County experiencing period of rapid residential growth

Lincoln County is experiencing a period of rapid growth, with six major subdivisions currently under development. Pictured is what will be a traffic circle in the Stillwater Coves subdivision, located off of Graball Road.

`Amazing but understandable — there are currently six major subdivisions under development in Lincoln County with two more in the discussion stages.

Understandable because the county, with its rolling hills and 400 miles of unspoiled shoreline, is truly beautiful, smelling of grass and pine trees and characterized by simple small-town living. Amazing because the county has a total of three stoplights; has virtually no place to purchase new cars, a Route 44 (44-ounce slushee from Sonic), or recently released CDs; and has no hospital.

“This (development) is something we planted the seed for years ago by getting our zoning in place and expanding the water system,” said Walker Norman, chairman of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioner. “For a long time, we’ve known that growth was coming to Lincoln County. My hope is that we have all the planning and zoning regulations we need to take care of the growth.”

In her remarks, Meg Burg, planning and zoning director for the county, said, “Growth means jobs for our local people — engineers, surveyors, road construction workers, contractors, retail merchants, and hotel and restaurant owners. Then, when the homes in these subdivisions have reached completion, the residents will need alarm systems, pest control services, landscapers, dock builders, and so forth. All of our businesses will benefit in some way.”

It has been estimated that the sale of lots alone in the six subdivisions will add $37.5 million to the tax digest.

In other comments, Burg said, “Some people are against change, but it is inevitable. All we can do is use our Land Development Ordinance and Comprehensive Plan to guide change so the county will grow in positive ways. The developers that are here now appreciate the small-town feel of Lincoln County and do not want to change that.”

She went on to add that she is very proud of the proactive stance the elected and appointed officials and the residents of the county have taken on planning for growth.

The six subdivisions are as follows:

(1) Stillwater Coves, developed by Land Resource Companies of Atlanta.

955 acres, located off of Graball Road.

170 waterfront lots and 195 interior lots.

Nine miles of new road and new water lines.

“Lincoln County is the best county in the state of Georgia,” according to Bryce Grafton of Land Resource Companies. “Finding 1,000 acres of waterfront property is very difficult to do. Then, to find 1,000 acres with a high elevation and close proximity to the corps water line is even more difficult to do. It’s amazing the amount of waterfront property this county has.

“A dock overlooking Clark’s Hill Lake is a slice of paradise for the people I deal with, and we have clients from all over the world wanting a piece of it,” he stated.

The company currently has 500 reservations for the 365 lots in the subdivision.

“Another plus is the small-town atmosphere,” said Grafton, who is a resident of Lincoln County, with plans to retire here. “I love Lincolnton — it has a lot of character and history.”

In conclusion, the developer stated that dealing with the planning and zoning office and other county offices has been “absolutely amazing.” “Everyone has been so friendly, nice, and accommodating. Because of the reception I’ve received from county officials and the people in town, I would like to do all of my developments here.”

(2) Pointe Shores, developed by Georgia Lakes, LLC of Bogart, Georgia.

213 acres, located off Graball Road.

51 waterfront lots and 48 interior lots.

2.71 miles of new road and 1.85 miles of new water lines.

“We feel like it’s time for Clark’s Hill Lake to start developing,” said Jerry Whitaker, acquisitions manager for Georgia Lakes.

Before settling on Lincoln County, Whitaker’s company looked at developing areas around Lincoln County as well as waterfront properties on other lakes.

“We like a lot of things about Lincolnton — its just a friendly, Southern town. We’re very happy to be in this area,” Whitaker remarked.

Like Grafton, Whitaker was also impressed with the county government. “Lincoln County is a good county to work with. The people at the planning and zoning office and those in the courthouse are very friendly, professional and helpful. In some counties we’ve worked in, we’ve had a difficult time getting the proper permits.

“We look forward to developing other projects in the county,” Whitaker continued, adding, “We plan to be here for the long haul.”

Georgia Lakes is one of the oldest development companies in the state.

(3) Longleafe Pointe, developed by Generations Land Companies, LLC of Asheville, North Carolina.

130 acres, located off of Chamberlain Ferry Road.

42 waterfront lots and 38 interior lots.

1.08 miles of new road and .74 miles of new water lines.

(4) Eagle Pointe, developed by Generations Land Companies.

105 acres, located off of Highway 79.

41 waterfront lots and 29 interior lots.

2.26 miles of new road and water lines.

(5) Pollard’s Pointe, developed by the Carolina Crescent Corporation of Clover, South Carolina.

260 acres, located off of Nathanial Farm Road.

42 waterfront lots and 69 interior lots.

2.9 miles of new road and new water lines.

(6) Un-Named Subdivision, developed by Robert Mapp of Waynesboro.

69.36 acres off of Highway 220 West.

26 waterfront lots and 16 interior lots.

1.89 miles of new road and 1.33 miles of new water lines.

The totals for the six subdivisions are as follows:

1,733 total acres developed.

767 total lots.

20 miles of new road at a cost of approximately $10,560,000.

17 miles of new water lines at a cost of about $1,360,000.

The two developments under discussion are a 45-acre tract with waterfront lots in the south end of the county and an 850-acre tract with waterfront lots, owned by International Paper, Inc. off of Murray Creek Road.

Concerning other development projects in the county, Planning and Zoning Director Burg said, “Up until this time, Plantation Point has been rather dormant, but over the last two years, interest has perked back up. In fact, the majority of the remaining lots were sold this year. Not only are we experiencing new subdivision growth, we’re also seeing expansion or rebirth in our older subdivisions.”

In recent months, the county has also seen the completion of Phase II of the Saddlebrook Farm subdivision. The project involved turning 40 acres off of Lewis Family Road into minifarm lots of 3-12 acres each. Phase I was finished in 2002.

In general, the county’s attitude toward growth is reflected in the introduction to its Comprehensive Plan: “The people of Lincoln County are proud of their community and its rich heritage. Known as a friendly community, many are welcomed to share our way of life. The vision of our community is to promote a community that maintains its small-town values while managing growth to ensure an enriched quality of life for its citizens.”