Moratorium on door-to-door sales, other permits approved

GAINESVILLE - Hall County Commissioners Thursday night agreed to a six-month moratorium on new licenses for road and highway solicitors and door-to-door sales people.
Commissioner Billy Powell made the motion saying it came from complaints about aggressive out of town solicitors who blocked traffic at two busy intersections at Memorial Park Drive and Old Flowery Branch Road, and Limestone Parkway at Jesse Jewell Parkway.

"I was addressing this group that's headquartered in Stone Mountain but came up to Hall County in 2008 to get a business license to solicit funds on the side of the road," Powell said. "They were stopping traffic multiple times in a week."
"Traffic backed up a long way; it became a nuisance."

Powell said groups like fire fighters and Shriners won't be barred from seeking donations on the road, and youth groups like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts can still go door to door as well as anyone who has a current license in effect.

ROCK CRUSHER WINS

Area homeowners battled the arrival of a rock and concrete crusher in their neighborhood before the commissioners but the rock crusher won with commission approval.
Herman Hooper complained of dust, noise and traffic congestion.

"It needs to be looked at seriously," Hooper said.

Commissioners heard attorney Steve Gilliam explain how Gary Anderson's crusher would not make noise or create congestion on Benson Drive because his trucks will use West Ridge Road only.

Gilliam said there would be no dust because the operation would be heavily watered.
The crusher is disposing of concrete from the old Georgia Mountains Center parking deck being demolished to make way for construction of a new deck.

Commissioners also approved a cell phone tower location for Verizon Wireless in South Hall County at Deaton Henry and Spout Springs Road.
Verizon agreed to allow the county to put an Emergency 911 tower on its tower locations in the county.
Verizon representative, attorney Jennifer Blackburn, said the south Hall area has inadequate cellular service.
Commissioner Bobby Banks made the motion to approve the tower site, saying people he heard from supported it to improve cellular phone service.