GAINESVILLE – A 3.49-acre lot at a well-known three way intersection near the Oakwood city limits will likely be the site of a 10,500-square foot day care center if final approval is granted by the Hall County Commission on January 9th.
And it’s that intersection, Old Oakwood Road at Mountain View Road, that yielded most of the concern and attention Monday evening as the Hall County Planning Commission heard public comments from area residents.
Those familiar with the intersection know that it’s where Mountain View Road makes a nearly 90-degree turn and it is intersected from the south by Old Oakwood Road.
Businesses such as Hydro-Extrusion, Family Dollar and a hair salon all sit at that location; traffic turning onto these businesses and the limited sight distance caused by the road’s curve, neighbors say, have led to numerous accidents and near-wrecks over the recent past. They feel the addition of a day care center will worsen the problem.
Applicant and developer VHP Properties hosted an informational meeting on September 30 with area residents to learn their concerns about the planned center. Cathleen McDonald lives on Mountain View Road, about 500-feet from the proposed site, and she told commissioners, “They did do a very nice presentation. We, along with some other residents that are here, were present for that.”
“I think they’ve got some good ideas…but for me it’s more about the traffic safety,” McDonald said. “It’s right in the curve; there’s a lot of truck traffic…it’s a little hairy. The road’s already in a lot of transition and there’s a lot of traffic issues. It’s just not a good road situation right there overall.”
Neighbor Sylvia Cordell says on several occasions vehicles have left the roadway and traveled through her yard in order to avoid wrecking at the intersection. “They run off the road at that curve, go down through my garden and go out,” Cordell said.
Harvey Miller lives between Cordell and the proposed daycare center, and agrees with Cordell. “Several times they’ve come around that curve and wind up in my yard…when they lose control going into that curve,” Miller explained.
Planning Commission Chairman Chris Braswell called VHP Properties representative Christie Sims back to the podium. Braswell thanked Sims for meeting with the neighbors but advised her that Hall County Engineering may require traffic safety measures as part of her company’s application.
“I don’t know what other conditions, if this goes forward, what Traffic Engineering may require of you,” Braswell cautioned Sims. Not able to tell Sims exactly what safety measures she may have to agree to provide, Braswell added, “It’s going to have to be more than sufficient to protect little kids there.”
“Have you considered ‘right-in, right-out only’ or ‘no left turns during certain peak hours’?” Braswell asked Sims. “It would eliminate people trying to cross over into that lane in the curve.”
“That’s something that we can look at, for sure,” Sims responded.
With Sims consent, the Planning Commission members included a recommendation that a “right-in, right-out-only" access be a condition for the Hall County Commission’s final approval. The Hall County Commission will make its decision at its voting session on January 9th.
