Joint City/County Comprehensive Plan for JACKSON COUNTY and the cities of ARCADE, BRASELTON, COMMERCE, HOSCHTON, JEFFERSON, NICHOLSON, PENDERGRASS, AND TALMO Technical Assistance Provided By Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center March 1998 Joint City/County Comprehensive Plan for JACKSON COUNTY and the cities of ARCADE, BRASELTON, COMMERCE, HOSCHTON, JEFFERSON, NICHOLSON, PENDERGRASS, AND TALMO Technical Assistance Provided By Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center March 1998 on Recycled Paper JACKSON COUNTY Board of Commissioners Jerry Waddell, Chair Pat Bell, Commissioner Henry Robinson, Commissioner David A. Bohanan County Clerk/Personnel Officer Municipalities Arcade Braselton Joe Sikes, Mayor Henry Braselton, Mayor Paulette Adams, Councilmember H. B. Braselton, Councilmember Billy Griffin, Councilmember Pam Jackson, Councilmember Billy Gurley, Councilmember James A. Stevens, Councilmember Christopher Parr, Mayor Pro-Tem & Don Webster, Councilmember Councilmember Nicky Peppers, Councilmember Cheryl Sullivan Angela P. Colley City Clerk/Treasurer City Clerk Municipalities Commerce Hoschton Charles Hardy, Mayor Billy G. Holder, Mayor Sam Brown, Councilmember Rosyln Clark, Councilmember Archie Chaney, Councilmember & Glenn Evans, Councilmember Mayor Pro Tem David Healan, Councilmember Riley Harris, Sr., Councilmember Robert Langford, Councilmember Richard Massey, Councilmember Royce Robertson, Councilmember Bob Sosebee, Councilmember Donald Wilson, Councilmember Shirley Willis Cindy R. Edge City Clerk/Treasurer City Clerk Jefferson Nicholson Byrd M. Bruce, Mayor Steve Wilbanks, Mayor Randall Griffith, Councilmember Stanley Fouche, Councilmember C.D. Kidd III, Councilmember Thomas Gary, Councilmember Steve Kinney, Councilmember Ronnie Maxwell, Councilmember Marcia Moon, Councilmember Margaret Ward, Councilmember Jack Seabolt, Councilmember Brenda Duncan Dana Wilbanks City Clerk City Clerk/Treasurer Pendergrass Talmo Mark Tolbert, Mayor Larry Wood, Mayor Bill Hazelgreen, Councilmember Frank Davis, Councilmember James Love, Councilmember Rob Joyce, Councilmember Tammy Pruitt, Councilmember Myra McEver, Councilmember Gail Suggs, Pendergrass Jill Miller, Councilmember Beckie Sanders Dana Kinney City Clerk/Treasurer City Clerk/Treasurer Municipalities Planning Commission Members Jackson County Planning & Commerce Planning Commission Development Kathy Kennedy Thomas Benton Allen Lacey, Jr. Barry Daniel Mike Morrison Joe Davis Henry Slocum Keith Hayes Donald Wiley David Healan Fitzpatrick Lane Brant McMullan Daniel Sailors Thomas Smith Aaron Whelchel Comprehensive Plan Citizens Advisory Committee Janet Adams Edward Gutknecht Jerry McMillan Guy Benson Bill Hales Mark Miller Elizabeth Bielicki Jean Hales Steve Nunn Joseph Bielicki Terri Hales Thomas Nunn Wesley Boozer Gene Harper Becky Perry Anita Boyd Charles Harris Sara Phillips Anderson Byers Walton Harris Todd Powers Todd Cannon Greg Jamison Amory Rogers Ruth Carole Pam Johns Fred Schuttenberg Donald Childs Steve Johnson Ruth Schutza Maylon Clinkscales Ellis Lamme Don Segraves Elton Collins Phyllis Lamme Dennis Sikes Randy Daniel Kenny Lane Harvey Stevens James Deaton David Maddox Don Stewart Joyce S. Ethridge Scott Martin Randy Watkins Polly Godfrey Don McFarland Bob Wells Donna S. Golden Jamie McFarlin James Wilhite Robert Griffith Robert McGarity Fred Williams Beverly Guthrie Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center Local Planning Division Lee A. Carmon, AICP, Director Staff: Joanne DeJausserand GIS Technician Interns: Jennifer Fine Steve Gibson Planner GIS Intern Lois Foerster Bret Jefferson GIS Database Manager GIS Intern Peggy Hackett Brian Leary Clerical Assistant Planning Intern Cynthia Holiny Bruce Lonnee Cartographer Planning Intern Ruth Lessl Chance Morgan Planning Assistant Planning Intern Jim Osborn, AICP Tommie Shephard Planner Planning Intern Burke Walker Karl Steinbeck Preservation Planner GIS Intern Part 1: Inventory and Assessment Chapter 1: Introduction INTRODUCTION 1.1 Purpose The Jackson County Comprehensive Plan provides county and city elected officials, staff, and residents with a set of goals and policies to help manage future growth and development over the next twenty years. This is a joint city/county plan, incorporating all of unincorporated Jackson County and its municipalities. The plan represents the county's participation in, and contribution to, the statewide planning process required by the Georgia Planning Act of 1989. The Jackson County Comprehensive Plan establishes a framework for planning for the provision of public facilities and services, choosing desirable economic growth, preserving the natural environment, protecting unique historic buildings or districts and scenic areas, and establishing compatible future land uses. Comprehensive plan updates must, at a minimum, occur every ten years. However, after five years, community leaders should determine if the comprehensive plan needs a major update or revision, based upon the degree of change in the community. If little has changed, a small revision is sufficient to address changes in the community. However, if major changes have occurred, such as shifts in population or in the economic base, a more thorough revision of the comprehensive plan should be initiated. This plan update represents a major revision to the 1992 Jackson County Comprehensive Plan. Because the previous plan was completed under now out-of-date planning standards, and Jackson County's significant population growth, 11 percent, since 1990, the Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center, in consultation with county staff, recommended a comprehensive plan update in lieu of simply the short-term work program update. 1.2 Accomplishments Since 1991 Plan Jackson County and its cities completed a number of initiatives, primarily infrastructure related, outlined in the 1992 Comprehensive Plan. However, much work remains in the county and initiatives called for in the 1997 plan updated should be implemented to insure resource protection. Completed activities from the 1992 plan include: ! development of a regional reservoir; ! development of long-range strategies to expand sewage treatment and collection systems; ! expansion of school facilities; ! construction of new facility for Solar-Tech; ! improvement of county roads; and ! expansion of governmental facilities. For a complete list of completed activities from the 1992 Short-term Work Program, see the Report of Accomplishments included in this document. 1.3 Planning Process The Jackson County Comprehensive Plan consists of a three-step planning process: Inventory and Assessment of existing conditions; Goals and Policies; and Implementation Strategy. The Inventory and Assessment addresses the seven planning elements using the basic planning process required by the Minimum Planning Standards and Procedures of the Georgia Planning Act. The Goals and Policies are based upon the inventory and assessment, and address existing and future needs and aspirations of the community. The Implementation Strategy is a five-year work program based on the community needs and goals. 1-1 Jackson County Comprehensive Plan 1.3.1 Inventory and Assessment The Inventory and Assessment lists the resources within Jackson County and its municipalities and addresses the following seven elements. The adequacy of the community's resource base is assessed based on identified needs through meetings with elected officials, county and city employees, and county residents. (A) Population: The population element provides historic population statistics as well as projections of future population trends in the county. This data is analyzed in increments from 1970 until 2015. Also included are data on the numbers of households, education levels, sex and race composition, and income of the population, as well as a comparison of Jackson County with the Northeast Georgia region and the state. (B) Economic Development: The economic development element examines various aspects of the Jackson County economy, including employment by industry, the labor force and an analysis of the economic base. (C) Natural Resources: The natural resources element includes the environmentally sensitive and ecologically significant areas that are unique to Jackson County. Included in the inventory are discussions of soil types, hydrology, topography, prime agricultural land and forest resources, plant and animal habitats, wildlife, parks and recreation areas, wetlands, watersheds, and the Mulberry, North Oconee, and Middle Oconee rivers and their tributaries. (D) Historic Resources: The historic resources section catalogs the historic sites and structures in Jackson County, including individual properties, historic areas, and archaeological sites. (E) Community Facilities: The community facilities section inventories existing public facilities and services that are important to the safety and well-being of Jackson County residents. This section addresses, in particular, law enforcement, fire protection, emergency medical services, infrastructure, solid waste management, governmental, recreational, educational and cultural facilities. (F) Housing: This element provides an inventory of the existing housing supply in Jackson County, and includes an assessment of the quantity, quality, cost and age of housing, as well as projected demand for the various categories of housing units. (G) Existing Land Use: The land use element of the plan surveys existing land uses at the tax parcel level. Categories of land use include