Friday, January 2, 2004
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Friday, January 2, 2004 |
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Coweta passes Fayette population in 2003 By JOHN THOMPSON From liquor by the drink to a big population milestone, 2003 proved to be a big year in Coweta County. When the year opened, residents learned they would have the chance to vote on liquor by the drink in 2004. By a 3-2 vote in January, the Coweta County Commission decided to let the voters make the decision on liquor in the unincorporated county. Newnan currently allows mixed drinks at restaurants that have at least 50 percent of their sales in food. Commission chairman Leigh Schlumper, who led the referendum drive, said she would like the county’s ordinance to mirror Newnan’s. Other notable events in 2003 in the county were: • The formation of a new intergovernmental coalition. Dubbed the CIA, or Coweta Intergovernmental Association, the new group was formed after numerous leaders at a government retreat in Athens said the communication efforts between local governments needed to be improved. Coweta County Commission chairman Leigh Schlumper, who helped organize the retreat, said the local government leaders need to work closer together. “We have a bigger obligation to support each other,” she said. County Commissioner Robert Wood has advocated an intergovernmental agreement for years and said there is nothing the leaders can do to stop people from coming to Coweta County, but they can help manage the growth. • A near moratorium on development in the county. In March,the County Commission decided to study the growth, zoning issues and land use planning for six months. During the study time, new building permits and zoning applications would not have be considered. An interesting clause in the vote that ultimately derailed the study period was that all municipalities had to sign off on the issue. The city of Newnan did not agree to the terms. • The county’s population numbers surpassed its neighbor to the east for the first time since the 1980s, according to estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau. During the period from July 1, 2001 to July 1, 2002, Fayette County added just 2,033 people, the Census estimated, for a growth rate of 2.1 percent. Fayette's population was estimated at 96,611 on July 1 last year. Coweta County’s was 97,771,for a growth rate of 3.7 percent over the previous year. Coweta added 3,699 people during the period, the Census said. • The county’s first foray into mass transit. The Coweta County Commission voted to enter into an agreement with the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority to provide an express bus service for the county. Coweta County will have to pony up $850,000 in funds for the service, but in return gets $10.4 million in funds to help fix dangerous intersections and roads, such as Lower Fayetteville Road. • The completion of the deal to build The Coweta-Fayette Connector. The Fayette County Commission and the Coweta County Commission signed off on a deal that provides local funding for the road and allows it to be built quicker. • An innovative approach in dealing wil alternative septic systems. Growing increasingly frustrated with the failure rate of alternative septic systems, the county passed a zoning ordinance that requires each approved building lot to have a site for a conventional septic system. “We’re not saying you can’t use alternative systems. You just have to have room for a regular septic system,” said county attorney Mitch Powell. Since the state allows the alternative systems, the only remedy county officials have is through a zoning ordinance. “We’re just trying to protect the homeowner,” said Commissioner Larry DeMoss.
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