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March 16, 2010

County moves to condemn property

Jamie Jones Dalton Daily Citizen

DALTON — Call it the downside of economic development.

The Whitfield County Board of Commissioners has started condemnation proceedings on two tracts of land totaling 1.4 acres off Carbondale Road near land the county bought for an industrial park. Monday night, commissioners voted 3-1 to use eminent domain to condemn .75 acres owned by Wynette Gazaway and .65 acres owned by Luis and Bertha Paniagua. The land the county wants to buy would be used for the main entrance/exit to the industrial park. The land is between the Chevron gas station and Pilot Travel Center.

Commissioner Randy Waskul voted against the condemnation, saying plans already call for an entrance/exit to the property on Highway 41. Commission chairman Mike Babb only votes to break ties.

County attorney Robert Smalley said the property cannot be condemned until 30 days after the Monday meeting. The county and property owners can still come to an agreement before the condemnation is heard in court by a special master, who would decide on a price.

Earlier this year, commissioners spent $5.25 million to buy more than 150 acres near the Carbondale exit off I-75 to build the industrial park. The park targets six industries: advanced manufacturing, automotive, chemicals, data center, plastics and retail. It includes two large sites and five smaller parcels.

“This is being done to try to enhance jobs for Whitfield County, give people places to work and all,” Babb said. “It is being done for the public. And of course on the other side of that, we have to make sure that we’re spending the public’s money correctly and we’re trying to get them as good a deal as possible. We don’t want to penalize the property owner, they ought to get what the property is worth, but yet we don’t want the county citizens to pay a whole lot more than what it’s worth.”

Exactly how much the properties are worth is the question. Babb said the county and the two property owners are far apart on a selling price. The current fair market value for the Gazaway property is $222,543, while the Paniagua property is valued at $76,277, according to Whitfield County tax records.

 “I think we have two willing sellers, just what they’re willing to sell it at is the key,” Babb said.

Wynette Gazaway said she is having a private appraisal done and referred other questions to her son, Terry Gazaway, who she said “knows more about” the situation. Terry Gazaway could not immediately be reached for comment. The Paniaguas also could not be reached for comment.

Babb said he would have voted for the condemnation. He said it’s important to have two entrances/exits to aid traffic flow. Also, the main road that would go through the two properties would be much closer to I-75.

In a separate meeting Monday night, the Dalton-Whitfield Planning Commission voted 4-0 to recommend the 167.51 acres owned by Whitfield County for the industrial park be rezoned from general agriculture and general commercial to heavy manufacturing. The planning commission only makes recommendations to the board of commissioners, which has the final say in the rezoning.

County administrator Bob McLeod said the residential area around the industrial site could be eligible for Community Development Block Grants to bring sewer lines and rehab homes. The state Department of Transportation also has plans to upgrade the Carbondale interchange.

“The area in two to three years is going to look a lot different than it does today,” McLeod said.

 

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