Demorest is suddenly seeing a flood of new building projects, including the apartment complex on 441 Business Highway and a proposed complex on Arlington Street.
A lot of folks came out to protest the latter complex, saying they did not want apartments in their neighborhood. Conversely, the owners of the property are aware that a large part of it is zoned for High Intensity land use, which means roadways, commercial, industrial, multifamily, and residential (more than one unit per acre).
That means despite the public hearing last week that did not seem to bode well for the owners, they can more or less do what they want on that property up to a point.
They can build residential units to a certain density, or they could put an Applebee’s there. It is really up to them based on the current zoning.
It is important for residents who are concerned about these kinds of issues to be aware of the zoning of the areas around their property. The web site Q Public is a good way to do this, as you can check any address and its vital statistics.
One of the major problems with our housing crisis – in addition to the current economy being in shambles due to massive inflation – is that while most folks would agree there is a shortage, no one wants anything in their neighborhood. But growth follows infrastructure, and the strong water systems here are in Demorest, Cornelia and Baldwin.
Many folks, including us, want to live and work in Habersham County as well, and enjoy the quality of life offered here. Frankly, we cannot become a bedroom community and have a healthy tax digest that doesn’t solely rest on the homeowners shoulders. We have to continue to strive to help our existing business and industry grow while also recruiting complementary business and industry.
We already had a lack of housing, and then when you throw in the fact that gas and grocery prices are through the roof, we have serious problems here in Habersham County and across the nation. Residents who have been here for most or all of their lives want things to stay the way they are. No one wants us to become Gwinnett or even Hall County.
The first step to making those decisions as a community is to be informed about your neighborhood. Study the maps, learn what is possible and continue to speak your mind to your government leaders.
But let’s keep an open mind on what smart growth possibilities make sense for all of us. No one wants higher taxes, but if we don’t help our existing industry and business grow, the tax burden will continue to rest on homeowners’ shoulders.