A major south Hall County manufacturing plant is now one step closer to being part of the city of Flowery Branch.
The Flowery Branch City Council at its meeting Thursday evening approved the first reading of a pair of ordinances that would annex and properly zone the SKF USA, Inc. plant on McEver Road that is currently under Hall County's jurisdiction.
"This will probably be the biggest no-brainer in the history of ordinances," Councilman Joe Anglin said.
The plant, which sits on more than 63 acres at the intersection of McEver Road and Radford Road, asked to join the city's sewer system in 2012, but City Manager Bill Andrew said SKF officials asked to delay its annexation into Flowery Branch by five years to put off tax increases.
Andrew said the plant will have immediate benefits for the city if it is successfully annexed.
"It's a big deal for us because they automatically become the largest employer that we have in the city by far, I believe they have over 300 employees," Andrew said. "They'll be our largest manufacturer."
The first readings for both ordinances were approved unanimously. Second readings are expected to be voted on in the coming month and would finalize the plant's annexation. Under the ordinances, the plant would be zoned for heavy industrial and manufacturing use.
