Dear Editor,
In a Letter to the Editor last week, Commissioner Hersey expressed understandable concern about the draft agreement between Harmony Road GA LLC and the Putnam Development Authority (PDA) to build 275 houses (primarily for rent) in the Lake Oconee area. I share many of these concerns, but I want to highlight the original vision for the broader development led by Goodwill Industries.
In 2021, the Putnam Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the rezoning of this agricultural property, presumably attracted to the pitch of a Goodwill store, Helms College to train students for in-demand trades, a café and restaurant, and a college-run farm, plus the residencies. Some homes would be set aside for local teachers, nurses, EMTs, and the like. The prospect of new investment, jobs, infrastructure, breaks for essential workers, and uplift in Putnam County was compelling.
MacKenzie Scott, the philanthropist, donated $60 million to Goodwill Middle GA to support their regional model.
Why has public sentiment turned against this project?
The main reason is the 20-plus-year property tax abatement sought by the developer of the houses (saving 75% of normal payments). Insofar as the development will — depending on who lives there — strain the school system, law enforcement, fire, etc., the assumption is that regular taxpayers will have to foot the bill.
The fact that the draft development agreement — because it is confined to the residencies only — makes no mention of Goodwill, has added to the confusion and concern.
Social media is flooded with angry posts about “tiny houses” and manufactured homes, even though neither would be permitted on this site under county code.
The way this proposed development has been presented to county residents post-rezoning leaves a lot to be desired.
But having talked to proponents and opponents alike, my take is that we need to make sure we have our facts straight and make a balanced assessment.
Based on studies commissioned by the PDA, even with a 75% tax abatement over 20 years, increased sales tax, job creation by Goodwill, the college, and related businesses, permits and fees, and construction investment would mean the county comes out ahead.
I still have questions about this project, including the length of the abatement, who pays for infrastructure, and the risk that long-term rental properties will become STR-central or be sold off and fall into disrepair.
Our PDA — with an experienced, all-volunteer board — works hard to find development opportunities for our county.
Goodwill and Helms College are beacons of social improvement.
The developer (Southeastern) has a reputation as a great corporate partner and builds high-quality, architecturally varied homes.
All that to say, we have a serious and potentially far-sighted development proposal in front of us.
But there are tradeoffs. Do we want such a large rental housing development? What sort of tax abatement is the Goodwill-Helms College package worth? Can we negotiate a better deal for the essential worker housing (no rent break is currently on offer)?
Whether you like or dislike this project, I encourage you to attend the Board of Commissioners meeting this Friday, Feb. 7, at 10 a.m. at the county administration building. We want to hear from you.
Richard Garrett, District 2 Commissioner