As January comes to an end, Losing Georgia is preparing the monthly photo packet of sedimentation problems for the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and WSA. This month was particularly dirty for some developments, and for others it was fairly better than in previous months. Unfortunately there seems to be more illegal dumping of trash in cul-de-sacs then documented before.

The packet contains 10 developments that were photographed throughout the whole month, covering both suburban and rural areas in different parts of the county. Developments like Brookmont and Arrowhead Hills have improved sedimentation control, allowing less sediment to enter natural waterways and drainage runoffs. However the subdivisions of Littleridge and British Mills were not that all pleasing based on previous problems.

This post will concentrate on a few developments that will be included in the photo packet.

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Yesterday’s post was about the tree clearing going on at the Interstate 20 and Fairburn Road intersection, as preparations are being conducted to build a new 10 lane bridge to support the widening of Fairburn Road and the I-20 HOV Project. Foliage on both sides of the existing bridge has been removed, while some businesses in the area were demolished earlier last year.

Losing Georgia has come across a document that displays the temporary detour for the Fairburn Road Bridge, stretching for a half mile as it crosses over I-20. Beginning after the Captain D’s going eastbound, the detour will begin curving to the right affecting the front parking lot of K.F.C. Moving forward the temporary roadway will cut through the lots that formerly housed Burger King and Island Flavas.

The westbound on-ramp will shift slightly to the left into the Island Flavas parking lot, taking out some shrubs behind the fence line. Vehicles will proceed over I-20 intersecting the current eastbound off-ramp, moving through the vacant lot that used to have a Shell station, to relinquish with the existing roadway just past Shawnee Trail.

It looks as though the eastbound off-ramp will shift 150 feet to the right where Slater Mill Road originally intersected Fairburn Road. The eastbound on-ramp looks undisturbed for the time being, however there is no connection between the detour and the on-ramp. There are no details about how wide the detour will become, but the diagrams illustrate between 2 and 4 lanes.

To find out more about the detour, Losing Georgia has prepared a small tour in Google Earth that displays the businesses that will be/have been affected and overlays of the diagrams for viewing. Also check out the I-20 HOV Project document folder for more information.

Downloads

• Fairburn Road Bridge Detour - PDF (2 MB)
• Fairburn Road Bridge Detour for Google Earth - KMZ (2.8 KB)

The Georgia DOT has been clearing trees and brush at the Interstate 20 / Fairburn Road intersection in conjunction with the I-20 HOV Project. It was reported mid-last year about the first signs that Fairburn Road was to overcome a makeover – Burger King and the Citgo gas station were demolished. Other businesses would be forced to close shop in order to make room for a much widened roadway: Texaco gas station, ReMax Realty, Island Flavas, Taco Bell and Captain D’s.

The new Fairburn Road Bridge will be 10 lanes wide, or two times its current size, accommodating four through lanes, four left turn lanes and two future turn lanes. Because of the bridge’s increased size, on and off ramps will have to be shifted, thus why clearing is being conducted. Westmoreland Plaza will be rerouted to Cherokee Boulevard to make room for the westbound off ramp. Completion of the new bridge is slated to be at the end of 2008 or early 2009.

In other DOT news, many traffic signals will be upgraded throughout Douglas County, in addition of improvements for pedestrian and striping in Douglasville. These improvements are subjected to occur between March and May of this year. A list of intersections that will be affected is available after the jump.

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The Losing Georgia: Interactive Tour has been updated with 2 new developments and comprehensive information for public schools. Each public school now includes mascot, colors, student population and number of mobile classrooms (trailers) - schools that meet the maximum for trailers are indicated. Users of the Interactive Tour need to refresh the Network Link file and new users can download the KMZ file or head over to the overview page if unfamiliar with the Interactive Tour.

Below is a list of additions and updates to the tour.

Developments

• Gateway Baptist Church Expansion
• Timber Ridge Business Center Phase 2

January 23, 2007 marked the 100^th day in the public schools across Douglas County and enrollment is up by 47 students (.2%) since opening day from fall 2006. Most of the elementary schools saw an increase in students, while a majority of the middle schools and all the high schools, including the Performance Learning Center, saw a decrease in student population.

The four high schools lost approximately 40.25 students from each institution (AHS: -28 | CHHS: -6 | DCHS: -66 | LSHS: -61), although the night school at Douglas County High saw rise of 92 students. The school system takes an enrollment count every 20 days to accurately visualize student population growth, which further aids in how many teachers, utensils and upgrades that may be needed in the school system for the following year.

Below are some percentages calculated by Losing Georgia in correspondence to the latest data that has been made available. Also the Interactive Tour and Wiki will be updated to include school mascots, colors and population.

Increases of student population

• From 2005 to Present - 9.44%
• From 2001 to Present - 37.60%
• From 1996 to Present - 56.67%
• From 1991 to Present - 75.53%

There is some speculation out now that the concept of the Tributary at New Manchester, a super development on Riverside Parkway that encompasses a combination of residential and commercial environments, will possibly have to adapt to a new strategy before becoming a subsequent failure.

Referred to as the “Disney World of Atlanta” on the Tributary’s website, the development may seem adventurous with glamorous stock photos and creative writing mixed to the beat of living near the majestic Sweetwater Creek, but the harsh reality is that not all things are what they are perceived to be. The benefits of living in a master planned community have not matured as of yet, leaving some to question the purpose and practices that have been reported.

Idolized as a community suburb of Atlanta, the Tributary lies within the City of Douglasville limits in a remote part of Douglas County; lingering in the balance of becoming an absolute success or cumbersome disappointment.

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Plenty of residents drive through Morristown everyday, either to go shopping, accessing Interstate 20 or just heading home, yet many might not even know it. The small community has become a major thoroughfare right in the heart Douglas County. But you won’t find Morristown on any map, in County records or buildings that showed the town once existed.

Morristown’s origins date back to the 1830s when the John F. Morris and his family migrated from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina to Campbell County. In 1837 John’s wife gave birth to Edwin Alexander “Sandy” Morris, who would later marry Permelia Camp. With the outbreak of the Civil War, “Sandy” Morris joined the 1^st Georgia Cavalry, Company K to fight off Union forces.

During the war Morris was captured by the Federals and was sent to the Elmira Federal Prison in New York – one of the deadliest prison camps at the time. Most likely arriving by train, Morris would be surrounded by almost 10,000 other fellow Confederate soldiers, battling harsh conditions that would limit the ability to stay alive.

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This news comes out of the forums by RealNewsDouglas who reports that Kroger, a major grocery chain, is seeking to build a new store in the Bill Arp community. It is rumored that when Dowda Farm Equipment moves their facility across the street on Highway 5, Kroger will purchase the vacant land in order to construct their store. However Kroger does have a small history in Bill Arp, wanting to build a grocery store in the area some years ago.

Although there is no confirmation that Kroger is planning to enter the Bill Arp area, Losing Georgia has learned from a reliable source that a grocery store is seeking a location in the community, as well as other parts of the county. The possibility of a grocery store in the area has approximately a 75% rate of occurring, based on increased residential growth surrounding the community and approval of commercial developments from the past year and a half.

The impact on Bill Arp has not been weighed as of yet, but Losing Georgia takes a look at some possibilities that may occur.

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In the heart of the McWhorter community stands the white, two-story Flint Hill Methodist Church, a symbol of the 19^th century that survives in southwestern Douglas County. Located less than a quarter mile south from the Highway 5 / 166 interchange, the towering church has become a famous landmark and gathering place for over 130 years.

The first church was a log cabin constructed from local trees, placed in the western corner of the cemetery. One historical document suggests that the cabin may have been built in 1869 by the Douglas County Board of Education for an academy. As the congregation and community grew, the need for a new church was granted on April 4, 1874.

Plans called for a two-story building that would suit the needs of all the local families. The bottom floor was a sanctuary designated for the Methodists to worship, while the second floor was a community hall reserved for the local Masons, Grangers, Sons of Temperance. The hall was also to be used as a Literary School to teach young children.

In 1874 the church opened its doors and began under the guidance of preacher Mr. Harvey McWhorter, whose last name would later honor the community on many maps. The origin for the Flint Hill name is relatively simple: flint rock was found in the cemetery and the church sat on a hill.

Throughout the late 1950s and 1960s the church’s sanctuary would be renovated, having an addition of Sunday schools room on the backside, picnic tables, a front porch and windows donated by eight families. Later on one of the Sunday school rooms were divided into bathrooms.

There is also a presence of Civil War history on the church’s grounds. Buried are several Confederate soldiers in the cemetery behind the church, including two unknown soldiers who served with the Army of Tennessee and died on October 2-3, 1864. Their tombstone is the first upon entrance, surrounded by gravel and a weathered Confederate flag. Another soldier is Captain Allen C. Watkins - Company A, 21^st Regiment for the Georgia Volunteer Infantry, Army of Northern Virginia, who died in 1863.

The Losing Georgia Project is moving along at a steady pace, looking for interesting stories and development that defines what is Douglas County. For over a year the Project has primarily focused on new development, revealing patterns and statistics that illustrate how the County has grown as a whole. Today marks a transition to Phase II - the historical aspect of the documentary.

Although documenting development will remain as the first goal, understanding history is a complicated series of text wrapped in pages on a bookshelf or a piece of preserved charcoal left in the ground that burned long ago, just waiting to be retold. For one of the smallest metro Atlanta counties, Douglas has a very rich history that has not seen much of the spot light.

Losing Georgia would like to change that by concentrating how Douglas County has evolved to its current state, providing various tools and resources in an attempt to absorbing the county’s history in a fun and easy way. Currently the Interactive Tour has several historic maps from the 1800s and places already defined across the county, and the Losing Georgia Wiki has become a repository of field notes.

The task of compiling the local history will be a difficult, arduous assignment that mostly relies on research from twenty years ago. Hopefully 2007 will be known for the return of the community and how history shaped the many small townships that were once without roads in a place called Campbell County.