I wanted to share some thoughts today on the history and intent of our zoning, and how the reality of development pressures and legal realities will impact us in Chattahoochee Hills.
South Fulton Parkway was
built as an economic development driver; it was lobbied for by members of this community to bring development opportunities here.
Our comprehensive plans and zoning have acknowledged from the beginning that there was no possibility of preventing development from happening in what has since become the City of Chattahoochee Hills. The goal has always been to save as much as possible of the rural landscape, character, and community here, but in the context of the development that is inevitable.
Our Comprehensive Plan says: “City residents recognize that coming development pressure must be channeled into an acceptable form that fits the city’s vision and enhances the city’s tax base. Therefore, the village, hamlet and AG-1 vision for the city (from the Focus Fulton 2025 Plan) was revised into a Town, Village, Hamlet form integrated with traditional rural/agricultural development... Outside of the intentionally densely developed mixed-use nodes – Village and Hamlets – the city’s rural character will be preserved, with a strong focus on allowing agricultural uses and preservation of the rural public realm and rural vistas that are highly valued by the community.”
Some may not have been involved or even here yet during those conversations, and some may have forgotten conversations they were involved in or even changed their stance between then and now. None of that changes the reality that development is all around us, and it is coming here. Our best possible outcome is to manage it thoughtfully.
You can look across every border of Chattahoochee Hills and see that development happening. While our success in keeping the wrong sort of development from happening here over the course of the 15 years since we've become a city may make it seem as if we can just prevent change altogether, that's just not true.
The quadrant of the Atlanta region that we are in is the last mostly undeveloped area in all of Atlanta. According to the Atlanta regional Commission, the region is expected to add two million additional residents in the next 25 years. There is no way for us to escape the impacts of all of those new people coming to the region.
Unfortunately, one of the greatest development pres-
sures in our area is for distribution warehouses. You can see that both along South Fulton Parkway and in Palmetto. Between the two, over 30 million square feet of warehouses have been or are in the process of being built. Each one of those is expected to create over 700 semi-truck/trailer trips per day, per million square feet. That's 21,000 semi trips per day, just around us in South Fulton. But there is obviously huge demand for additional housing as well. All of those additional people have to go somewhere. And we hold the closest undeveloped land that's left in metro Atlanta. Investors bought huge tracts of land along South Fulton Parkway in anticipation of the development possibilities that the Parkway was built to encourage.
Jurisdictions around us that don't have our kind of protective zoning have typical residential subdivisions popping up on every single parcel where it is physically possible. A quick drive down Tommy Lee Cook Rd. proves the point. New developments have been permitted on almost every parcel, and many are already under construction. Unlike in Chattahoochee Hills, they are not buffered, they are not required to preserve open space, and they're allowed even on small parcels. In 20 years, there will be nothing rural left between us and Newnan. The same is true to our west in Douglas County. What’s happening to our east in the city of South Fulton and in Palmetto is very different from what our plan allows, given the number of hastily built rental-home communities and warehouses that have been permitted, some of which are already under construction.
So, if we're going to have development, what makes it different here in Chattahoochee Hills? Several things:
First and foremost, the fact that 70% of the land will be permanently protected from development, while the development that does occur is compressed into the remaining 30%, is baked into everything we do. The addition of our buffering requirements makes sure that most of that development will barely be visible, so most of the community will continue to look and feel as it does today, regardless of ongoing development.
That's not to say that there won't be an impact; obviously, there will be many impacts. Some of those, like the traffic that new developments bring, will not be pleasant. That's just a fact. But the benefit of the sort of dense, walkable, mixed-use development that we require is that it creates far less traffic. The fact that residents can walk their kids to school, walk to restaurants, walk to work, and walk to services, all internal to the development that they live in, means that there are far fewer trips outside, and far less impact on the surrounding communities. Serenbe is a great example, with residents averaging somewhere be-
tween 3 and 4 vehicle trips per household per day (amazingly, this includes both construction traffic and “tourist traffic”). This compared to an expectation of 10 to 11 trips per household per day in an “typical” suburban subdivision. We expect the same trends in the future hamlets and villages we will use to absorb most development here.
This type of development is also very beneficial to the municipality from an income-to-expense-ratio perspective. Dense building creates a lot of property tax and requires less in infrastructure and service costs. Serenbe is already a great example, having disturbed fewer than 200 acres with development, or about half a percent of our overall land mass, yet Serenbe produces over half of our city’s local taxes, while remaining largely invisible to the rest of the city. By any definition, this is an example of “smart growth.”
The proposed movie studio is another example we must seriously consider. The plan shows that the buildings will not be visible from the road, and the impacts are very low for the amount of revenue it will generate for the City. If approved, it will almost triple our property tax receipts at build out. That money would allow us to do several things. For one, we will be able to reduce property tax rates on everyone as a result. We will be able to pave more of our roads. And we'll be able to have more public safety personnel to mitigate the impacts of all the people traveling through our city from the development that's happening all around us. It would require almost 10,000 average homes to create that same tax impact; imagine even half that number of homes and associated cars when you think about this proposed studio.
And we need that tax revenue. We do not have enough money to keep our roads from deteriorating. We do not have enough money to have the number of police officers on duty that we really need to service a town this large in the face of the changes around us (irrespective of the fact that we're doing so much better than we ever could have under Fulton County). While a few people have said to me, “I’m happy to pay more in taxes,” the reality is I get far more complaints that our taxes are too high, and they are high compared to many of our peers in Fulton County.
The good news is that we do have developments coming that are designed to fit our zoning. We’re expecting to receive our first Village application soon. This will also feel scary to a lot of people in that it will have dense mixed-use development on a fairly small parcel of land on the Parkway. But it will also create the first funding for our TDR program (about which I will write more next month), which is the other important component of our whole plan,
because the benefits that it creates for non-developing landowners who want to maintain the rural character where they live.
Based on current estimates, this program will pay hundreds of millions of dollars to the people living on the approximately 26,000 acres in our city (of our 38,000) to NOT develop. They can use that money to pay off their mortgage (or for whatever they want), and the resulting conservation easements on their land will permanently reduce their property taxes. We're the only jurisdiction in the region that has even tried to do something so bold. The simple reality is that in most of the Atlanta region, small landowners have been forced off of their land by ever-increasing taxes as development fills in around them. And in most of those towns around us, 90% of the land is eventually developed. There's simply no possibility of any rural community being left in those circumstances.
Nothing is perfect. But the plan crafted by wise generations of thoughtful Chattahoochee Hills residents working with the nation's foremost experts on the subject of land preservation is far and away better than anything ever attempted in the region and is absolutely our best hope at creating an outcome that's different from what is happening in literally every community around us. Development that is higher in revenue and lower in impact fits what our community agreed upon years ago, so we aren’t compromising or giving anything away to big developers. This has been the plan all along, as anyone can see by looking at our Comprehensive Plans over the years.
We are sticking to our plan while our neighbors let their communities get paved over, because they did not form plans, and are therefore helpless to prevent it. But we are definitely at an inflection point. If we ignore the long-established intent and thus-far successful implementation of our zoning, and instead try to just say “no” to developments that fit the vision we have articulated, some may feel they’ve won a temporary victory, but we all will lose in the long run. Georgia is a property-rights state. Developers who are prevented from doing what the zoning allows them to do can sue, and they will win, and such victories would strip us of our protective zoning. If we want the warehouses, garbage dumps, and rental subdivisions that are the norm in the rest of South Fulton, then resisting instead of intelligently absorbing development is the best way to be sure that we get them. But I'm committed to working for a better outcome, because I love this City and it is so important to get it right.
With hope for our City’s future,
Tom ReedAdded to the Chattahoochee Hills Charter School at 9670 Rivertown Rd, Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30213.
In 2008, residents of Chattahoochee Hills had a dream to create educational opportunities for all children that would reflect the community’s values of sustainable agriculture, environmental awareness, and art appreciation.
Through their hard work, determination, and collaboration with partners and funders, their dream was realized in 2012 when the Fulton County School Board approved the Chattahoochee Hills Charter School (CHCS).
When selecting a barn quilt for their campus, CHCS looked for a pattern that would honor their school mascot, Hootie the Owl. They customized a pattern called "Owl's Well that Ends Well," and named it "Hooting for Hootie."
a way of making learning fun. But integrated into that learning model is a curriculum that meets the standards for learning as identified by the state of Georgia, national curriculum standards, and local system objectives. Now in its 10th school year, CHCS has proven results as stated in is mission and goal:
In a typical day at CHCS, a student can explore the school’s bird sanctuary to gather data and be inspired to show that data as a piece of art. While caring for farm animals, a child can be guided to a connection that might help him or her better understand a concept in math. An observation made in a notebook on the first day of school may inspire meaningful writings a student can develop throughout the year. CHCS students have a voice in the direction lessons may go, as their curiosity also inspires the teachers. This type of curricular culture develops a sense of community and fellowship that is the bedrock of meaningful learning.
If it sounds more like a vacation than a school, you might be right in that the experiential learning model has
• Our mission is to inspire all of our children to the highest levels of academic achievement through a rigorous curriculum that integrates the wonders of the natural world.
• Our goal is for our students to cultivate the capacity to achieve a meaningful, healthy, flourishing life that embodies responsibility, stewardship, and experimental engagement with the arts, agriculture, and environment in informed, imaginative, and rigorous ways.
For more photos and the host's heritage story, visit: https://www.chatthillsbarnquilttrail.com/chatt-hills-charterschool.html. For a map of the Chatt Hills Barn Quilt Trail, visit: www.chatthillsbarnquilttrail.com/tour-the-trail.html.
Nadia Faucette, GreyStone Power VP of Engineering, gave a presentation on GreyStone’s Internet Fiber Project at the EMC’s Spring Member Advisory Committee Meeting on April 13. The presentation is available on the Dist. 3 website and will also be available on the Chattahoochee Hills’ website soon. The text is provided below.
The fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) pilot project will span hundreds of miles of aerial and underground fiber, bringing fiber-to-the-home coverage to unserved and underserved members. Construction is expected to begin in 2023, with the first customers anticipated to be connected in 2024. The pilot area includes parts of southern Fulton County, southern Douglas County, portions of eastern Carroll County and a small section of southern Paulding County. (As previously announced, the City of Chattahoochee Hills will be included in the pilot area.) These areas currently have providers bringing cable, wireless, satellite, and other forms of internet to our members, but not fiber. We would be the first to bring high-speed, reliable fiber internet to these areas.
• Our fiber-to-the-home method uses our electric infrastructure (grid) to overlay with fiber-optic cable and offer lightning-fast speeds and reliability in an efficient way that allows the cooperative to provide world-class internet speeds at affordable prices.
• Building this FTTH network is generally a multi-year intensive project encompassing numerous steps and efforts.
Why Fiber? Robust, dependable, future-proof
• Communications transmission gold standard
• Superior to other media (copper, fixed wireless) on multiple fronts:
o Bandwidth capabilities
o Transmission speed/distance
o Reliability
o Scalability
• Connects multiple devices without delays or interruptions
• Enables benefits of smart grid capabilities to the
electrical infrastructure
• Supports HD-quality voice service, unlimited data, and HD streaming capabilities
Community Benefits of Fiber
• Transforms daily life with new opportunities
• Effective remote learning
• Convenient telemedicine
• Work-from-home interoffice connectivity
• Economic development and growth
• Improved real estate market and home prices
What Sets Us Apart from the Competition? The power of symmetrical speed Network will be symmetrical:
• Identical upload and download speeds - 2,000 Mbps (2 Gigabit) down and up
• Fast upload speeds are critical for video conferencing, online gaming, and sharing large files.
• Other networks promise speed but don’t deliver:
o Downloads are fast – 25 Mbps
o Uploads are not – 3 Mbps
What will GreyStone’s FTTH project timeline look like?
1. Make Ready Engineering
2. Make Ready Construction (on-going now)
3. Fiber Construction
4. Splicing
5. Service Drop
6. Drop Splicing
7. Home or Business Installation
Fiber brings with it many benefits. We’re thrilled to transform the lives of members in our area who have been unserved or underserved by other providers.
Great camaraderie and delightful spring weather were the order of the day for volunteers who participated in Sweep the Hooch 2023 on March 25th. This was the 13th year that the non-profit Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK) organized the annual trash cleanup at various parks, tributaries, and access points along 200 miles of the Chattahoochee River. Parks Commission members hosted two of this year’s 62 sites.
The first site was Campbellton Park at the northern tip of our city, which features a boat ramp and the historic Beavers House. There, four members of the Parks Commission, Roland Alston (Team Leader), Chip Denton (Co-Leader), Pat Lesko, and Clifford Blizard, were joined by City Councilmember Camille Lowe, Joe Schoofs, Pichaya Denton, and the Krisel family: Howie, Erica, Aaron (12), Jesse (9) and Sarina (9).
The second site was the Hwy 166 GA DNR boat ramp, where Parks Commissioner Diana Wilson (Team Leader), Mayor Tom Reed, and
Steve Mapel were joined by some 40 employees of Cox Conserves, a part of Cox Enterprises. Although the Hwy 166 boat ramp is in Atlanta, not Chatt Hills, it is a popular river put-in site for day-tripping paddlers who wish to exit the river at Campbellton Park. Volunteers were well provisioned with trash bags, trash grabber tools, work gloves, and a souvenir “Sweep the Hooch 2023” bandana by CRK and with drinking water and high-energy snacks by the Team Leaders. Both teams enthusiastically filled many bags with the usual debris: discarded cans, bottles, food packaging, and fishing tackle. In addition, a total of 25 tires were collected at the two sites, and the signature find of 2023 was a portable basketball hoop and backboard.
Final numbers reported by CRK for 2023 indicate another record year for Sweep the Hooch. In all, 1,400 volunteers collected 32 tons of trash, plus another 2.8 tons were recycled. This was the second highest amount ever.
This year’s Sweep the Hooch was not all work and no play. At the end of Cochran Road, the Campbellton Park team was greeted by Glen Vann of Glen and Kelly’s Llama Farm and introduced to a menagerie of horses, llamas, alpacas, goats, and dogs. Glen then graciously offered to take weary workers back up the hill in his antique Ford truck. The Llama Farm is the northernmost point on the Chatt Hills Barn Quilt Trail. (https://www. chatthillsbarnquilttrail.com/)
I’ve been pondering the purchase of an e-bike ever since a family of four, including two pee-wee kids, zoomed past me up a steep hill on the Dirty Sheets gravel road route.
That was two years ago. I had just purchased a gravel road bike to augment my paved-road cycling and was still getting the hang of it. My pace was slow, I had to walk some of the hills, and the jarring of the road made my arthritic hands ache. I figured I’d get used to it over time, but I never did.
Then my husband purchased a new gravel road bike for himself this year, and I wanted to start riding with him. I called the local bike stores to learn about e-bike options and got a lesson in reality: a good gravel road e-bike starts around $9,000. I asked if they had other options, and was told their entry-level e-bikes start at $3,200, but most likely they would lack the battery power to ride our hilly roads for hours on end.
I was just about to give up on owning an e-bike when my husband said, “Let me see if I can make you one.” Apparently, he had researched e-bike conversion kits and found the perfect one on Amazon for around $1,000.
The geek-speak description went something like this: BAFANG BBS02B, 48V, 750W, Mid Drive Kit with Battery Optional 8 fun eBike Conversion Kit with LCD Display & Chainring Mid Drive Electric Bike Kit fit 68-73MM Bottom
By: Laurie SearleBracket Bike.
When I asked my husband to translate, he said, the motor fits in the middle section of your bike, the battery fits on a rack on the back of your bike, and a lever is mounted to the handlebar that lets you select no assistance or between nine levels of assistance (meaning, it helps you to go faster while you pedal).
What sealed the deal for me was my husband offered to install the conversion kit on his old mountain bike for me, so I would still have my new (and barely used) mountain bike if I didn’t like it.
Asking my husband to explain the conversion process would be like asking a surgeon to explain an operation. Nothing he could say would make sense to me. So, he used “KISS” to “Keep It Simple, Sweetheart.”
He said, “You remove the old components, keep track of all of the little parts and the order they came off, then you add the new components, and reinstall most of the old parts.”
Actually, there was an excellent instruction manual that referenced an online video that made it easy – at least for someone with mechanical experience.
He completed the conversion process in just a few hours, and then we went on a short 6-mile ride on the gravel road to try it out.
I admit, my trial ride was a little bumpy as I got used to the e-bike. For one thing, the level 1 assist seemed a bit too “jumpy” for me. It seemed like a horse race when they called, “On your mark, get set, go!” and then they were off.
My husband fixed that by adjusting the assist levels. The other thing that took a bit of getting used to was the bike had put on some weight, like about 20 pounds. That extra weight actually gave me more “purchase” on the gravel road, especially when going on the fast downhills. But it was heavy enough that I wouldn’t be able to lift it onto a bicycle rack. Guess that’s another job for my husband.
After our trial ride, I felt pretty good about the bike and was anxious to try it out in the Barn Quilt Round-Up bike ride scheduled a few days later.
On the Day of the event, it was colder than all get out. Well, actually it was only 40 degrees but it felt much colder because the temperature during our trial ride was 60 degrees. Luckily, Santa had brought us both cold-weather
bike clothes a few years ago, so we were well prepared.
We opted to ride our own course instead of one of the three courses led by guides, since we knew where all of the barn quilts were located because we had installed them.
My e-bike worked wonderfully throughout the 24-mile course we rode. On the gravel portion, it easily went up the hills in level 1 or 2 assist, and I only got stuck once when I had stopped on a hill to take a picture of a barn quilt, and the bike was a little too heavy to start from a stand-still. Later, my husband said that is what the other level is for: I can press and hold it, and it will give a little extra boost.
On the paved roads it also worked well, and for the first time, thanks to the e-assist, I was able to make it up the long, long, hills on Hutcheson Ferry Rd without heaving and panting.
I used levels 1 & 2 assist for about half of the ride and then turned the assist off on the mostly flat part of the ride. There I learned that, as good as the e-bike is when the motor is activated, it’s a heavy little beast when the motor is shut off. That’s more noticeable on the paved roads, for some reason, but I figure when I want to ride the paved roads, I’ll just ride my road bike.
During the last part of the ride, I was trying to come up with a name for my bike, because, well, I name everything. My first choice was “Skippy” because the bike jumps a little when it starts with assist, and because it reminded me of “Skippy the Magnificent,” an artificial intelligence character in a sci-fi series we read. But after thinking about my husband who can put anything together, I decided to name it “MacGyver,” after the fictional tv character who can make anything work with the items at hand.
For more information on the BAFANG BBS02B e-bike adapter kit, and other e-bike options, visit: https://bafangusadirect.com
By: Laurie Searle
Several years before the pandemic, visiting the library was a weekly ritual for me. During my lunch break at work, I’d grab a quick bite then head to the nearby library and spend a quiet 30 minutes scanning the newest magazines. While there, I’d check out an audiobook to listen to my car’s CD player during my long commute. Back home in Chatt Hills, I’d visit our Community Brickworks’ Library to stock up on videos to play at home and during our vacation trips.
As technology improved I discovered e-books, which could be read on a Kindle device, and audiobook subscription services like Audible.com, which could be listened to on a mobile phone. Both my husband and I became hooked on these digital resources, which soon put a dent in our monthly “just for fun” allowance.
Then last week, my husband was searching online for a musical publication and happened to land on the Fulton County Library website. There he discovered an extensive digital library that included e-books, audiobooks, magazines, and videos – all free with the use of a library card.
First things first. You’ll need a library card to check out the digital resources and e-collections (referred to as “the digital stacks”). If you don’t already have one, you can sign up for a library card at any Fulton County library branch, or you can sign up to receive a temporary card on the Fulton County Library website. You may use the temporary card to immediately check out items from the digitial stacks; however, you’ll need to pick up your permanent library card within 30 days.
Sign up here for a temporary card: www.fulcolibrary.org,
scroll halfway down the page and click "get a fulco library card now!", and then complete the online registration.
Once you have your library card, log into the website www.fulcolibrary.org, scroll halfway down the page and click "Digital Library". From there, you can explore all that the library has to offer.
However, if your primary interest is in e-books, audiobooks, magazines, and videos, a more direct approach will take you to the screen below:
Navigate to: https://fulcolibrary.overdrive.com/ and then select "Collections" from the horizontal menu:
SPECIAL combines e-books, audiobooks, magazines, and vidoes into three subcategories: Spanish, Kids, and Teens. This seems convenient for those audiences; however, a subcateory for “Seniors” would be appreciated.
EBOOKS are offered in three formats: Kindle Book, OverDrive Read (the library’s free browser app for reading e-books online or off-line), and EPUB (an app to read e-books on your smartphone, tablet, e-reader, or computer.) E-book subcategories include: New Books, Comics & Graphic Novels, Georgia Authors, African American History & Literature, Try Something Different, and See All. When an e-book is selected, it provides a description, details, and options to read a sample or borrow the e-book for 7, 14, or 21 days. I selected an e-book to read in my browser and it was well formatted and easy to use. The total number of pages are listed at the bottom of the screen, and left and right arrows are provided for turning the pages.
AUDIOBOOKS are offered in two formats: OverDrive Listen audiobook (this app is also available for smart phones) and MP3 audiobook. The subcategories include: New audiobook additions, Audiobooks under three hours, Audiobooks under six hours, Try something different, Available now, Family road trip audiobooks, and New teen additions. When an audiobook is selected, it provides details, and options to listen to a sample or borrow the audiobook for 7, 14, or 21 days. As any fan of audiobooks will tell you, the narrator can make or break the enjoyable experience, so having the opportunity to listen to a sample is a must have. Also, worthing noting is when you click on the name of the author or narrator, a page displays with all of their available audiobooks. I selected an audiobook to listen to from my browser, and it had a similar user interface as the e-book,
with total time of the book, and left and right arrows for moving ahead or rewinding by one minute. The one feature I didn’t see that I love on Audible.com is the ability to slow down the speed of the narrator. I find that feature indispensable when listening to fast-talking narrators.
MAGAZINES are offered in the OverDrive Magazine format. This is similar to the online version of our Chatt Hills News publication that shows a view of each page and allows you to turn the page by clicking the mouse. It also provides a thumbnail image of each page along with its page number at the bottom of the screen. In that way you can click on any page to access it. The subcategories are listed by subject and offer a wide variety from cooking, home & garden, health & fitness, news & politics, sports, and hobbies to name a few. When a magazine is selected, it provides details, and options to select another issue or borrow the magazine for 7, 14, or 21 days. I selected several of my favorite magazines including Good Housekeeping, Love of Quilting, and Outside. Having free access to my favorite magazines could be a game changer; however, several of my favorite topics (like sports, history, and literature) are a bit underrepresented.
VIDEOS are offered through Kanopy, a free on-demand streaming video platform for public and academic libraries. Kanopy movies can be streamed from a variety of different platforms to mobile devices, tablets, and TVs equipped with Roku, Amazon Fire, and Android TV-based devices. After you sign up for Kanopy with your library card, you may watch up to 10 films a month and receive unlimited plays on Kanopy Kids and The Great Courses. There are too many categories to mention, but few listed include Newly added Movies, Documentaries, World Cinema, Series. I selected a movie to watch on my desktop computer, and it was every bit as good as watching it on my home tv.
The free digital library may be accessed from any Fulton County library branch, and from the Community Brickworks Library at Chatt Hills City Hall which offers two new public computers equipped with high-speed internet access.
Every Wednesday, 7-9:00pm
Get in Your Creative Flow with Figure Drawing Sessions!
StudioSwan llc | 6401 Campbellton Redwine Rd, Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268
Email you are coming to: info@studioswan.com.
All Saturdays at 2:30 pm
Serenbe Farms Tour
8715 Atlanta Newnan Rd, Chatt Hills, GA 30268
Tickets $15 (Children under 3 free) https://bit.ly/3YI1Tnb
Serenbe Farms is a small, diversified certified organic farm located in the Serenbe community and surrounded by the rural oasis of the Chattahoochee Hill Country, just 30 miles southwest of Atlanta.
Learn how Serenbe Farms uses sustainable practices to grow and harvest more than 300 varieties of heirloom and hybrid vegetables, herbs, and flowers. They harvest more than 60,000 lbs of produce a year to feed the Serenbe Community!
Contact ian@serenbefarms.com for more information. Access parking through the main Serenbe Farms entrance at 8715 Atlanta-Newnan Road, or park on Serenbe Lane in Grange to come through the neighborhood entrance. Tickets are non-refundable but can be transferred.
Join us Wed. 10-11am
Fridays, 5:30-8:30pm
Farmhouse Fridays: Live Music & Drinks On The Porch
10950 Hutcheson Ferry Rd, Chatt Hills, GA 30268
Free
The Farmhouse invites you to start the weekend with them. Grab a drink from The Farmhouse Bar and enjoy the ambience of warm weather and live music on the wraparound porch.
Located in the Community Art Room in Chatt Hills City Hall, 6505 Rico Rd, Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268 $20 a class
Join Plare in a weekly one-hour, kundalini yoga immersion to repair and strengthen the nervous system. Modern life and its incessant demands put a strain on our body's nervous system. With Kundalini yoga, we will practice slowing down and using our body's natural tools to heal. Please bring your own material to sit on and water. Head covering recommended (hats, hoodies, scarves, turbans are traditional). Beginners welcome!
Piare is a certified level 1 Kundalini Yoga instructor. Questions? Contact Pare at 404-916-0295 info@studioswan.com.
Sat & Sun, 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Weekend Wine Flights at The Wine Shop at Serenbe
9135 Selborne Lane, Chattahoochee Hills, GA
Excited to announce Weekend Wine Flights at the wine shop! Each week 3 new wines will be featured and paired with light bites. Served Saturday and Sunday, 2-5pm, $30 per person: no ticket or reservation needed. Stop by and see us!
Saturdays, 4:00pm
Wine Tastings at the General Store
10642 Serenbe Lane, Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268
Cochran Mill Brews are now at the General Store. Join Nadine to taste wines from around the globe every Saturday; $35/person with tasting notes and small bites. Please email nadine@generalstoreatserenbe.com with any questions.
Thursdays and Saturdays | 2:00-4:00pm
Celluma Lunch & Learn, Tuesday, 5/16:
Celluma Lunch & Learn
11134 Serenbe Lane, Serenbe, Chatt Hills, GA 30268
Healing Hours are Thursdays and Saturdays from 2-4 pm, offering buy one try one for free or try "5 for $55" for wellness circuit modalities, including Dr. Fuji massage chair, BioCharger, Celluma LED Therapy, Full Body Red Light, PEMF Bemer, Compression Therapy, Vibration Therapy, and HealthyLine Far Infrared Mats.
Algae Bits: Our newest product addition, “Bits®, are tiny “bits of nutrition” made purely of algae, a sustainable whole food crop endorsed by NASA and the United Nations as the most nutritionally dense food in the world. Scientific studies have shown that algae’s nutrients improve immune health, gut health, energy, longevity, nutrition, and beauty. Algae can also replace your need for veggies. Swallow a few algae tablets to flood your body with pure, toxin-free nutrition, protein, and nutrients you can’t get from any other food or supplement.”
Celluma Lunch & Learn, Tuesday, 5/16: Celluma light therapy has been scientifically proven and FDA-cleared to improve cellular health, reducing signs of aging, pain relief, acne elimination, and hair restoration.
May 6 | 7:00pm
THE ORANGE CONSTANT
WILD FERN RANCH
12000 Hutchesons Ferry Rd, Palmetto, GA 30268
Tickets $25: https://bit.ly/3mJAbZv
The Orange Constant formed in 2012 and has since made a name for itself across the American Southeast. Based in Georgia, the group continues to grow a loyal fan-base that craves its vintage-rock sound with a contemporary twist. TOC's debut album, Time to Go (June 2015), was recorded with Grammy-nominated producer John Keane (R.E.M., Widespread Panic) and garnered praise from Relix Magazine as a "confident and polished debut album...laden with connective riffs and melodious charm." The band shares bills with acts such as Papadosio, TAUK, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, and Spafford and won the 2016 Flagpole Athens Music Award for best "Jam/Funk" band. Its second LP, Point of Reference (March 2017), was produced by Drew Vandenberg (of Montreal, Kishi Bashi, Futurebirds) and demonstrates an urge to break genre restrictions. The band returned to Keane for its third full-length release, Peel (May 2020), which features all five current members, and released its first live album, No More Time, in 2022. The Orange Constant draws influence from many styles, and fans are often drawn to its ability to meld progressive composition and improvisation with a pop-like sensibility. The group is: Andrew Brantley (guitar, vocals), Nickalous Benson (guitar, vocals), Tyler Walker (bass, vocals), Chris Freiberg (keyboards), Ethan Jones (drums).
Thu, May 11, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Sunset Serenade
385 Tabb Way. Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268
FREE (RSVP Required) https://bit.ly/43QtYvE
Enjoy Tertulia at the picturesque Sunset Point adjacent to the Mado Hamlet at Serenbe. Beautiful music framed by incredible sunsets.
Sat, May 13, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Mother's Day Picnic with Tertulia
Open Air Amphitheater. 10950 Hutcheson Ferry Rd. Chattahoochee Hills, GA. 30268
Tickets $30 Boxed Lunch $25 https://bit.ly/3UJCSGT
Celebrate all the special women in your life with Mother's Day in the open air pavilion at Serenbe surrounded by an evergreen forest. All the sounds of nature make this an incredible Tertulia music moment. We make it easy -- order a box lunch through us below or bring you own. Pack your picnic blanket and join us on the grass.
Fri, May 12, 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Tertulia by the Lakeside
Lakeside Pavilion, 10950 Hutcheson Ferry Rd, Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268
Tickets $50 Dinner) https://bit.ly/3UJCSGT
Join us in the airy Lakeside Pavilion for an evening with Tertulia. Featuring works by Ravel, Dvorak, Bernstein, and Coleman, these renowned musicians bring the classics to life with their talented performances. Chef Sidney Corum presents beautiful and hearty hors d’oeuvres prior to the performance. Doors open at 5:30 pm for refreshments; performance at 6:30 pm.
Sat, May 13, 6:30 pm
Tertulia by the Lakeside
Private Serenbe Home
Tickets $300 https://bit.ly/3UJCSGT
An unforgettable evening for foodies & music lovers. Experience dinner in a private home at Serenbe with Chef Emily Chan's delectable dishes, fine wines, and worldclass chamber music. No music expertise needed, just a passion for great food and wine! Reservations are essential, so please book early to avoid disappointment.
Chatt Hills T-ball and Coach Pitch games throughout the morning and early afternoon. Judy’s Home Plate will have hot sausage and biscuits, hot dogs, and concessions for all to enjoy. Come support the league and cheer on the teams. Games every Saturday beginning at 9:30 a.m. through Saturday, May 27. Questions, contact Lila Rhyne at: jlrhyne@bellsouth.net
All practices begin 30 minutes prior to game time. Practice at 9:00 a.m. Game at 9:30 a.m.
May 6 Home Visitor
9:30 a.m. Robins vs. Owls
May 13 Home Visitor
9:30 a.m. Owls vs. Robins
May 20 Home Visitor
9:30 a.m. Robins vs. Owls
*May 27 Home Visitor 9:30 a.m. Owls vs. Robins
*Trophy presentations following game
All practices begin 30 minutes prior to game time. Practice at 10:30
Game at 11:00
April 29 Home Visitor
11:00 a.m. Cardinals vs. Blue Jays
May 6 Home Visitor
11:00 a.m. Blue Jays vs. Cardinals
May 13 Home Visitor
11:00 a.m. Cardinals vs. Blue Jays
May 20 Home Visitor
11:00 a.m. Blue Jays vs. Cardinals
*May 27 Home Visitor
11:00 a.m. Cardinals vs. Blue Jays
*Trophy presentations following game
Saturday, April 29 – Saturday, May 27 12:00 p.m. Practice 12:30 p.m. Game
May 20, 11:00am - 4:00pm
6300 Cochran Mill Road
Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268
Admission: $6 per person, FREE for members
Ring in the summer break with a carefree outing at our Pollinator Party festival. Join us at the cabin for a festival that explores the many organisms that help to pollinate across Georgia’s habitats. We will have live animal exhibits, scientists and conservationists, outdoor games and activities, arts and crafts, native plants, educational talks, food for purchase from local vendors, and fun for the whole family! Have fun while learning about how you and your family can make a difference in the lives of these organisms. All proceeds benefit the environmental education and conservation efforts at Bear Creek Nature Center.
Pollinator Party is a joint effort between Bear Creek Nature Center, Chattahoochee Hills Bee City Committee, the Serenbe Landscape Committee, and Art Farm at Serenbe Environmental Committee.
Sat, May 20, 7:30 pm
The Wildflower Meadow at Serenbe 10950 Hutcheson Ferry Rd. Chatt Hills, GA 30268
Tickets $150-200 https://bit.ly/3ocwAn1
Join us as Art Farm welcomes Grammy Award-winning performer and recording artist Joshua Henry to our "Broadway in the Woods" series. Best known for his Tony-nominated leading roles in Carousel, The Scottsboro Boys, and Violet, as well as for his show-stopping performance as "Aaron Burr" in the cultural phenomenon, HAMILTON. In December 2022, Joshua gave a critically acclaimed performance as 'Gaston' in Disney's “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration” live on ABC.
Joshua's debut album GROW is available worldwide on all streaming platforms, and his highly anticipated second studio album is set for release in spring 2023. He is a BMG recording artist and recently opened for Diana Ross at The Hollywood Bowl. On screen he starred as "Roger Bart" in the Academy Award-nominated film Tick, Tick... Boom! directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Most recently, Joshua starred in the Broadway revival of Into The Woods, for which he won a Grammy Award for his performance as a principal vocalist on the 2022 Broadway revival cast recording.
Chatt Hills Bee Club (CHBC) held its third monthly meeting on Saturday, April 1st at the Bear Creek Nature Center to further efforts to start a local honeybee club for area residents.
We were treated to an insightful presentation by Henry County resident, Tom Bonnell, who is a member of the Henry County Beekeepers, a member of the Clayton County Master Gardeners, a hobbyist beekeeper and a gardener. Tom brought his beekeeping equipment and delicious honey and gave a presentation on “Inside the Hive.” Tom also gifted the CHBC with beekeeping-related materials and agenda topics for future meetings. Tom’s presentation will be available in the near future on the Chatt Hills Bee City website: https://chatthillsbeecity.com/
The CHBC’s next monthly meeting is scheduled for Saturday, June 3rd from 10:00-11:00am. For this meeting, CHBC member and Serenbe resident, Keith Stentiford, has agreed to do a demonstration of his flow hives. This will be a field trip so stay tuned for logistics and address. Please note that the CHBC is skipping its May meeting in lieu of the May 20th Pollinator Party. For more details, please visit this link: https://bit.ly/43S5a6g.
The CHBC welcomes bee enthusiasts of all levels so come see what all the buzz is about! For questions, opportunities to co-lead this club, and to join the Facebook or Google group for future announcements, please contact Birgit Bolton at birgit.bolton@gmail.com or 404-783-2045.
May 22, 5:00 - 8:00pm
New Exhibit Artist Reception May 22, 5:00 - 8:00pm
$75 Including Passed Hors D’oeuvres + Open Bar Featuring Enzo Signature Cocktails
$75 Including Passed Hors D’oeuvres + Open Bar
As the culinary canvas for local artists to exhibit their work, ENZO Steakhouse & Bar is proud to welcome it’s next installation of Art at Enzo. The curated art, which complements the beautiful architecture, is available for purchase. Come and enjoy food and cocktails from Exective Chef Andrea Montobbio’s masterfully crafted menu. Come and meet the artists and art lovers. Adrienne Anbinder • Leticia Andrade • Morgan Boszilkov • Valerie Dumas • Susan Faircloth • Logynn Ferrall • GW Harper
Ingrid Knox • Julie McKinney • Senil Neves • Martin Pate • George Robinson • Robin Robinson • Malin Roghelia Vanessa Snyder • Amber Stidham • Judy Walker • Jane Whitehurst
Featuring Enzo Signature Cocktails
Art Presented by The Curator Group with Chatt Hills Artist Co-op in Serenbe, Dogwood Gallery & Framer in Tyrone and Logynn B Ferrall Art Consultant & Representative at Trillith
To Purchase Art Contact: The Curator Group: Greg Blair at Dogwood, 770-774-3524, gblairpaintings@yahoo.com or Logynn Ferrall, Art Consultant and Trilith Representative 281-658-5036, logynnbferrall@mac.com
Enzo Steakhouse & Bar 300 Trilith Parkway, Suite 230 Fayetteville, GA 30214 770-756-9188 https://enzo-itl.com/experience/art-event-2/
As the culinary canvas for local artists to exhibit their work, Enzo Steakhouse & Bar is proud to welcome its next installation of Art at Enzo. The curated art, which complements the beautiful architecture, is available for purchase. Come and enjoy food and cocktails from Exective Chef Andrea Montobbio’s masterfully crafted menu. Come and meet the artists and art lovers.
Adrienne Anbinder • Leticia Andrade • Morgan Boszilkov • Valerie Dumas • Susan Faircloth • Logynn Ferrall • GW Harper Ingrid Knox • Julie McKinney • Senil Neves • Martin Pate • George Robinson • Robin Robinson • Malin Roghelia Vanessa Snyder • Amber Stidham • Judy Walker • Jane Whitehurst
Art Presented by The Curator Group with Chatt Hills Artist Co-op in Serenbe, Dogwood Gallery & Framer in Tyrone and Logynn B Ferrall Art Consultant & Representative at Trillith
To Purchase Art Contact:
The Curator Group: Greg Blair at Dogwood, 770-7743524, gblairpaintings@yahoo.com or Logynn Ferrall, Art Consultant and Trilith Representative 281-658-5036, logynnbferrall@mac.com
Enzo Steakhouse & Bar
300 Trilith Parkway, Suite 230, Fayetteville, GA 30214, 770-756-9188, https://enzo-itl.com/experience/art-event-2/
Thanks to the many seniors and presenters for giving feedback at our first Chatt Hills Seniors Luncheon last month. We followed up with Jill Hinds from AARP and have great news. AARP will sponsor our next two Senior Lunch & Learns!
AARP will be providing the lunch and the program. For lunch, we ask all Seniors to pre-register so we may have an accurate count for the food order. We’re still working out the details, but we may be able to provide the menu
items for you to select at the time of your registration. This process should help us streamline the serving of the meal so we can spend more time with the program. For the program, we’ve scheduled the top two topics on your feedback cards: Aging in Place and Estate Planning. Please save the dates below. Registration details will be posted soon.
Chatt Hills Senior Service + Chatt Hills Community Outreach are brought to you by Councilmembers Laurie Searle and Ruby Foster.
A country gal at heart, Cyndi has fond memories of living and working in the Rico Community in the early 1980s. Her family home bordered Capps Ferry and Whiteside Roads before Fulton County bought the land for South Fulton Parkway. Her backyard was a pasture framed by tall pines and a barbwire fence she built which still stands today.
Cyndi was one of the lucky few who found their dream jobs right in their own backyards. She worked at Chabboquasset Farm for a while, breaking horses and then later working as the barn manager. When Fulton County repurposed the vacant Rico Elementary School (now Chatt Hills city hall) and opened it as the Rico Recreation Center in 1982, Cyndi was hired as the assistant director and later promoted to director. The 10 years Cyndi spent at the Rico Recreation Center fulfilled her two passions: working with the community and sharing her artistic creativity with others.
Cyndi is a self-taught artist who has been painting for as long as she can remember. When asked to describe her artistic style she said, “It’s bold and loud, just like me. I
use lots of bold colors because they make me happy. As for being loud, that comes from my years of speaking up to be heard over the children at the Recreation Center. In that same way, my paintings seem to say, ‘Attention! Looky here.”
While Cyndi does paint more realistic images, she is quick to say her preference is whimsical art, and her inspiration comes from her family and rural life.
“We currently live on a rural property just outside of Chattahoochee Hills. It has a modest home, a large pond, and 10-acres for roaming. My morning walks are filled with peace and quiet; my afternoons are spent fishing in the pond or working the vegetable garden –my husband Dennis and I are both master gardeners. My adult children, Shane England and Amber McElwaney, visit often and volunteer with the Rico Park ball league with Lila Rhyne.
While this sounds more tame than bold, Cyndi also said she’s truly
a country girl. “I’m not scared to get muddy or dirty – and not afraid of snakes either. I love animals – all kinds of them. One of my friends calls me ‘the pig whisperer’ after I helped him round up his baby pigs and then took several of them back to my place to raise.”
When Cyndi was invited to exhibit at city hall, we asked if she might display paintings that spoke to the rural heritage of the area. Cyndi said it was an honor – and a dream – to exhibit her work, especially in the beloved Rico Community where she once lived and worked.
Her exhibit includes a series of rural buildings including the old barn and store at Cackle Corner and the Cochran Mill, plus a variety of whimsical farm animals, and a few more realistic paintings.
All of Cyndi’s paintings are available for sale, and she accepts commissions as well.
For more information, contact Cyndi at: cynthiaperry2889@att.net.
Hills & Hamlets Bookshop is a charming neighborhood bookstore in the Serenbe development of Chattahoochee Hills and was founded by the couple behind Underground Books in Carrollton.
Hills & Hamlets Bookshop is open Thursdays through Sundays from 11am to 5pm, and we’re open 24/7 online at www.bookshop.org/shop/undergroundbooks and www. bookshop.org/shop/undergroundbooks and info@hillsandhamlets.com
From legendary actor and best-selling author Tom Hanks: a novel about the making of a star-studded, multimillion-dollar superhero action film...and the humble comic books that inspired it. Funny, touching, and wonderfully thought-provoking, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece also captures the changes in America and American culture since World War II. Out May 9th, signed copies expected in-store only!
Buy online: https://bookshop.org/a/45/9780525655596
From the New York Times-bestselling author of Cutting for Stone comes a stunning and magisterial epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala, South India, and following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret. Out May 2nd, signed copies expected in-store only!
Buy online: https://bookshop.org/a/45/9780802162175
From beloved powerhouse author Katherine Applegate comes The One and Only Ruby, starring the adorable baby elephant from the Newbery Medal-winning modern classic The One and Only Ivan and its bestselling sequel, The One and Only Bob. For ages 8 and up. Out May 2nd, signed copies expected in-store only!
Buy online: https://bookshop.org/a/45/9780063080089
Adrienne Anbinder, Malinda Lively-Arnold, Morgan Boszilkov, Logynn B Ferrall, Gail Foster, BJ Glick, Vinayak Godbole, Wanda Hughes, Ann Jackson, Mary H Johnson, Pamela Kamor, Robert Lederman, Cindy Lederman, Julie McKinney, Brandon Murphy, Ken Shepard, Mary Shepard, Karin Slaton, Lea Ann Slotkin, Tom Swanston, Judy Walker, and Eileen Wilson
9057 Selborne Lane & Paint Space, 10625 Serenbe Lane Unit A www.chatthillsgalleryserenbe.com
Campbellton Baptist Church
8660 Campbellton Fairburn Rd
Friendship Baptist Church
6090 Cochran Mill Rd www.friendshipbaptistchatthills.com
Interfaith Fellowship at Serenbe www.facebook.com/ groups/1964824926878340/
New Hope United Methodist Church
7875 Atlanta Newnan Rd Providence Baptist Church 6402 Campbellton Redwine Rd., www. pbcrico.org
Rico United Methodist Church 6475 Rico Rd
Rivertown United Methodist Church 9325 Rivertown Rd
Sardis Baptist Church
8400 Sardis Rd., www.sardisbaptistch. com
Southside at Serenbe
915AM & 11AM at One Mado. We'd love for you to join us and invite your friends and family! for more info contact Cathy Gailey at cgailey@ remax.net or 404-456-6347.
Southern Crescent Unitarian Universalist Fellowship www.facebook.com/SouthernCrescentUUFellowship/
Vernon Grove Baptist Church 8440 Vernon Grove Rd.
Food Pantry
Our food pantry continues to see large numbers of clients. The month of April has been no exception. We have our new refrigeration systems installed, so are better able to store any non perishables for food pantry clients. Please bring your garden extras on Wednesdays before 2 pm and we will give our clients much needed fresh produce.
Library
Nan has been working hard on classes and library events that you have suggested: register on our website @ CommunityBrickworks.org.
May 6th from 11-12. Mother’s Day Tea Party. Kids come dressed as their parents! There will be a motivational speaker and a craft made for mom.
Toddler Tuesdays. First and third Tuesdays of every month at 10 a.m. in the library.
A new Book Club will meet the 4th Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. More details to follow.
The Crochet group will meet the second Tuesday of the month at 4 p.m. Come join us as we make crocheted swatches for the NIC Unit babies. It doesn’t matter if you know how to crochet, we can teach you!
We are working with Chief Brett to set up a CPR class. Stay tuned!
We are in need of tech savvy volunteers. Anyone out there who is good at eventbrite posts and can help Nan enter classes? If so, please respond to the Community Brickworks FB page or our website @ CommunityBrickworks.org; Nan could use some help!
Please join us for our annual Spring Community Brickworks Fundraiser to help us help your neighbors. A fun evening and a great cause!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/annual-spring-community-brickworks-fundraiser-tickets-604964213247
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/annual-spring-community-brickworks-fundraiser-tickets-604964213247
Many thanks to those who have donated to Community Brickworks! We wouldn’t be here without your help. Neighbors Helping Neighbors!
Lisa Remley, CommunityBrickworks.orgRepresentatives from Kane Studio hosted a community meeting on April 18 to present their plan and answer questions about Project Rosebud – a proposed mixed-use development with 3,454,300 SF including motion picture studio space with just over 1,000,000 SF, of sound stages, office, hotel, retail, and family units, located on a 1,688acre site in Chattahoochee Hills, bordered by Jones Ferry Road, Campbellton Redwine Road, and the Chattahoochee River.
The meeting was offered in-person at city hall and virtually via ZOOM. The ZOOM recording is available on the city’s website. A summary of the meeting follows.
Carl Westmoreland, consultant for Project Rosebud, began the presentation with a background of the project. The application for Phase 1 of the project was initially submitted to the City of Chattahoochee Hills last spring (June 2022). After receiving input from the city and residents, Kane Studio withdrew the application, made revisions, and resubmitted an application encompassing all 5 phases of the project. The scale of the project required a “Development of Regional Impact” (DRI) review by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA). The DRI results were received the week of April 10, and with the positive decision by ARC, the project team scheduled this community meeting.
Not mentioned by Carl, but worth noting for this article, was the preliminary comments in the DRI review notification that began with the following key comments:
“The project demonstrates an exemplary approach to following applicable Rural Areas policy recommendations set forth in the Atlanta Region’s Plan
which stress the need to protect rural areas and their character" and note: “There is a strong desire from residents and elected officials in these areas to keep them rural…The region is striving to protect these areas by limiting infrastructure investments to targeted areas and allowing no development or only low impact development.”
Carl said, “The rural character was one of the main features that sparked an interest in this area by Kane Studio CEO, Patrick Millsaps. Patrick is a Georgia native; he grew up in Cobb County, went to law school at University of Georgia, lives in Albany GA, and has been in the film business for the past 12 years. So, he’s a native, not somebody from outside of Georgia."
“Movie studios are a big business in Georgia. A news story reported that Georgia has surpassed New York and is second only to California in the nation in terms of movie studio square footage. It is an important component to Georgia’s economy. You may be familiar with other studio operations in the area such as Trilith, Shadowbox in DeKalb, and The Assembly in Doraville. They are different than Rosebud because they don’t fit in with the concept Chattahoochee Hills has had which is to keep the appearance of things rural, to keep the visibility of large buildings away from the street. We’re fortunately able to do that on this size of a tract.”
The current Project Rosebud application requests rezoning of the proposed property from RL (rural district) to HM-MU (mixed use hamlet district). It includes the following special use permits and variance requests, as well as tangible benefits to the City:
Special Use Permit Requests:
1. Movie Studio Large
2. Hotel (located on the southern part of the property)
3. Professional school (like the Georgia Film Academy)
4. Event Center (for meeting space on the property)
5. Recycling Center (for recycling materials used on site in the movie sets)
Variance Requests:
1. Eliminate the residential use requirement of the mixeduse hamlet. (There will not be homes for sale to the public. There will be short-term rental units for people working in the movies on-site: 32 single-family units, 32 attached single-family units.)
2. Eliminate the throughfare requirement for roads that are not in the public area (behind the security gates).
3. Allow an increase from 20 to 50 percent of open space for the preservation of off-site land.
Benefits to the City of Chattahoochee Hills:
1. 70 acres will be dedicated and donated to the City on the southern end of the property adjacent to the City’s RiverLand Park for future expansion of the park.
2. 10 acres along the entire frontage of the Chattahoochee River shall be dedicated to the path initiative.
3. 8.5 acres along the entire Campbellton Redwine frontage shall be developed as a public trail, designed to the City’s specification.
4. Kane Studio will purchase a fire truck.
road. The horse fence and landscape are designed with a rural aesthetic.
The right image shows a birds-eye view. The mail facility and welcome gate are set back and hidden from public view. The closest studio building is over ¼ mile away from Campbellton Redwine Rd. The long entrance drive
The two renderings show the northern-most entrance of the two on Campbellton Redwine Road. The left image shows the street level view. The existing white house shown on the left side of the property is at 7965 Campbellton Redwine Rd; there are no other buildings close to the
provides stacking space for vehicles entering the property. Between the tree cover and the topography, most improvements to the property are hidden.
The meeting generated many questions and answers, all of which are captured on the ZOOM recording. The following summary consolidates and summarizes a few of them.
Q1. What benefits are projected for the city in terms of jobs and tax revenue?
A1. Movie projects will lease space from Kane Studio and typically hire their own workers (most often local workers). Additional staff is hired directly through the hotel, restaurants, and retail stores, which are scheduled to be developed in a later phase.
The city’s portion of property taxes are projected as follows:
• 2022 property tax was: $7,862.58
• 2023 property tax on the land, before anything is built, is estimated just over $134,000.
• After build out of phase 1 (est.12-18 months), estimated tax is $969,000 annually.
• After the complete build out of all phases (est. 5-6 years), estimated tax is over $5,000,000 annually.
Q2. What is the egress of the property, what road improvements will be made, what is the estimated increase in traffic?
A2. The Studio will have two main entrances on Campbellton Redwine Rd, and a private entrance on Jones Ferry Road for the short-term rental units on the property dedicated to (temporary) studio staff. A question was asked if an internal road leading to Campbellton Redwine might replace the Jones Ferry Rd entrance. The project team will research to determine the feasibility.
The traffic impact study recommends building two roundabouts on South Fulton Parkway at Campbellton Redwine Road and Rico Road, which would be phased in as the project grows. (Round-abouts on SF Parkway have been in the Georgia DOT plan for the past 10 years, so they will be built with or without this project with no cost to the City.) Kane Studio is required to add acceleration/deceleration lanes to the entrances on Campbellton Redwine Road. The DRI report estimates this project will generate a total of 4,622 new vehicular trips (if all studios were in full production at all times – which is likely infrequent). However, daily trips are challenging to predict because little data
is available for movie studios, so comparable businesses are used for projections. The project team will research to determine if more accurate traffic information is available.
Q3. What is the Studio doing to help Chatt Hills “Keep it Rural”?
A3. The 70/30% preservation requirements will be met, which means project Rosebud will permanently preserve over 1,000 acres of land. The improvements to the land will be well hidden from public view. The studio is no longer requesting a variance to build 80 ft tall sound stages. The family cemetery on the property will be preserved with visitation arrangements permitted for family members. Land is being donated for the park extension and public trails.
Q4. What are the next steps and timeline for this project?
A3. The Project Rosebud application has been scheduled for the following municipal meetings:
April 27, 6:00 p.m Council work session
May 2, 6:00 p.m Council Meeting & first read
May 11, 6:30 p.m. Planning Commission Meeting & Public Hearing
June 1, 6:00 p.m. City Council Work Session
June 6, 6:00 p.m. City Council Meeting & Public Hearing & Second Read & Vote
If the the appliation passes without delay, Kane Studio intends to purchase the property by September 1, and estimates completion of Phase 1 in 12-18 months.
The Kane Studio Plan and the Zoom Recording are posted to the city’s website on this page:
https://www.chatthillsga.us/news_detail_T29_R178.php
At the City Council Work Session held on Thursday, April 27th, I presented the first draft of the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget, which runs from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. The revenues and expenditures that were presented will change between now and the end of this fiscal year. However, we feel confident that what we are presenting is within our usual conservative projections. The Budget Documents such as the Statement of Revenues and Expenditures, Revenue Sources, and Capital Budget will be made available on the City’s website under the Finance Department tab.
The City of Chattahoochee Hills initiates its formal budget process in mid-February to ensure time for an inclusive and transparent process while allowing the governing body the time to review projected revenues and anticipated expenditures prior to adopting the annual budget. That adoption takes place before the beginning of the fiscal year, July 1. Public meetings are also held to inform the citizenry, and to provide opportunities for public input.
Each department director met with the City Manager to review their respective budget requests. Each request was evaluated by the City Manager according to the priority specified by the department director and available funding.
The Mayor, Finance Director, and I have held meetings with those elected officials who were interested in reviewing the projected revenues and anticipated expenditures making sure each member of the governing body has access to the same information and discussion items during this process. The first reading and public hearing on the FY2024 Budget is scheduled for June 6th. The second reading and budget adoption will be scheduled later in June at a special-called advertised virtual meeting using the Zoom platform.
The FY2024 Budget reflects an increase from FY2023 from $10,366,767 to $10,723,828 (3.4%).
The General Fund is increasing from $4,179,747 to $4,661,988 (11.5%). This is primarily attributed to a higher anticipation in property taxes as well as sales (L.O.S.T.) and use taxes.
The Debt Service Fund will increase 36% from $203,541 to $275,923 because we still have one more year/payment for the public works equipment purchased six years ago, and we added the Fire Pumper Truck with
Robert T. Rokovitz, MPA, ICMA-CM
the first payment due November 2023.
The Hotel Motel Fund is showing a decrease from $487,609 to $377,633. This decrease is due to the proper spending of the fund balance that is not supposed to exist in this fund. I have an itemized spreadsheet of where all these monies are allocated. This year, 43.75% of all collections will be going to our very own Convention and Visitors Bureau (CHCVB).
The Grants Fund is decreasing from $1,431,017 to $1,054,996 as we have been spending the State and Local Federal Relief Funds (SLFRF) funded through ARPA. We received a total of $1,239,062 from the Federal government and have spent $409,258 on employee recruitment and retention bonuses as well as capital improvement projects at city hall. We estimated the expenditure for bonuses to be around $324,400. We are right at $313,500 with these bonuses ending April 2023. These funds must be obligated by December 31, 2024, and spent by December 31, 2025.
The Capital Fund is increasing from $1,361,715 to $1,797,818 (32%) since we allocated more of our reserves to pay for capital equipment and roadway repair and maintenance.
The TSPLOST Fund is increasing from $785,000 to $1,723,865. This increase is based on the current fund balance, the additional collections through the end of this fiscal year, and the collections in next fiscal year through June of 2024. We intend to spend $1.2M of these funds along with a match of $1.2M from the Capital reserves on a $2.4M TSPLOST project to be completed by year end (December 2023).
Lastly, the reserve for contingency is being reduced from $1,867,811 to $968,476 to allocate funds to the aforementioned TSPLOST project.
This budget includes funding made available to maintain city services while continuing to make strategic reinvestments in our infrastructure.
The table below illustrates increases and decreases in each fund category.
4, 2023 / 6:00 p.m.
Call to Order All members present. Review and Approval of Agenda:
Approval of Minutes
1. Minutes of the Regular Meeting of March 7, 2023 Passed 5-0
Presentations / Proclamations None
Staff Reports
Financial Update: Robbie Rokovitz
Fire Department Report: Greg Brett
Police Department Report: Jim Little
Public Works/Parks Report: Darold Wendlandt
Community Development Report: Mike Morton
The City of Chattahoochee Hills hosts a variety of special events throughout the year, coordinated by the Chatt Hills Community Outreach (CHCO) initiative. The city shares a common goal with CHCO to offer events that foster camaraderie and help build a strong community by connecting residents with each other, city services, and local businesses.
Our FREE special events would not be possible without the support and partnership of volunteers, local community businesses, and organizations.
We invite you to join us in supporting our 2023 line-up of special events. As a sponsor of our special events, we will acknowledge you in our promotional material and offer a half-page ad in our municipal monthly newsletter. You will receive a letter to share with your accountant as a qualified deduction for 2023 tax return to the Internal Revenue Service.
Sponsorship Opportunities: Harvest Festival October 14 at Town Green Community Awards Banquet November 10
Christmas In Chatt Hills December TBA City Hall
For more information contact: Robert Rokovitz, City Manager, robbie.rokovitz@chatthillsga.us 770.463.8881 or Ruby Foster, ruby.foster@chatthillsga.us - Chatt Hills Community Outreach
Public Hearing None
Unfinished Business
1. Item 23-009: Resolution appointing Historic Commission members. Passed 4-1, Searle opposed
2. Item 23-011: Resolution appointing Planning Commission members. Passed 5-0
New Business
1. Item 23-012: Ordinance to approve a Special Use Permit for an Event Center, Large, in the RL (Rural) District and for all other purposes related thereto – property is located at 8735 Wilkerson Mill Road. First read. No action will be taken. No action taken
2. Item 23-013: Consideration of an Intergovernmental Agreement with Fulton County for the provision of election services. Passed 5-0
3. Item 23-014: Agreement for electrical services for a well serving Rico United Methodist Church. Passed 5-0
Executive Session
1. To discuss personnel matters.
Adjourn Meeting The meeting adjourned at 8:58 p.m.
Trending Topic
Community & City City of Chattahoochee Hills, City Hall, 6505 Rico Rd, Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268, Phone: (770) 463-8881, www.chatthillsga.us
City of Chatt Hills: www.chatthillsga.us
Chatt Hills Charter School: http://www.chatthillscharter.org/calendar
Community Brickworks: www.communitybrickworks.org
Serenbe Community: www.serenbe.com
Acton Academy at Serenbe: http://actonacademyatserenbe.com/#ourstory
We will be scheduling Special Called City Council meetings as dictated by circumstances. These will be virtual and open to the public.
The City will take the following safety precautions:
• The City Council room will be set up so that the council, staff, and citizens can distinced.
• The meeting will be streamed live. Check details on the City’s website.
City Council Meeting - Tues., May 2, 6:00 pm
City Hall - 6505 Rico Road, Chatt Hills, GA 30268
Historic Comission Meeting - Mon., May 8, 6:30 pm
City Hall - 6505 Rico Road, Chatt Hills, GA 30268
Parks Commission Meeting - Tues., May 9, 6:00 pm
City Hall - 6505 Rico Road, Chatt Hills, GA 30268
Planning Comission Meeting - Thurs., May 11, 6:30 pm
City Hall - 6505 Rico Road, Chatt Hills, GA 30268
The official newsletter of the City of Chattahoochee Hills, Chatt Hills News, is published monthly. This publication is compiled from submissions from the community and is available in public locations around the City, at City Hall, or via email subscriptions.
Email Subscriptions:
To subscribe via email, visit the City’s Website: www.chatthillsga.us
Or subscribe directly at this link: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/w9cGwxA
Print Copies:
Residents of Chatt Hills who do not have Internet may request mailed copies by calling City Hall (770) 463-8881.
Article / Event Submissions:
If you have a story, event, or suggestion for future articles, we’d like to hear from you. Please submit your information by the 15th of every month for publication on the 1st of the month to: chatthillsnews@chatthillsga.us
The parking passes for Cochran Mill Park are now available. Visit City Hall for your application. The fees are as follows:
• Residents – free
• Annual car/truck - $25
• Annual 3+ axels - $35