Holly Mill is comprised of 4 phases, under one HOA. They are: The View, Enclave, Village and Phase 1 of Holly Mill. The 663 homes are located in the southern part of Canton, Ga. Easily accessed via I-575 (Exit 14). There are 2 pools, playground, tennis, basketball courts and community areas. A facebook site is at: https://www.facebook.com/hollymill30114/ This is a private blog site not associated with the HOA or DPM. Info here is from public records. Contact via: hollymill30114@aol.com
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Today’s news
CHEROKEE COUNTY 8-19-18
Makeovers planned for 1-575 interchanges
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners has approved working with the state to start planning improvements for the interchanges of 1-575 at Towne Lake and Ridgewalk parkways in Woodstock.
Commissioners approved project framework agreements with the Georgia Department of Transportation.
Various combinations of new turn lanes and widened ramps are envisioned to improve traffic flow at the interchanges.
Also, Towne Lake would be widened between Woodstock Parkway and Mill Street.
The county has been awarded $352,788 in federal planning funds for the Towne Lake project, and $295,917for the Ridgewalk project.
A local match of at least 20 percent is required.
DAVID IBATA FOR THE AJC
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Today’s news
8-1-18
CHEROKEE COUNTY - Schools roll out bus tracking app
Cherokee County parents are now able to track their child’s school bus on a smartphone or computer using the school district’s newly installed Versatrans My Stop system.
“Having real-time information as to whether a bus is on schedule allows parents to keep their children indoors on cold or rainy days as long as possible and puts their mind at ease when they know where the bus is when it’s running late,” said Brian V. Hightower, superintendent of the Cherokee School District.
The GPS-based system shows the location of a child’s bus on a map of its route for 15 minutes prior to its scheduled arrival at a bus stop in the morning and afternoon, officials said. It also tracks how many minutes until the bus arrives.
“Arrival boards” at schools, similar to those found in airport terminals, will provide staff with bus location information. The My Stop system also eliminates the need for school staff to notify parents if a bus is delayed. An email with detailed instructions will go out to parents. Information: https://bit.ly/2M2XExe
DAVID IBATA FOR THE AJC
COBB SCHOOLS RANK 11th IN GEORGIA, Cherokee 13th
Best School Districts in Georgia
The Best School Districts ranking is based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, public school district ratings, and more.
COBB: OK so it's the 11th best in Georgia, but that doesn't say much about Georgia if you can be 11th with only 51% of the students 'Proficient' in Reading and 50% proficient in math. Cherokee County was 13th best.
2nd to last was: Clayton County Schools a public school district located in Jonesboro, GA. It has 54,136 students in grades PK, K-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 18 to 1. According to state test scores, 21% of students are at least proficient in math and 26% in reading.
Coming in last was Meriwether County Schools a public school district located in Greenville, GA. It has 2,921 students in grades PK, K-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 14 to 1. According to state test scores, 18% of students are at least proficient in math and 21% in reading.
The Holly Springs Parkway Widening Project is now open. The road has been paved and additional construction continues but you can now drive through to the Home Depot without having to use 575.
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IMPORTANT INFO ON PASSING A STOPPED SCHOOL BUS
Drivers probably never really understood the 'old' regulations on when you can or can not pass a stopped school bus which has its lights flashing and stop arm extended.
Now there is even another minor item to add to the confusion.
New legislation is now in effect that expands when you CAN pass. It always was OK when on a roadway that has a median strip between lanes, BUT, now that is extended to include divided roadways where there is a 'TURN LANE' between the lanes of traffic.
So whether a divided roadway has a median stip (usually grass) or a center turn lane, it is OK to continue on without stopping for a loading or unloading school bus.
I'm sure there will be a lot of confusion and probably some tickets issued that shouldn't have been, but the law this year is changed. Here it is FYI:
O.C.G.A. § 40-6-163 (b) The driver of a vehicle upon a highway with separate roadways or a divided highway, including, but not limited to, a highway divided by a turn lane, need not stop upon meeting or passing a school bus which is on a different roadway or on another half of a divided highway, or upon a controlled access highway when the school bus is stopped in a loading zone which is a part of or adjacent to such highway and where pedestrians are not permitted to cross the roadway. ______________________ Update: a reader sent me the below info. Reaffirms what I wrote about but it is so confusing that you have to pay close attention.
7/26/18 Speaking of new construction: Cherokee County has now completed 500 feet of new sidewalk along Keeter Road. The cost was $15,153 and it connects a new sidewalk the Holly Mill HOA put in to the HM Phase 1 section and runs up to where the Canton sidewalk ends. Makes it easier to walk from HM Phase 1 to the pool although most will probably just drive.
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SO YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT HOLLY MILL? Want to find out how long Drury Ln is? (Length: 0.42 miles)
The Percentage of people that speak English not well or not at all: (Holly Mill: 1.3% v. Canton: 10.6%)
The Percentage of the Holly Mill population below poverty level: (Holly Mill: 9.7%)
The Percentage of units with a mortgage: (Holly Mill: 95.2% v. Canton: 82.0%)
NOTE: Keep in mind that while the stats are somewhat interesting some can be incorrect. Take for instance population, clearly it isn't 464 for Holly Mill. There are 663 homes in the 4 phases. Elsewhere on the statistics site it is said that occupancy per home is 2.9 which of course means that there would be approx 2,000 of us, not 464.
Baldwin Paving Company, Inc., the contractor for the Holly Springs Parkway Widening Project is set to open Holly Springs Parkway to through traffic July 31.
After the reopening, the contractor plans to close Rabbit Hill Road to make improvements from its intersection with Holly Springs Parkway to Interstate 575. During the closure, motorists should detour using Marble Quarry Road and Holly Street.
At completion, the project will include the extension of culverts over Toonigh Creek, four travel lanes with a median from Home Depot to Rabbit Hill Road, the addition of sidewalks and lamp posts along the roadway, and the addition of a traffic light at the intersection of Rabbit Hill Road and Holly Springs Parkway.
Two lanes of Holly Springs Parkway’s widening project, looking toward Rabbit Hill Road show surfaces that await last finishing of paving and striping. The thru lanes are on target for completion by August 1.
Margaret Waage
An active construction site shows mounds of dirt that will be compressed down for the Holly Springs Parkway widening project. “The contractor for the Holly Springs Parkway Widening Project has completed the culvert extensions on the western side of the roadway, installed stormwater pipe within the project limits, raised the roadbed approximately six feet at Toonigh Creek and lowered the roadbed just south of Rabbit Hill Road,” according to the last update on the City of Holly Springs website.
Margaret Waage
Utility poles and electricity is being added at the site work on Holly Spring Parkway Road Widening project to power the Sixes Ridge development being constructed.
Margaret Waage
A utility pole surrounded by a mound of dirt will have to be clean up and/or relocated during the Holly Springs Road Widening project.
Margaret Waage
Holly Springs Parkway looking toward Home Depot from Rabbit Hill Road shows two levels. The lower level are two passage lanes that will be paved and striped, and are track to be completed by August 1. The upper level about 10 feet higher, will need to be leveled off in next phases.
Margaret Waage
Business owners Rob Collazo and Renee Funderberk of Crazy Nae’s Jeep Wave auto repair shop say they’ve seen a marked decrease in business since the Holly Springs Parkway widening project started.
Margaret Waage
Staff from Up Town Florist, a new Holly Springs business, said they haven’t seen much walk-in traffic since the Holly Springs Parkway widening project began, though they’ve only been renting space at the 2800 Holly Springs Parkway since their July 4 opening.
Work to widen Holly Springs Parkway has been underway since March and according to city officials, the anticipated Aug. 1 completion date for the two western lanes is on target, though work on two eastern lanes will continue into the fall.
“The contractor for the Holly Springs Parkway Widening Project has completed the culvert extensions on the western side of the roadway, installed stormwater pipe within the project limits, raised the roadbed approximately six feet at Toonigh Creek and lowered the roadbed just south of Rabbit Hill Road,” the city said in a written statement. “Contractors started relocating power lines in June 2018 on behalf of Georgia Power Company and Cobb EMC. Atlanta Gas Light completed the relocation of the gas main in early June. Current plans call for the two lanes on the western side of Holly Springs Parkway to open to thru traffic in July, and the two eastern lanes to open in the fall.”
Currently, a stretch of road that is visible at the juncture of southbound Holly Springs Parkway and Rabbit Hill Road extends Holly Springs Parkway and leads over to the Home Depot located at 4520 Holly Springs Parkway. For customers shopping that Home Deport location, access to the store has been available only via Sixes Road during the construction.
The two lanes scheduled to open at the end of July await paving and striping, and once the lanes are opened, drivers using the passage, will be flanked by the construction of the Sixes Ridge development underway on the one side, and leveling huge piles of reddish mountains of dirt on the other side.
BMK Construction and Engineering project manager Jacob Hughes said that there are many moving parts with the size of this project. “All work is contingent on the weather, with a lot of underground utility work that isn’t visible. Pike Electric has been moving power lines, and we’ve been coordinating with EMC, Georgia Power and private utility companies like Comcast Cable and Windstream Communications that is ongoing. We won’t open any roads without it being safe to do so,” he said.
The widening project has drawn mixed reaction from business owners and staff of businesses along Holly Springs Parkway closest to the construction site.
US Staffing, 3191 Holly Springs Parkway, has seen a drop in business during the road closure, according to office manager Nicole Turner.
“The project has been bad for our business. We saw almost immediately that there was no traffic coming into the office. In a short time, the detour could put us under. I’m afraid when people see the detour sign and go a different way, they’ll continue to drive that way out of force of habit. Business has slowed since the project started,” she said.
Rob Collazo of auto repair shop Crazy Nae’s Jeep Wave, 2841 Holly Springs Parkway, said the project has put a ding in his business. “Before the construction began we’d average about 15 cars a day. A lot of business came from people getting off I-575 for basic oil changes services. Today I’ve seen only one by mid afternoon. I think they see the detour sign and drivers keep going, or they don’t want to take the detour,” Collazo said. “People tend to want what’s easiest. I had to let two full-time employees because there hasn’t been enough work for them.”
Cheryl Darnell, owner and manager of The Coffee Vineyard, 2800 Holly Springs Parkway, said she loves the location of her business. She said if she had been aware of the widening project before signing a five-year lease, she might have waited a year.
“I understand the reason for it, and I think when it’s done, it’ll be great, but in the meantime, I’ve had to go into my personal savings to support my business,” Darnell said.
Most of The Coffee Vineyard business comes from drive-bys said Darnell. “I’m not bitter or angry. It’s a good decision for Holly Springs to grow in the county. As a renter, I have no (recourse), I’m just concerned about sustaining myself. Ultimately, it’s all for the good, its effect is going to be good for the city of Holly Springs.”
Hughes said he’s seen Home Depot maintaining steady business throughout the construction, as evidenced by a full parking lot on weekdays when crews and construction machinery is active.
“In my opinion some of the local economies like eateries have been positively impacted. We’ve accommodated as much as we can and as long as the weather cooperates, we’re working hard to keep to the project timeline,” Hughes said.
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RE: CITY / COUNTY TAXES
I doubt anyone will bother to read the 2 below articles, one written just 6 days after the other, but they they are posted just in case anyone cares.
The Readers Digest Summary is simple: Canton is going to raise taxes and Cherokee County is lowering their taxes.
Just goes to show you that Govt is not pulling together on the tax issue.
Canton Announces Proposed Property Tax Increase
The proposed fiscal year 2019 budget prepared by the city requires a millage rate that's higher than the rollback millage rate.
By Kristal Dixon, Patch Staff | Jul 9, 2018 11:05 am ET | Updated Jul 9, 2018 1:11 pm ET
CANTON, GA — The city of Canton is notifying the public that its elected officials could increase the property taxes it will levy this year by 2.70 percent over the rollback millage rate.
The budget tentatively prepared by Canton City Council requires that a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate. Before the City Council can finalize the tentative budget and set a final millage rate, Georgia law requires three public hearings to be held to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions on the increase.
This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 5.400 mills, an increase of 0.142 mills. Without this tentative tax increase, the millage rate will be no more than 5.258 mills. he proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $200,000 is about $11.36, and the proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $200,000 also rounds out to be roughly $11.36, the city of Canton said.
Each year, the board of tax assessors is required to review the assessed value for property tax purposes of taxable property in the city. When the trend of prices on properties that have recently sold in the city shows there's been an increase in the fair market value of any specific property, the board of tax assessors is required by law to re-determine the value of such property and adjust the assessment. This is called a reassessment.
When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that a rollback millage rate must be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year's digest that last year's millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred.
Canton residents are invited to attend the public hearings to weigh in on the tax increase. The hearings will be held at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. July 19 and 2 p.m. July 26 at Canton City Hall at 151 Elizabeth Street.
By Thomas Hartwell thartwell@cherokeetribune.com 6/15/18
CANTON – Cherokee County residents can expect to enjoy lower tax rates this year, thanks to a rollback in millage rates across the board.
“We look at this and we say, ‘Can we enhance services – improve services – and lower the taxes?’ And we’ve been pretty fortunate, with the way we conduct business here, that we’re able to do that,” County Manager Jerry Cooper said Thursday. “So this year, we’re proposing a full rollback in the general millage rate, a reduction of the fire district millage rate and a full rollback plus of the park bond.”
A “full rollback” eliminates the effects of inflation on property taxes. The three named rates are paid for by property taxes from the county’s residents.
Cooper is proposing a full general fund millage rate rollback from 5.483 in 2017 to this year’s 5.364, a reduction in the fire district millage rate from 3.298 to 3.269 and a lowering of the park bond below the full millage rate rollback from .581 to .503.
The rollbacks, which must be adopted by the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners in July and assessed on taxpayers in November, relieve what would be an increase in property taxes caused by inflation if millage rates remained the same, Cooper said.
He presented the millage rate proposals at the June 5 regular meeting of the board of commissioners, saying that the county would be able to “meet the budget needs of agencies and departments while lowering the property tax rates, giving back to residents and business owners of Cherokee County.”
Cooper said Thursday that yearly meetings with all agencies and departments for analyses of needs and overall performance gives the county a better picture of expected costs year over year and allows staff to continue their success in planning.
“The millage rates are key elements of the budget, especially the ‘operating’ fund portions,” Cherokee County Commission Chair Buzz Ahrens said in an email Thursday.
The county’s ability to maintain high-quality services and a low tax rate shows staff is “managing its assets efficiently and managing its growth responsibly,” Ahrens said, adding that there appears to be “positive momentum” and “no dark clouds on the horizon.”
Sales tax and other taxes and charges for services, plus reserves, balance the rest of the budget, Ahrens said.
According to Cooper’s millage rate proposal, planned tax spending for fiscal year 2019 includes:
• Fourteen new jailer positions paid for for three years;
• Five additional emergency communications center personnel;
• Twenty-two new fire and emergency services and four EMS staff members
• A 3-percent cost of living adjustment for employees;
• $600,000 to fully fund inmate medical costs
• Additional money for right-of-way mowing
• Use of reserves to pay down additional debt at the start of the New Year; and
• $250,000 for the Sheriff’s Office to hire a drug enforcement detective and a drug analyst, as well as to pay for education and contribute to accountability court programs.
Public hearings on the proposed millage rates are scheduled for three 6 p.m. commission meetings: June 19, July 10 and July 24. A vote to adopt millage rates will also take place at the July 24 meeting.
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at the administrative building at The Bluffs in Canton. For more information or agendas, visit cherokeega.com.
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UPDATE ON: Parc at Prominence
Located across from 2 of the 4 Holly Mill phases, at 575 Keeter Road, Canton, Ga 30114.
Additional info and photos from the start of the development can be found throughout this blog.
52 homes are planned for this subdivision, see site plan at:
County OK s $15,000 for Keeter sidewalk To accommodate a request from a homeowners association, the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners has approved spending $15,153 to construct 500 feet of sidewalk along Keeter Road.
The Holly Mill Subdivision Home owners Association asked the county to install the 5-foot wide sidewalk with sod utility strip to provide pedestrian access from the back of the subdivision to an existing sidewalk on Keeter; that walk goes to the Canton city limits, staff said in a report to commissioners.
To ensure an internal connection, the homeowners association already has installed about 100 feet of sidewalk between the Kensington Park Drive cul-de-sac and Keeter, staff said.
Bartow Paving Co.Inc. submitted the lowest of three bids for the Keeter sidewalk work.
DAVID IBATA FORTHE AJC
The 'new' sidewalk will connect with the existing HM sidewalk and the County sidewalk alongside Keeter Road.
CANTON – Cherokee County residents can expect to enjoy lower tax rates this year, thanks to a rollback in millage rates across the board.
“We look at this and we say, ‘Can we enhance services – improve services – and lower the taxes?’ And we’ve been pretty fortunate, with the way we conduct business here, that we’re able to do that,” County Manager Jerry Cooper said Thursday. “So this year, we’re proposing a full rollback in the general millage rate, a reduction of the fire district millage rate and a full rollback plus of the park bond.”
A “full rollback” eliminates the effects of inflation on property taxes. The three named rates are paid for by property taxes from the county’s residents.
Cooper is proposing a full general fund millage rate rollback from 5.483 in 2017 to this year’s 5.364, a reduction in the fire district millage rate from 3.298 to 3.269 and a lowering of the park bond below the full millage rate rollback from .581 to .503.
The rollbacks, which must be adopted by the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners in July and assessed on taxpayers in November, relieve what would be an increase in property taxes caused by inflation if millage rates remained the same, Cooper said.
He presented the millage rate proposals at the June 5 regular meeting of the board of commissioners, saying that the county would be able to “meet the budget needs of agencies and departments while lowering the property tax rates, giving back to residents and business owners of Cherokee County.”
Cooper said Thursday that yearly meetings with all agencies and departments for analyses of needs and overall performance gives the county a better picture of expected costs year over year and allows staff to continue their success in planning.
“The millage rates are key elements of the budget, especially the ‘operating’ fund portions,” Cherokee County Commission Chair Buzz Ahrens said in an email Thursday.
The county’s ability to maintain high-quality services and a low tax rate shows staff is “managing its assets efficiently and managing its growth responsibly,” Ahrens said, adding that there appears to be “positive momentum” and “no dark clouds on the horizon.”
Sales tax and other taxes and charges for services, plus reserves, balance the rest of the budget, Ahrens said.
According to Cooper’s millage rate proposal, planned tax spending for fiscal year 2019 includes:
• Fourteen new jailer positions paid for for three years;
• Five additional emergency communications center personnel;
• Twenty-two new fire and emergency services and four EMS staff members
• A 3-percent cost of living adjustment for employees;
• $600,000 to fully fund inmate medical costs
• Additional money for right-of-way mowing
• Use of reserves to pay down additional debt at the start of the New Year; and
• $250,000 for the Sheriff’s Office to hire a drug enforcement detective and a drug analyst, as well as to pay for education and contribute to accountability court programs.
Public hearings on the proposed millage rates are scheduled for three 6 p.m. commission meetings: June 19, July 10 and July 24. A vote to adopt millage rates will also take place at the July 24 meeting.
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at the administrative building at The Bluffs in Canton. For more information or agendas, visit cherokeega.com.
