Etowah Bluffs Development: The Public Misinformation Campaign (Part 2)

In this Part 2 of our Series on the Etowah Bluffs Develpment, we explore the TRUTH behind some of the false narratives that the Developers (and County Pro-Development Insiders) are circulating about this project.

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MYTH #1 – They already have the ability to build something even worse on this land under Existing Zoning.

FALSE!  There are 6 parcels totaling 518 Acres in the Rezoning Application. (Exhibit A – See Pg 1).  Of those 6 Parcels totaling 518 Acres, 3 of the Parcels totaling 162.33 Acres (31% of the total property) are Currently Zoned “RA” (for Agricultural).  The Housing Density for the existing RA Zoning is One (1) House Per Five (5) Acres.  (Dawson Ordinance Sec. 121-76. –Table 3.2)

If you look again at Exhibit A (Pg 3 this time), you see that the proposed Zoning Approval for the 586 “Single Family Detached” Homes is 4800-6000 Square Feet.  That is the size of the LOT, not the house!!!  An Acre of Land is 43,560 Square Feet.  43,560 SF divided by 4800 SF = 9.075 Houses per acre.  43,560 SF divided by 6000 SF = 7.26 Houses per acre.

TO SUMMARIZE:

• Under the existing RA Zoning they can do 1 house on 5 acres. 
• Under the proposed Rezoning they can do  36 – 45 houses on that same 5 acre piece of land. 

NOT THE SAME AT ALL!

This is mostly the pristine land that borders the Etowah River.  (Exhibit B).  And if you look at the pretty Artist Renderings, and read their descriptions…. most of that will remain Greenspace.  So then WHY do they need it Rezoned?   Misinformation is being spread on Facebook that this Rezoning isn’t going to matter, and that they could do all this anyway.  An 8 year old can tell that if they could do it already, then they wouldn’t need the Rezoning!  Also, everyone needs to be aware that the pretty pictures are “CONCEPT” plans.  Once they get the Zoning, they are NOT limited to that plan.  It is relatively cheap to draw a pretty picture…. it’s called marketing.  This is just the marketing phase to get the Rezoning passed.  Then the real plans start rolling out.

One more thing to ask yourself, and this is a fundamental that lurks behind this entire project…. who in the world would want to live in these sorts of neighborhoods that are 7 – 9 homes per acre, right on top of each other?  Is this going to attract people that value Dawson County ideals of open spaces, a natural environment, an agricultural way of life, a slower paced living in harmony with God’s Creation?  Or is our way of life being cancelled, by an intentional and methodical drive to “replace us” with big city types, along with their voting and policy ideas?

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MYTH #2 – We must do this in order to save the pristine Western portion of Dawson County, because if this isn’t done, we will be forced to allow subdivisions to sprawl everywhere.

NONSENSE!  Makes utterly no sense and is just a made up argument.  WHY would that happen?  We have existing Zoning all over the County.  This weird argument that when the Developers don’t get THIS Rezoning, then all of the other County Zoning is in jeopardy and our pristine Western Dawson County lands are at risk —- has No Basis.  I can’t really argue this one with facts… just logic.  Because there are no facts to support this.  If someone has some Code, Ordinance, or other legal reason that not approving this Etowah Bluff Rezoning jeopardizes the rest of the County…. or conversely, if we DO the Rezoning that will protect the rest of the County, then please email me at publisher@cjc.news.  I’d love to hear the FACTS you care to present, and not just the facebook rumors.

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Next Series (Part 3) will detail how various County Agencies are warning about this Development.

And FYI…. this is the CITIZEN Journalist Cooperative.  If anyone wants to submit an idea for an article, email it to publisher@cjc.news.  If we give it the go ahead, and you write a good one, we will not only host the article at our site, we will pay $$$ to distribute it to Dawson County Readers!  We’d love someone to comprehensively tackle the entire List of New High Density Developments already approved and underway (Maybe a Photo Essay?)  Citizens have no idea what is going to be hitting them in terms of traffic, infrastructure, and school overcrowding.  Who will step up and be the next Dawson County Superstar Journalist?