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The City of Ball Ground has a blanket contract with WastePro to provide curbside garbage collection service throughout the City. Curbside recycling is not offered at this time.

Currently, City customers interested in recycling may bring their recyclables to the Senior Center (388 Groover Street) on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, 9 AM to 12 PM. This service is available to City customers only and is free of charge. Please be sure to read the posted guidelines for recycling prior to arrival. Additionally, City customers may may bring their recycling to Pickens County Recycling free of charge. Please visit their website HERE for their hours and information.

By bidding out this service, we have been able to obtain a higher level of service at a lower cost for our residents. Every three years the City evaluates the existing contract and negotiates new terms with the service provider.  If unable to reach what the City believes to be the best possible deal, we then accept new bids.

Truck Route:

The route shown below has been selected by the Georgia Department of Transportation for the Ball Ground Truck Bypass.  Please click the image for more detail.  As it stands currently, the State does not plan to allocate funding for this project until 2030 but the City will continue to work closely with County and State officials in hopes of expediting this timeline. For more information on this project, please see the full study linked below this image or contact City Hall.

Old Dawsonville Road Traffic Impact Study:

A&R Engineering has performed a traffic impact study for Old Dawsonville Road, focusing on the Farmer’s Crossing development currently under construction and the proposed Fitts Property subdivision across the street. This study presents the analysis of the existing and future conditions of Old Dawsonville Road, Groover Street, and William Court. It also assesses impacts to the transportation system brought on by these two developments before making recommendations for alleviating any burdens placed on the roadway by these projects.

Click HERE for the study.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Question:  How much roadway does the City maintain?
Answer: The City of Ball Ground is currently responsible for 18.19 center line miles of roadway.

Question:  Why doesn’t the City do more to repair Gilmer Ferry Road and A. W. Roberts Drive downtown?
Answer:  These are not city streets.  These two streets are part of Georgia State Route 372.  Both roads were originally constructed by the City of Ball Ground as local streets.  In the 1970s the State took both of these streets from the City and deemed them as State Highway.  Now, extensive truck traffic operates on these roads that were never constructed with that purpose in mind.  We continue to work with the State and other agencies in an effort to re-route truck traffic so that repairs on these roadways will last.

Question:  I live in a subdivision.  Who takes care of my streets?
Answer:  When a developer constructs a subdivision, the roads, water lines and sewer lines are considered “private property”.  Once everything is constructed to standard and the subdivision is 80% complete, the developer can ask the City to take over this infrastructure for future maintenance.  The request is presented to Mayor and Council and they vote on whether or not to accept the infrastructure.  Some developers have not asked for the roads to be accepted.  If they do not ask the City to take them, and then subsequently deed them to the City, these roads are considered private and are not eligible for taxpayer dollars to be spent on them.

*** IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING AN EMERGENCY, DIAL 911 ***

What the Ball Ground Police Department lacks in size, it makes up for in the professionalism and high level of service provided to the residents and traveling public!

The Vision:
Through our concern, our enthusiasm, and our contributions as committed law enforcement professionals, we shall make every effort to inspire a sense of community and belonging for all.

Our Mission:
It is our mission to provide a safe haven and respite for all who live and visit our city; to assure quality of life for all; to cherish and maintain honored traditions and principles; and, in these challenging times, to always be innovative and diligent in these pursuits.

Values:
• We value all human life and value the dignity entitled to all lives.
• We value honor, ethics and integrity as the basis for community trust.
• We value professional excellence.
• We value and advocate the inalienable constitutional rights of all victims and the accused.
• We value fair and impartial enforcement of all laws.
• We value all employees and members of the Ball Ground Police Department.
• We value the commitment of our service to our community and its quality of life.

Additional Services:

• Vacation Home Checks – Click to complete and email form to arrange for the Police Department to provide additional security checks on your home or business while you are away.

Department Leadership:

Jamie Gianfala, Chief of Police

Police Primary Number:  678-454-5077
Alternate Number:  770-735-2123

The City of Ball Ground is pleased to offer a wide array of parks and recreation facilities for use by our residents and surrounding communities. To reserve these spaces, please use the button below.

Roberts Lake Trail and Park

Roberts Lake Trail is a hiking trail of moderate difficulty that provides the only access to Roberts Lake Park, a 45-acre green space tract along Long Swamp Creek.  In the 1920s the Roberts Family constructed a dam on Long Swamp Creek creating “Roberts Lake”.  A power generation facility was then constructed using a turbine, and power was then supplied to the City of Ball Ground.  After many years of supplying power to the City, Georgia Power became the regional supplier of power, and they purchased and removed the dam at Roberts Lake.  Ruins of the dam and power generation house remain on the site today and give a wonderful glimpse into our past.

To access the trail-head take Roberts Lake Road to the north off Georgia Highway 372 just east of Downtown Ball Ground (near the Wheeler House).  Once the pavement on Roberts Lake Road ends, a logging road continues for .25 miles to the trailhead.  The logging road only accommodates one-way traffic, so be cautious of other vehicles and at times you may have to pull over and back up to allow others to pass.  From the trailhead parking area (marked with signs) the trail runs .7 miles from the parking lot to the dam site.  The trail is of moderate difficulty with significant grade changes.

Valley District Linear Park

One of the few “almost” flat places in Ball Ground, the Valley District Linear Park provides a scenic and welcoming location for walkers, joggers, and bicyclists to enjoy the great outdoors.    The Valley District Linear Park was made possible by matching Special Local Option Sales Tax dollars with Federal grant dollars and has become the favorite walking destination for many in our community.

Calvin Farmer Multi Use Area

A great location for family fun.  Wide open spaces for picnicking, throwing a Frisbee, or flying a kite.

Sports Complex

A recreational area consisting of a ball field, tennis courts and a basketball court that adjoins Calvin Farmer Park.

CONTACTS

Permits and Inspections: Please call (770) 735-2123 or email mtanner@ballgroundga.gov for all building permits and inspections questions.

Planning and Zoning: Please call (770) 735-2123 for all planning and zoning matters, including annexation, deannexation, rezoning, variances, signs and plan review.

Addressing: Cherokee County GIS is responsible for addressing. Please visit their website for contacts and more information.

Impact Fees (ADOPTED 10/10/24)

• Methodology Report
• Capital Improvement Element (CIE)
• Ordinance

Dates of Public Hearings on Ordinance: 5/30/24 and 7/11/24

Dates of Votes on Ordinance: 5/30/24 and 10/10/24

Annexation Process:
Annexation applications are to be submitted to the City for review before they are provided to Cherokee County for a comment period. County staff has thirty days to review an application and provide comments ahead of a Board of Commissioners meeting, held the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month. The Board will provide official comments to the City on the annexation.

The City holds two hearings on an annexation application with the second hearing taking place after the County has provided comments. The Mayor and Council will render the final decision on an annexation application at this second meeting.

Hard copies of annexation applications and submissions must be provided to City Hall, along with digital versions emailed to City staff. There is no fee associated with annexations.

Rezoning Process:
A digital copy of the Rezoning Application is submitted to City staff and then reviewed by City staff. The application and submittal are then sent to Cherokee County for review and scheduling of a public hearing before the Cherokee County Municipal Planning Commission. Public hearings are held on the 1st Tuesday of each month. The Planning Commission also holds a Work Session on the 3rd Monday of each month, ahead of the public hearing, to discuss the agenda items. The purpose of the public hearing is for the Commission to hear the zoning case and make a recommendation to the City of Ball Ground for approval or denial.

The Mayor and Council will render the final decision on a rezoning application following a public hearing. If a rezoning is in conjunction with an annexation, the annexation process must be completed before a rezoning is considered.

City fees for rezoning applications can be found in the adopted fee schedule linked on this page. Applicants should contact Cherokee County Planning and Zoning for any additional fees associated with the public hearing.

Variance Process:
Any project that requires a variance must have a pre-application meeting with City staff prior to submission of an application. The Board of Zoning Appeals is authorized to hear and decide on variance cases for the City. This body meets on an “as-needed” basis.

Development Permits:

Development plans must be submitted to the Ball Ground City Hall for all proposed developments within the City. The plans will be reviewed for compliance with all City Ordinances. Development permit fees are project specific and are assessed based on the time required for plan review, engineering review, and number of reviews required. The standards of the Cherokee County Water and Sewer Authority have been adopted for water and sewer construction.

Land Disturbing Permits:

The City of Ball Ground is not an issuing authority. All applications for land disturbing activity (LDA) within the City limits must be submitted to the Georgia EPD. No development permits will be issued unless proof of submission to the Georgia EPD is provided.

Sign Approval Process:
New signs and changes to existing signs are reviewed and approved by City staff on a rolling basis. No sign permit is required for maintenance, cleaning, safety modifications, or changes to the COPY AREA only. For more information, see the City’s sign regulations here.