SCDA Offers Year End Report

The Stephens County Development Authority provides a year-end update to local leaders.

Development Authority Executive Director Tim Martin spoke to the Toccoa City Commission at its meeting on Monday, then spoke to Stephens County Commissioners on Tuesday at their meeting.

Martin talked about a number of different areas during his presentation.

The first was the Development Authority’s website, www.scda.biz.

Martin said they have been working to add new features and information to that site as often as they can.

“Your Stephens County Development Authority is constantly trying to make sure that the information is current, correct, concise, out there on the web where folks can take advantage of it 24/7 as they are looking at us, making their decisions, (and) moving forward.”

Martin also said that the Stephens County Development Authority continues to work with neighboring counties on extending broadband infrastructure in northeast Georgia.

Stephens and five other counties, Franklin, Habersham, Banks, Rabun, and Hart counties have been working on a broadband connectivity study.

Martin said they have found that all six counties can be served by constructing about 150 miles of fiber throughout the region, a project Martin says would cost about $9 million.

He said that they are already looking at the first part of that project.

“The Tri-County Development Authority asked the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission to write the grant to OneGeorgia for $1 million that would fund the first leg of this, which would be the 18 miles from Hollywood (in Habersham County) to Toccoa.”

Martin said that grant would require a $200,000 match and how that match would be covered has not been determined yet.

According to Martin, the loop Stephens County is involved with would connect into a similar loop being constructed in other parts of north Georgia called the North Georgia Network.

Martin also reviewed progress at Hayestone-Brady Business Park for commissioners.

According to Martin, the Development Authority is looking at additional grading at the park, located on Highway 17 between Toccoa and the town of Martin.