where all parties are invited that the county can help resolve the impasse with the City of Baldwin concerning the County’s business industrial park,” Commission Vice Chairman Bruce Harkness says. “This industrial park property is owned by the taxpayers and it is my duty as a commissioner to fight for and protect the taxpayers and their property.”
The Baldwin City Council has made it clear that they aren’t interested in blame or pointing fingers with the issues that have come to light surrounding the business park, and are looking to find solutions and move forward.
“I also hope that any other miscommunication or misunderstandings can be addressed,” Elam said. “It would be my hope that once this meeting is over we can have [an] open dialog with the HCDA and the BOC.”
Elam says that the conversations surrounding the business park have “been productive,” and that things are moving forward.
“If we can work with Baldwin to resolve their engineering concerns then I think we can sell every lot in there and have construction going immediately, which will bring jobs to our county,” Harkness said. “I feel positive about our joint efforts, and I look forward to having every lot sold in our business park to bring in jobs and taxes.”
The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at HEMC, located at 6135 State Highway 115
in Clarkesville.
