Forsyth:

Continued from Page 1 opposing Senate Bill 494 and House Bill 1093, which also aimed to prevent local governments from regulating long-term rental properties

“This would be a resolution where we would stand as a Board of Commissioners in opposition to SB 188,” Jarrard said. “And in further opposition to any act of the General Assembly that we believe unnecessarily and candidly improperly encroaches into our home rule ability to make land use decisions for our citizens, where I believe both the Georgia Constitution and common sense put those decisions squarely in the lap of the Board of Commissioners.”

The county resolution states, “the unexpressed but actual objective of the Bill is to mandate unlimited access for corporations to develop ‘build to rent’ subdivisions which vary greatly in price, quality, management and tenant protections.”

Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills said she was concerned that the language of the bill could be added to other legislation and then adopted.

Chairman Alfred John raised further concerns about the bill, and he said a recent article showed how the influx of build-for-rent communities and investors buying out homes has created a housing

The board also approved a policy that limits the length of time speakers can address the board to three minutes; requires speakers to sign up 24 hours in advance for items that are not on the agenda; and requires speakers to be a school district resident, business owner, employee or parent.

Kathleen Kraynick noted all agencies such as the Department of Driver Services require a formal process, and she believes the new policy does not infringe on residents’ ability to provide input.

Mark Weiss, however, said the policy hinders residents’ only time to address the board, which exists because of its constituents.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Cindy Martin holds a book challenge packet that she had submitted to the Forsyth County Board of Education at its Feb. 21 meeting. Martin read an explicit excerpt from a novel that is available in West Forsyth High School’s online database.

ruled in the Mama Bears’ favor Jan. 31, allowing them to continue the readings at meetings.

“In the name of sexual exploration by a few kids that may be ready, or think they’re ready, to engage with graphic sexual content, they’re threatening most kids and shortage.

“And more importantly, first-time homeowners are having a hard time because they’ve flooded the market,” John said.

AED program approved

Commissioners also heard a presentation on Avive Solutions’ 4 Minute City Program, which seeks to raise the survival rate of sudden cardiac arrests by providing AEDs that have a GPS system to locate the equipment before first responders arrive.

Forsyth County is now the third partner community to join the program.

Northside Hospital Forsyth emergency cardiac care System Manager Jason Grady said Feb. 21 the average local response time for a cardiac arrest is eight minutes, and the Avive partnership aims to reduce the response time by half.

Additionally, Grady said the survival rate of cardiac arrest in Forsyth County is about five percent, five points lower than the national average.

“The problem is not with AEDs,” Grady said. “The problem is being able to get that AED to the side of a person having a cardiac arrest.” parents that are not ready,” Jere Krischel said.

The program is in partnership with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Forsyth County Fire Department, Central EMS, the Cumming Police, the 911 Center and Northside Hospital Forsyth. The initiative officially launched Feb. 23.

The debate follows the pending state Senate Bill 154, which would criminalize school librarians who allow students to check out materials deemed harmful or obscene.

Location:

Continued from Page 4 retail space, and new conditions would be added as the development goes through the rezoning process.

Bob Mullen, Johns Creek communications director, said the city wants thriving small businesses, as well as thriving large businesses.

“I don’t think there’s a reason that they wouldn’t want all sorts of allowable businesses to come into Johns Creek,” Mullen said.

Site revisions

So far, Khutliwala has submitted two site plans for the development in the rezoning process. Khutliwala prepared the second plan in hopes of mitigating resident concern.

The first site plan for Tim Hortons included a 1,610-square foot building with one drive-thru lane, connected to Abberley’s private road using the easement.

While the drive-thru still uses the easement in the new plan, Khutliwala and the engineering team has decreased the size of the building to 888 square feet to allow for two drive-thru lanes, intended to reduce traffic.

With the revision, the number of trips

“If I went to Forsyth County [Board of Commissioners], I could walk up to the door right before the meeting, sign up, and they will listen to you as long as you’re a citizen of this county and a taxpayer,” Weiss said. “They understand that this is the only time we get to sit in front of you guys to speak one-on-one and get your undivided attention.” per day have decreased from a projected 859 trips to 238. Khutliwala said he is going further to conduct a traffic study, using a nearby Starbucks.

Boardmembers also approved a floating homestead exemption resolution that places a 5 percent cap on any increase or decrease in the reassessed value of primary homesteads.

The exemption will be sunset Dec. 31, 2028, to evaluate its impact on Forsyth County schools.

In the original site plan, the board was set to be posted at the back of the building, adjacent to the Abberley townhomes.

To mitigate noise, the new draft moves the menu board to the side of the building. It also calls for a brick wall, situated in front of the townhomes to act as a noise barrier. Currently, a wooden fence and a line of large trees separate the homes and the parcel.

In discussions with his lawyer, Khutliwala said the idea of blocking the easement at Abberley Lane had come up as a potential solution, but because the easement is used by many businesses, he would not have the right to block the entry point.

The easement is part of a private agreement that dates to 2001, Song said, which was updated two years later to include access to Abberley Lane. Without the easement access on Abberley Lane, Song said drivers cannot make a left turn onto State Bridge Road.

Nick Griffiths, the principal engineer for the project, said the plan updates are evidence of Khutliwala’s attention to resident concern.

“Those are all things that he’s trying to do to be a good neighbor,” Griffiths said.