Blue Ridge officials vote to extend limits
Annexation to expand the city limits was approved Wednesday, February 5, by Blue Ridge city council members during the evening town hall meeting.
That annexation would include Highway 515 from the bridge over the Toccoa River near Tammen Park to Forge Mill Road and Highway 5 from Trails End Road to Gravely Gap. Right of ways along both sides of the highways are included in the plan.
City council members Nathan Fitts, Rhonda Haight and Robbie Cornelius all voted in favor of a resolution designating the annexation.
The next step, for the resolution, is to be presented to the Georgia General Assembly for a vote and approval by State Representative David Ralston and State Senator Steve Gooch, according to City Attorney James Balli.
He said, “This is a resolution that is directed to Speaker Ralston and Senator Gooch as required by state law,” and has been made upon “requests by citizens and land owners.
“It does not include private land owners’ property. No one is being forced to be annexed in. Those persons who wish to be annexed in and who are contiguous or join the road or the right of way would have the right or the right not to come into the city on an individual case by case basis (should) ask that their property be annexed into the city, and there would then be public hearings before any of that action is taken.”
A quorum of the council was required to pass the resolution. With only Fitts and Haight present at the town hall meeting, Cornelius joined the vote via phone as a means to establish a quorum.
A Streetscape change order invoice for $11,267.70 was also approved to fix a drop-off created by the new sidewalk.