SCDA Talks Strategic Objectives

The Stephens County Development Authority talks strategic objectives for the year ahead.

At its meeting last Thursday, the Development Authority talked about a number of goals that the agency has for the upcoming year.

According to Stephens County Development Authority Executive Director Tim Martin, two of those goals are to focus on workforce development and housing development in Stephens County.

He said a growing job market in the area would require the county to address those two issues as best it can moving forward.

“What we are seeing is that our employers are finding it difficult to hire folks and we think one of the answers is going to be people moving here and they will move here, we believe, if there is a larger selection of housing options,” said Martin. “All of this is intertwined and interrelated and we are just trying to see if there is a role for the Stephens County Development Authority to play.”

Martin said another goal for the year ahead at the Stephens County Development Authority is to try and work on a hotel project.

He said that the need for more hotel space was noticed by state officials on a recent visit.

“We have been reminded of that need again this week with the Georgia Department of Economic Development Tourism Product Development Team in town,” said Martin. “One of the things they highlighted was the lack of hospitality rooms, hotel rooms in this community. While we have a handful, we need some improvement in that regard.”

A fourth goal is continued work on sewer expansion work along Big A Road and the Toccoa By-pass.

Martin said the By-pass portion of the project is coming together nicely, ahead of schedule and under budget.

He said with that in mind, thoughts are now turning to the Big A Road leg of the project.

“We have begun the design process for that,” said Martin. “We will also have to identify over the coming months and years funding sources to make that happen.”

According to Martin, a final objective this year for the Development Authority is to continue to look at the possibility of partnering to build another spec building for the Hayestone-Brady Business Park on Georgia Highway 17.