As everyone may have heard a huge development is planned for fannin county. This development will provide 600-1000 jobs that this county needs in the worst way. Now the kicker: This will not see the light of day unless the political leader issue alcohol liscenses to the restuarants that are willing to invest so heavily in our county. If no liscense is approved guess where this development goes - Gilmer county

Now for the big question : will the county commissioners do the right thing and move us forward or will they succumb to the religous zealots that have ruled here for so long???


County commissioners and citizens - get behind this project and lets provide jobs and prosperity for fannin county!!!

Haven't heard about this huge development or any details. Can someone give some info please? thanks!

Click on this link to the local newspaper for this information.

The News Observer

Developer: $40 million project could bring 600 jobs
BY BRIAN K. FINNICUM, EDITOR Wednesday, November 26, 2008 11:20 AM CST
Howard Slaughter says the proposed complex would bring up to 600 jobs to county.
Fannin developer Howard Slaughter appeared before the Fannin County Board of Commissioners Tuesday to talk about a proposed $40 million entertainment complex that could bring up to 400 jobs to the county, along with another 200 or so temporary jobs while construction is in progress.

The “Gateway to Blue Ridge” project, Slaughter said, would include a 2,000 seat country music theater along the lines of those operated by the singing group Alabama in Myrtle Beach, and the Dolly Parton Theater.

Additionally, the complex is proposed to include a hotel, numerous restaurants and a big-box sporting goods retailer like Bass Pro Shops or Dick’s Sporting Goods, along with specialty retail clothing stores and 48,000 square feet of office condominium space, with a total project size of about 245,000 square feet.

Slaughter said talks were already under way with the Marriott and Hyatt hotel groups for tourist accommodations, and with several restaurant chains including Logan’s Steak House, Cracker Barrel, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, Bonefish Grill, Applebee’s and T.G.I. Friday’s. In addition, he said others had also approached the group about being included in the discussions.

Slaughter said the project is proposed for a site north of Hwy. 515 and west of the Blue Ridge city limits, where Mother Nature Stone used to be located. He said the project would not include substantial earth-moving site preparation. “We don’t plan to disturb any of the land, no more than it’s already disturbed down there,” he said. “We’re not going to do like East Ellijay and tear every mountain around here down.”

“It’s going to be a real nice venue that people coming up are just going to stop and look at it and see what’s going on,” Slaughter said.

He said the project was going to use all the local labor possible to provide local jobs. Slaughter said his group was trying to bring something good to Fannin County that would benefit everyone. “What we’re offering is an economic boon, I feel, to Fannin County. It’s a way to put people to work; it’s a way to draw more people here.”

Slaughter said Fannin County was a two-industry county - construction and tourism - and that right now construction is gone for the short term of 18 to 24 months, leaving only tourism. “This is a real project,” he said. “The timing’s right. Construction materials are cheap, money is cheap.”

However, Slaughter said, one roadblock is standing in the way of the project becoming a reality, and that is the current inability to serve beer and wine.

He said that looking at East Ellijay, first Longhorn came in, then Ruby Tuesday. Once they were there, then Captain D’s, Wendy’s, Starbucks, IHOP and KFC followed. “Whether you like it or not, whether you want to 'fes up to it or not, everything follows the beer and wine,” he said. “That’s what brings it all together.”

“It’s a population thing, it’s a demographics thing. People come in because it’s here,” Slaughter said. “They have a choice. A choice is a good thing.”

“All I’m asking this commission to do is give the people of Fannin County 400 jobs, a good place to work, good employment, good benefits, good pay,” Slaughter said. “What could this county be like if we had beer and wine? We’re sitting on the threshold.” He said the project, if it moves forward, could take Fannin out of economic depression, employ people and attract tourists.

Slaughter then introduced Randy Wilkerson of Design Builders of Southwest Florida in Ocala, who he said “is the man who has the money ready.”

Wilkerson said that in such a project, the first anchor is a hotel. He said that the first thing any hotel wants to know is what restaurants will come; and that when restaurants are contacted, they won’t come without the ability to serve beer and wine.

Wilkerson said it wasn’t just their proposed project, that there were other opportunities available to Fannin County as well, “if you’re able to see your way past the prohibition attitude.”

“Prohibition didn’t work for our grandfathers; it doesn’t work now,” Wilkerson said.

He said bringing in beer and wine would not change the county, that people would still have the opportunity to choose, just as they do now when they choose to take their business to another county. But he said that without beer and wine in Fannin, that economic growth will continue to go elsewhere and Fannin will be passed by.

“This is a $40 million project” Wilkerson said, but added that without core restaurants, the project won’t work.

Wilkerson said he had spent the past two to three months in the Blue Ridge area scouting possible sites, and in that short time he had seen several restaurants close and others suffer economically.

“We like Fannin County, we like Blue Ridge,” Wilkerson said. “We think the opportunities are tremendous.”

Post 1 Commissioner Tom Ledford asked if they were just asking for beer and wine, or if they were also looking for other perks like tax incentives. Wilkerson said no, and Slaughter said they would do it all and were not looking for any incentives.

Ledford said that 40 years ago, the mines employed 3,000 people and there was no four-lane highway, and that Fannin County had a local economy. Then, he said, the four-lane came but the mines closed and the local economy slowed. Now, he said it is not a local economy but a regional one that encompasses not only Fannin but also Pickens, Gilmer and Union counties, along with Cherokee County, N.C.

“We’re not in the ballgame we were in 40 years ago,” Ledford said. “The stakes are higher. This is a price Fannin County is going to have to pay sooner or later.”

Ledford then asked for a show of hands of who had been to Longhorn or other similar restaurants outside the county. All three commissioners and most of those in the audience raised their hands. There’s something wrong with that picture,” Ledford said. “Why can’t we have this in Fannin County?”

Slaughter said he wasn’t trying to force the issue, but the group was also looking at a site in Gilmer County. He said they would rather do the project in Fannin, though.

“If this doesn’t come here, it’s going to Ellijay,” Ledford said. “We can’t let this go to Ellijay. If we turn this down, how many more opportunities are we going to have?” adding that the county needed a new recreation center and property tax relief. “Where’s the money going to come from?” he asked.

Commission Chairman Howell Bruce Jr. said the commission board would consider the matter at its next meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 9. “I’d like to take some time to think about this,” he said. He said he could lose friends and strain family relations over an issue he has held firm on for 23 months.

Post 2 Commissioner Steve Morris said he appreciated the group considering Fannin County for their project. “This is a lot to take in in a few minutes,” he said and that he would give the matter deep consideration. He said the project, as a whole, would be a benefit to the community, but wanted to know how they could be sure the offer was genuine.

Wilkerson said they couldn’t make any promises until they had the ability to offer beer and wine, but that he could say without beer and wine they won’t come. But, he said, it was obvious growth would come if there was beer and wine. Pointing south, he said, “You can see it down the road.”

In other business, the board
· voted to approve a resolution supporting the efforts of the Gateway to the Beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains beautification group in seeking a Georgia Department of Transportation GATEway grant for a beautification project at the intersection of Hwy. 515 and Loving Road;
· tabled until the next meeting a revision in the terms of the Fannin County Recreation Board when it was determined that the proposed revisions included reappointing four of the members for additional terms. Morris said he was unwilling to immediately reappoint without time for consideration; and
· held a 35-minute closed meeting to discuss a personnel matter. Following the end of the closed meeting, Bruce said no action was taken on the matter.

I think we should support and worship in the churches in Gilmer county unless they pass beer and wine.
Lets see how the religious zealots like everything going over to the next county.

I personally hope the Commission votes in favor of this project and helps to bring much needed jobs to Fannin County. I would also hope that many of the local contractors come out in force at the next Commission meeting in support of a potential boost to their livelyhood. However, the biggest question about this whole thing is that it hinges on beer and wine. It seems to me that most if not all of the restaurants mentioned have full bars including liquor. We've already been down the liquor road and seen where the zealots stand on that. Are these restaurants willing to come in here with beer and wine in hopes that liquor will be voted in at a later time? Lets pray for progress.

Todays paper actually had a pretty good article featuring Tommy Ledford's opinion on the future of the county and how it is truly at a crossroads now.

He rightly points out that Fannin can either choose the way of progress and making use of the natural assets that the county has to integrate itself into the North Georgia regional economy, or it can choose to do nothing and eventually wither and die on the vine while jobs and progress go to all the neighboring counties. I hope people will finally begin to focus on the issue at hand - the future of the county and the ability of future generations to make a good living here versus falling for all the same old fear tactics once again.

Well we can all rest assured that Tommy Ledford will bring up the motion next Tuesday for passage of beer and wine in the county, however I have no faith that either Bruce or that Morris will do anything because of their overriding fear of actually making a decision. Trust me there is no vaccine for stupidity! Excuse me for a second but I thought that these clowns were elected to do what was right for the county and to steer it into the future! But all we have received is indecision, lack of leadership, and a paralyzing fear of making friends or family mad. Sorry I thought it was about us, not you. But it does not matter because the problem lies not only with our leaders but some of the people who could benefit the most from such a project. The same builders and contractors that are whining and crying about having to sign up for unemployment and losing their equipment are the ones who spew the most venom against beer and wine, all the while shopping at Ingles and Food Lion and eating a steak at Longhorn's and Ruby Tuesday's. I’m surrounded by buffoons and idiots! If the people do not come out to support this measure and this proposed project, if our leaders do not grow a spine and show some leadership and foresight, then this county deserves to whither away and become the hottest tourist destination with some of the states poorest citizens. Oh wait I forgot we are pretty much their anyhow. See you Tuesday. Have a drink on me.

The biggest joke to me was Howie JR's response to it all. He is worried about making friends mad and causing bad feelings with his family if he votes to allow this to pass. Are you kidding me? Did he really just say that? What kind of fool is this guy? I have heard people say some really dumb things before but this takes the cake.

Is it your friends and Family Members Howie that are controlling your decision making? You Sir need to just go home where your Family and Friends can take care of you and let a real man take over who has a spine and make a decision on his own.

I would like to thank Tommy Ledford and Howie Bruce for passing the beer and wine ordinance. It's too bad we had to listen to the fire and brimstone speech condemning Howie and Tommy. It is interesting that the pastor Jerry Rice thinks that his own beliefs apply to all humans regardless of their own religion. I've got news for Jerry, his beliefs do not apply to my religion.

In the future, county and city hall meetings should not allow preaching from the podium. If the speaker strays from the topic, they should turn off the mike and ask the speaker to sit down. I felt I was in Jerry Rices' church at the last commission meeting and resent having to listen to his sermon!!

Thank you Tommy Ledford and Howie Bruce!!!!!!!!!!

Wildman