Antique Stores & Festivals
From anonymous sources, there seems to be confusion about Antique Stores & Festivals in Braselton.
ANTIQUE STORE - A FLEA ANTIQUE
During 2022, Braselton evaluated how to spend ARPA funds / COVID-19 recovery funds received from the federal government. If the ARPA funds were not spent on a timely basis, Braselton would become obligated to return those funds to the US Treasury. In an effort to wisely use economic recovery funds, Braselton pursued economic development opportunities for the funds, which included the raw land spanning from Braselton Library to Braselton Park.
In February 2023, I met with the owner of the Davis St. building across from the library that rents space to A Flea Antique. While evaluating the aforementioned land purchase, I wanted to better understand the future plans for the building adjacent to the property under review.
At the February 2023 meeting, which was the first time I had ever met the building owner, the building owner told me that he already had plans to renovate the building - creating retail and restaurant space for rent at a higher rate than the rent being paid by A Flea Antique.
Neither I nor anyone on Braselton's Town Council (to my knowledge) had any influence or participation in the decision to close A Flea Antique. That decision was made well before the meeting I attended in February 2023. That decision was made at the sole discretion of the building's owner.
ANTIQUE STORE - COUNTRYSIDE ANTIQUE
Also in 2022 and at the specific & direct request of the Chair for Braselton's Downtown Development Authority ("DDA"), Braselton agreed to evaluate purchasing the DDA building that rents to Countryside Antique. That purchase did not happen. To my knowledge, Braselton's DDA still rents the building to Countryside Antique.
LAND PURCHASE
In October 2023, Braselton purchased raw land spanning from Braselton Library to Braselton Park.
Again, to the best of my knowledge, Braselton's purchase of raw land did not alter or affect the closure of A Flea Antique.
ANTIQUE FESTIVALS
The Chair of Braselton's DDA issued specific & direct complaints to me about the large Antique Festivals in downtown Braselton. These large antique festivals are hosted by a private & for-profit company, not Braselton. The DDA President rebuked these large / 300+ booth antique festivals because the large festivals negatively impacted businesses in downtown Braselton. Thereafter, our Town Council began an evaluation of the various festivals.
At the September 5, 2024 work session, Braselton's Town Council engaged in a Discussion on Future Festivals in Braselton. That discussion resulted in asking staff to survey downtown businesses about the festivals.
At the December 5, 2024 work session, Braselton's Town Council continued the discussion of festivals in Braselton, reviewing the staff survey from downtown businesses. At the January 9, 2025 work session, Braselton's Town Council continued the discussion of future festivals in Braselton with discussion of a policy change.
On January 13, 2025, Braselton's Town Council voted 4-1 (Harper against) in favor of a policy toward improving the safety and operations of festivals in downtown Braselton.
With what was at one time an empty building now becoming a charter school (Four Points Preparatory Academy) and with a new lease on the Braselton Gym, many of the formerly available booth spaces for festivals became unavailable. With survey results showing at least half of the businesses in downtown Braselton received no benefit or negative impact from the large antique festivals (over 150 booths), Braselton's Town Council gave consideration to all of Braselton's downtown businesses. Moreover, I personally observed multiple safety concerns with pedestrians, parking, vendor deliveries, and street crossings at the large festivals.
As shown on the Jan. 13th document linked above, Braselton's Town Council implemented an improved safety and operations policy to allow festivals up to 150 booths for a 2-day period. Further, "an applicant may come before the Town Council with an operations plan and public safety plan requesting a Festival that exceeds these limitations as to duration and Booth capacity."
To date, Braselton's Town Council has not reviewed any request for a festival, with a safety plan and operations plan, that exceeds 150 booths.
Even though the policy decision in January 2025 specifically allowed festival organizers to return the next month with a safety plan and operations plan for the April 2025 large festival, the private & for-profit festival organizers unilaterally - without any input from Braselton's Town Council - hosted their event at a different location.
To be exact on this issue - I was never consulted or informed of the operational protocols or safety protocols implemented by the private & for-profit business that hosted the large antique festival at a different location.
As a reminder, municipalities in Georgia are subject to unlimited liability for damages. The city of Milton currently faces the possibility of dissolution due to a $35M verdict against the city because an automobile left the road and fatally struck a concrete planter located in the right-of-way. The city of Milton never owned or operated the concrete planter.
If you are not aware, I was asked to testify (on behalf of all cities in the State of Georgia) before the Georgia House Judiciary Committee and before the Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee in an effort to limit municipal liability. I am quite possibly the most well-versed mayor in the State of Georgia on the topic of municipal liability. For municipalities, bankruptcy is not an option. Damages are paid through insurance, property taxes, or dissolution & liquidation.
We must take measures to avoid the situation faced by Milton, and in this instance, Braselton took measures to improve the safety and operations of festivals in downtown Braselton.