Blue Ridge City Council had a special-called meeting on August 2. The meeting marked a milestone in recent City Council meeting history – the meeting was only 15 minutes long!   During the meeting, the City Council voted to approve the Sign Ordinance Amendment, Fireworks Ordinance Amendment, the SPLOST Intergovernmental Agreement and a Zoning Map Amendment.

The Sign Ordinance Amendment ( read Sign Ordinance Amendment here)mainly affects businesses in the Central Business District.  The amendment also allows for fines if a business is caught violating  the ordinance, although the fine amount is not specified.  One of the reasons for adopting revisions in the ordinance is the cluttering up of downtown sidewalks with sandwich boards and items for sale.  Parts of the sidewalks were becoming so narrowed by these items that people could not maneuver strollers and wheelchairs down the sidewalks.

The Fireworks Ordinance Amendment will not damper downtown spirits on the 3^rd and 4^th of July, as long as your shoot them off before 11:59. For New Year’s Eve, everyone gets one hour more for fireworks. For the rest of the year, people have to stick to daytime fireworks.  According to the amendment, no one or company can shoot off fireworks between the hours of 9 pm to 10 am.  (read Fireworks Ordinance Amendment here)

The City Council approved the agreement that Blue Ridge will receive $2,100,000 over six years if citizens approve the 2016 SPLOST referendum.  This figure amounts to 7% of the estimated $30,000,000 that Fannin County would collect over the six-year 2016 SPLOST.

Finally, the City Council voted to change the Stiles Property Zoning from commercial to residential.  This property, which sits at the north end of Depot Street, between Depot Street and 515 is slated for a 36-home, gated-community development.  (Click here to read about plans for the development)