tra X
SEPTEMBER 20 - SEPTEMBER 26
TIMES-HERALD
e e r f
local calendar your guide for upcoming events in our area ➤ page 4
your weekly connection to local news & entertainment
Grading under way for multi-use development
PHOTO BY SARAH CAMPBELL
Clearing and grading has begun for the Village Square at Newnan Crossing mixed-use development.
BY SARAH FAY CAMPBELL sarah@newnan.com
Massive clearing and grading is underway for the Village Square at Newnan Crossing development at Newnan Crossing Boulevard and Lower Fayetteville Road. A Lidl grocery store, apartments, senior citizen housing, and office and retail space are proposed for the multi-use development. The city of Newnan has received the grading and clearing plans for the project, as well as the site plans for Lidl, according to Newnan Planning Director Tracy Dunnavant.
Newnan City Council approved the rezoning of 40.66 acres of the tract, with a proposal for 300 apartments, 35 townhomes, 140 senior housing units, office space and retail space. There are 21 acres designated for a city park, and plans for a 2-acre “community plaza.” Dunnavant said city staff has met with representatives of the apartment developer, but no site or construction plans have been submitted yet. T he overa l l t ract is 1 22 acres, though development will begin on the southern end, near Lower Fayetteville Road. In February, the Newnan City Council approved the rezoning
of 40.66 acres of the tract, with a proposal for 300 apartments, 35 townhomes, 140 senior housing units, off ice space and retail space. There are 21 acres designated for a city park, and plans for a 2-acre “community plaza.” There are also plans for a Lidl near Thomas Crossroads. The German discount grocer is
a prime competitor of Aldi. T he representative from the company developing the Thomas Crossroads Lidl, and Lidl U.S.’s media contact did not respond to emails asking if two Lidls were coming to Coweta or if the Newnan Crossing store would replace the store proposed for Thomas Crossroads. Representatives
Neelys named new publishers of The Newnan Times-Herald
2017 Proposed Rates - Taxpayer Impact (Unincorporated) Appraised Value $200,000 (Homestead)
County M&O $464 23%
BY W. WINSTON SKINNER winston@newnan.com
Beth and Clay Neely have been named the new publishers of The Newnan Times-Herald. The announcement comes as the newspaper, Coweta County’s oldest business, celebrates its 152nd birthday. Beth Neely grew up in the newspaper’s offices and is the fifth generation in her family to work in the news business. Her husband, Clay Neely, has been part of The Times-Herald’s news staff since 2013. He has covered public safety and local government, taken photographs and spearheaded the newspaper’s increased presence on the internet. “We’re both honored to take on this duty at The Times-Herald, and hope to continue the role that the newspaper has filled for the past 152 years. As a family-owned paper, we’re connected to the community in way a corporate paper isn’t,” Beth said. Both talked about The Times-Herald staff and their passion for putting out a good newspaper – with well-written, accurate news. “That’s something we take seriously every day,” Beth said. “The people who write the news also live in our community,” Clay observed. “They and their families shop, worship, socialize and participate in life in Coweta. We want our product to be an accurate representation of that – CLAY AND BETH NEELY
Kiwanis
midway by Dixieland Carnivals
Newnan
for both Lidl projects are associated with the same consulting firm. Coweta County and Lidl executed a development agreement in May for the Thomas Crossroads store. Under the agreement, Lidl is required to pay for a n intersection improvement and traffic light at the intersection of Hwy. 34 and Glenda Trace. The intersection improvement would create a “restricted crossing U-turn intersection.” Coweta officials said this week that there haven’t been any recent submittals by the Lidl developers.
Fire Bond $31 2%
School M&O $1, 301 63%
Fire District $256 12% Total Taxes: $2, 052
This pie graph shows the breakdown of the average property tax bill for a home in unincorporated Coweta County.
County proposing $73 million budget By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL sarah@newnan.com
The Coweta County Board of Commissioners is set to approve a $73.5 million budget on Sept. 19. The budget is for fiscal year 2018, which begins Oct. 1. Approval of the budget is on the agenda for the Sept. 19 county commission meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. Meetings are held in commission chambers, upstairs at 37 Perry St. in downtown Newnan. The general fund budget is a balanced budget, though
NEELYS • 5
THE FAIR IS COMING! SEPT. 22 – OCT. 1r Get You Tickets Now!
275 Pine Road • Newnan
Find us on
follow us on
CowetaCoFair
BUDGET • 2 presenting sponsor
our sponsors PURCHASE BY Midnight SEPT. 21
available onlin e an at select locatio d ns
(see website for locations)
cowetacountyfair.org
BB&T Home Mortgage Buffalo Rock Chick-fil-A Georgia Power Crain Oil Company Headley Construction Lindsey’s Realtors McKoon Funeral Home
Shine ‘N Drive SouthTowne Motors State Farm – Jake Stanley UBS WaterSource Plumbing Welden Financial Services