This weekend LosingGeorgia.com will be undergoing beta testing for the transition into version 2.0. The website may experience some difficulties and features may not work correctly. If the testing is successful, 2.0 will be launched that will make interaction and education easier for all visitors.

EDIT: Transition to 2.0 has been semi-successful with a few minor bugs.

New Features

• Drop down navigation menu to access pages faster
• Recent comments included in sidebar
• Recent posts available off of main page in sidebar
• Posting comments requires no refreshing
• Comments can be posted in Gallery albums < does require refresh
• Social bookmarks have been added to every post

Hazards to the environment in Douglas County are valid concerns to both residents and government officials. Last week news came that the WSA and local Boy Scout Troops cleaned parts of Dog River while others cleaned areas in Sweetwater Creek State Park. Losing Georgia reported early about the WSA’s involvement in cleaning natural waterways, despite there being a lack of funds and no overall department to maintain waterways.

In this case, the WSA is taking the effort to clean waterways on a limited basis whereas the County and City both do not have any programs in place to preserve and protect natural waterways (not including buffers). But local creeks and streams are not the only problem. The dumping of litter and tire scraps seems to end up in new subdivisions all across the county. Inadequate environmental code enforcement and neglect from developers compound the problem even more.

Losing Georgia has visited many subdivisions throughout the county photographing hazards and potential problems. Find out about some of the subdivisions documented over the course of this year after the jump.

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Way out in the south western part of Douglas County is yet another development on Georgia Highway 166. This latest development is just past Tyree Road going west. Property records indicate that a company going by the name Riverridge Ventures, LLC. has purchased two tracts of land. No information about the company could be found.

The first tract belonged to Paul S. Stovall, Sr. with a tract of 40.3 acres. The adjacent tract used to belong to Kenneth Mathew and Lisa Kilgore Monroe, having a plot of 24.03 acres that also had a house. Combining the two tracts gives Riverridge Ventures a property of 64.37 acres.

It is unknown what this particular development is for, although it will most likely be a subdivision. The Douglas County Future Land Use map indicates that the properties are considered Rural Areas. No development or grading permits were found on the site in public view.

The View at Cedar Mountain subdivision is up for sale on Cedar Mountain Road, next to the power line easement. A white sign near the roadway pronounces that all thirty four lots are available, including one lot with a three bedroom house. Reason for the sell out is because of a contractual agreement that went south. Apparently the person who was to buy the subdivision for the past two years has met some financial difficulty and can no longer support the subdivision development.

Each lot is being sold for approximately $45,000, resulting in a grand total of $1.53 million for the whole development. According to property records, Lacey White & Company are the sole owners of the property. A copy of the site plan was also attached to the sign adjacent to the road. It has been over two years since the inception of this development.

Some residents of Douglas County may have been noticing some RA-LIN signs throughout the county in the past few weeks. RA-LIN is based out of Carrollton, GA, serving as a regional contractor, general contractor, and provides construction management. The company is most notably recognized for constructing public schools and office facilities.

The Douglas County Board of Education has used RA-LIN's services in the past with the development of Annette Winn Elementary, Mount Carmel Elementary and Chapel Hill High. Currently RA-LIN is associated with the south wing expansion that occurred at Mirror Lake Elementary and the construction of the new Bill Arp Elementary on Alexander Parkway and Chapel Hill Elementary on Coursey Lake Road.

It is expected that the Board of Education will continue to supply business to RA-LIN with the construction of the new Factory Shoals Middle school, which is scheduled to open next year in southeast Douglas County.

Also the company is working alongside Linco Properties, LLC. with the additional development at the Timber Ridge Office Complex in the previous post. Both companies are located across the street from each other [Google Maps].

EDIT: RA-LIN's website does not show any of the current developments located in Douglas County.

Following last week's post about the future of Timber Ridge Drive, it seems that the Timber Ridge Office Complex will be expanding since its inception seven years ago. The developer is Linco Properties, LLC. / Linco Development Company (the same company, two different websites) who owns the 8.7 acre tract of the office complex. According to the site plan, which is dated March 31, 1999, three office buildings were to occupy the corner lot. The existing building and new building marked out by an X on the site plan, whereas the website indicates that land for the development is still available.

The new development is located south [Google Maps] of the existing complex, resting on 2.27 acres next to residential homes. The on-site green development permit states that project is for grading only, although this is odd since usually a Clearing and Grading Permit (a laminated yellow paper sheet) is posted, which evidentially was not.

A parking lot will almost entirely wrap around the new structure, which is likely to serve as office space or provide medical services. Expect the building to be at least two stories, if not higher to match its predecessor. This would make the fifth known medical type facility counted by Losing Georgia in the vicinity of WellStar Douglas Hospital since June 2005.

With the opening of the new Highway 166 Bridge, towering over the waters of Dog River and its predecessor, some things must come to an end. The old Highway 166 Bridge is being dismantled in anticipation of the rising water level of the Dog River Reservoir. Half of the structural integrity of the older bridge has been removed along with asphalt on both sides.

The water level is expected to rise an additional ten feet, which would put the existing bridge underwater just like its predecessor – the old Highway 5 metal truss bridge. Though many people do not remember the Highway 5 bridge, its stone foundation can still be seen peeking out of the water from the shores of the Dog River Recreational Complex.

Both bridges have served their purpose and have met the same fate – to be slowly forgotten under the rising demand of water consumption.

A new category system has been devised to cut down on clutter, while making it easier to locate stories of interest. The philosophy behind the revised categories was simplicity. Instead of having multiple categories for one story, a single category should fit a story properly. This update coincides with the shift toward Losing Georgia 2.0.

The Losing Georgia: Interactive Tour has been updated with four new overlays. You can download the KML file or head over to the overview page if you are unfamiliar with the Interactive Tour. Also a refresh to the previous home builder information has been added.

Below is a list of additions and updates to the tour which also reflects the database and Live View:

Overlays

1. Biltmore Plantation Phase 1 Site Plan
2. Glen Laurel at Williams Estates Site Plan
3. Chestatee Farms Site Plan
4. Whitestone Site Plan

Phase 1 of the Losing Georgia 2.0 shift is occurring today with the inception of the Interactive Tour 2.0 [download]. Over the course of three months the Interactive Tour has been reorganized and structured in a way to please all audiences. All information is up-to-date while reflecting the current status of the database.

One new feature is easier access to site plans for a particular development. Instead of scouring through the overlays folder, now users can click on a development and a link will be provided if a site plan is available. The presentation of data has undergone new formatting, allowing entry bubbles to be a uniform size instead being various sizes. Transportation projects will now be listed in the Tour.

A version for the Development Live View with Google Maps has not been released, though a new version is in the works. The overview for the Interactive Tour will be updated later on to reflect the major changes, including a text file that will breakdown the structure of the tour. A list of changes that resulted in the 2.0 build is available after the jump.

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