SCDA Holds Monthly Meeting

An intergovernmental agreement will allow the Stephens County Development Authority to work on selling a local industrial building on behalf of Stephens County.

Wednesday, the Stephens County Development Authority approved an intergovernmental agreement with Stephens County regarding the Goodwill Building on Clary Connector in Eastanollee.

Stephens County Development Authority Executive Director Tim Martin explained that many years ago, former State Representative Jeanette Jamieson worked to obtain partial financing through the state for that building on Clary Connector to be used for Goodwill Industries.

Martin said that Goodwill Industries has since consolidated services in northeast Georgia through its new facility in Cornelia and no longer needs the building on Clary Connector.

“That freed up this building in Stephens County,” said Martin. “Because the funding came from a government source, the state of Georgia, the ownership of the building reverted back to Stephens County. The Stephens County Development Authority is the sales agent for Stephens County so an intergovernmental agreement between Stephens County and the Stephens County Development Authority was adopted to provide that property to SCDA so we could help the county sell it.”

Martin said there is currently no one in the building.

Also on Wednesday, the Development Authority approved a maintenance agreement with the Georgia Department of Transportation regarding the new Highway 17 intersection with Hammerstone Road in the Hayestone-Brady Business Park.

Martin said that agreement states that the Development Authority will provide ongoing mowing and maintenance for that intersection once it and the new road are completed and it gives the Development Authority permission to get on DOT right-of-way to do that.

“We intend to landscape that, put some signage that will look something like the entrance treatment, the entrance landscaping at the current 17,” said Martin. “We need an agreement with the Georgia Department of Transportation. They need to understand what our plans for that intersection.”

The new Georgia Highway 17 is expected to be completed later this year.