By Samantha Sinclair
Cook Construction's plan to annex property into the city of Baldwin was halted by the Habersham County Board of Commissioners Monday night.
The board objected to the proposed annexation due to the increase in burden of the proposed zoning change, directing staff to file paperwork with the Department of Community Affairs.
As a result, the decision will go through an arbitration process.
While Baldwin may continue to go through the public hearing process – the first public hearing is scheduled for Aug. 18 with the second on Sept. 1 – its council may not make a decision on the annexation until the arbitration process is complete, County Attorney Angela Davis said.
The county has until Aug. 31 to file the objection paperwork.
The county commission also objected to a previous annexation proposal on Feb. 16. An arbitration panel was not appointed in that matter as it was unclear if proper notice was provided to the Habersham County Board of Education by the city of Baldwin.
Cook Construction and Real Estate is seeking to annex five parcels totalling 45 acres into the city for a commercial development.
Commissioners also approved a resolution authorizing bond agreements to fund the construction of the new jail.
The jail and $52 million in general obligation bonds to finance the project were approved by voters in November as part of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or SPLOST, referendum. The first $277,778 of SPLOST funds collected each month will go to paying the debt service for the new jail. Once the jail is built, the county may use revenue from housing inmates from other counties to help pay the debt.
As the county is using plans from 2018 for design of the new jail, the next step is to meet with architects to determine any changes needed to finalize plans, and send requests for proposal for construction managers at risk to build the jail, County Manager Tim Sims said. He expects construction to start within a year.