Blue Ridge residents continued to battle a possible 515 right-a-way annexation during a second public hearing this Tuesday. While not as many people attended the second public hearing on September 4th, opposition of the annex was still apparent. Fannin County resident Wesley King opened the meeting by strongly opposing the annexation based on a conservative platform.

“I find it very disturbing to hear people who profess conservative values promoting the growth of government as a solution to problems, presumably the desire to enlarge the city’s land area, and consequently the city’s revenue stream as business driven,”

King said reading aloud from his own written statement.

The purpose of the hearings is to get citizen input about a possible annexation. The proposed annexation will entail the Hwy 515 Department of Transportation (DOT) right-a-way north of the city from the Toccoa River up to Highway 60 and south of the existing city limits to the Gilmer County line. Blue Ridge Mayor Donna Whitener says the possibility of the annex means more Fannin County businesses could annex into the Blue Ridge city limits, however, according to Mayor Whitener, annexation into the city limits is just an option for businesses adjacent the right-a-way, not mandatory.

Continuing, King said he thought businesses in the area should not depend on the government. He went onto to say that any business that depends on the growth of government should not exist. Lastly, he said he feared alcohol might be the driving force of the annexation, and that he did not want to see Blue Ridge commercialized into other small town attractions such as Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

“It saddens me that members of our community might try to circumvent county law by growing the government of Blue Ridge…I hope that we are not determined to turn the four-lane into a heavily commercialized strip like in many other small towns and ruin the character of Blue Ridge,”

King said.

Other citizens in the meeting, such as Oscar Henry, agreed with King.

Henry, who spoke also at the last meeting, said he was also afraid the main purpose of the annexation was for alcohol, going as far as asking council members if they had friends who were interested in the annexation just for the sales of alcohol. Henry then asked why council would consider annexation if only one business has plans so far to annex into the city limits.

As reported last month, Mineral Bluff’s Lakewood Marathon station announced plans to build a Dunkin’ Donuts at its location with plans to annex into the city limits.

However, citizens such as Henry and King seem to think that the Marathon station has other plans for the annexation, including sales of alcohol. As of now, Fannin County does not allow the sale of alcohol by the package. The city, however, does allow sales of beer, malt beverages, and wine by the package which means any business annexed into the city limits could sell beer, malt beverages, and wine by the package as well.

Jessica Ward, who also spoke on behalf of Marathon station at the last hearing, again spoke for the station.

“If we were ever to sell beer, we would just remodel the store inside and not expand any further,”

said Ward.

After the meeting, FYN asked King how he would feel if the annexation was to take place.

“I won’t be happy about it,” he said, “We live here for the rural aspect. If it’s going to become a highly commercialized area, we will have to consider our future and where we are going to live. I don’t think the tourist that come here and fill this county up want that either,”said King.

When asked if the city plans to continue with the annexation now, Whitener said city council will probably sit down with Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston and Fannin County Chairman Commissioner Bill Simonds to discuss whether or not they will pursue the annexation.

“I’m sure we will take a look at the pros and cons of the comments and see who is for and who isn’t for it,”

said Whitener.

2012 SEP FANNIN GOV BLUE RIDGE PUBLIC HEARING ON 515 ANNEX from Fetch on Vimeo.