Business park welcome

DALTON, Ga. — Many in the Tilton area of Whitfield County believe the new Carbondale Business Park will have a positive effect, bringing jobs and growth.

Sharon Wilbanks, co-owner of Bill’s Grocery off U.S. Highway 41, said community members seem to agree that “new jobs are more important than anything else.”

She said many residents in the area depend on the carpet industry and have felt the effects of layoffs and the area’s high unemployment rate of about 12.6 percent.

“Our business has been off double digits for the last two years,” said Mrs. Wilbanks. “It’s been a struggle.”

But she’s optimistic construction and development of the new park could help.

So is Tammy Thomas, owner of Thomas Barber and Salon, just down the street.

“This end (of the county has) never done as well as the other end,” she said. “We welcome the traffic. I think all the businesses do.”

Locals said they’d like to see the business park spur additional growth.

“It needs to be built up down here,” said Jerold Brackett, who lives on U.S. 41 across the street from the new park.

Mr. Brackett said he’d like to have more places to eat and shop without having to drive all the way to Dalton.

Elyse Cochran, director of economic development for the Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority, said that’s likely.

The park should “boost the possibility of other small business development opportunities,” she said. In general, each primary job added in the park should generate three to four secondary jobs within a 10-mile radius, she said.

But residents do have a few concerns about the park.

Ms. Thomas said some worry that the economy will keep businesses from locating there.

“You hope that you see the money back (that’s) been invested,” she said.

Ms. Cochran said leaders are confident they’ll be able to recruit businesses, adding that some have already shown interest. She said two consulting companies selected the site as the best for one in the county for development.

Mrs. Wilbanks said residents also hope it’s new business and not another flooring company.

Whitfield County Commission Chairman Mike Babb said that’s the goal.

“We would like to diversify our industry,” he said.

Mrs. Wilbanks said some residents are concerned about traffic and hope the county will install a traffic light at the park’s entrance off U.S. 41.

Mr. Babb said the county will look at a light once the park is developed. For now, he said, county officials are negotiating for a piece of property that would provide an exit from the park onto Carbondale Road near the interstate.

He said change in the area around the park is inevitable, but commissioners hope it’s more positive than negative.

“The Carbondale area is actually our last really good property along the interstate that could be opened up for development,” he said. “It and the South Bypass will be an area of concentration for the future.”