Walker County Newsletter Issue 69 - June 2022
EPA Awards Walker County Grant to Assess Brownfield Sites
Walker County and the cities of Chickamauga, LaFayette and Rossville will share a $500,000 grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to perform brownfield assessments and develop cleanup plans on up to 30 sites.
A number of sites will be assessed with redevelopment in mind. They include the Crystal Springs Print Works Mill in Chickamauga and the former Peerless Woolen Mills in Rossville. “These sites are prime for redevelopment due to their city center locations,” said Elizabeth Wells, Economic Development Consultant, LaFayette/Rossville. “But, environmental contamination and the cost of cleanup have inhibited site reuse. Through environmental assessment and site-specific risk screening, these properties can be cleared for redevelopment.”
Redevelopment plans for these sites could include affordable housing and commercial storefronts, as well as green space. “Brownfield redevelopment will promote economic success for these communities, including new employment opportunities, increased property values and additional tax revenue, which will help to provide improved health outcomes and quality of life,” said Chairman Shannon Whitfield, Walker County Board of Commissioners.
“The support of our state partners played a key role in Walker County being awarded this grant,” added Whitfield. “Our communities lack the funding to initiate a brownfield program on our own, due to the vast number of brownfield sites from the mill industry. Senator Jeff Mullis, Representative Mike Cameron and Representative Steve Tarvin helped us make a case for using grant dollars to augment local resources so brownfield assessments can support economic development goals and diminish blight.”
The grant includes funding to contract with an environmental consultant to assist with the brownfield assessments, which will begin later this year. A plan for each site identified for cleanup will be developed to include an evaluation of cleanup alternatives, calculated cleanup costs, and site appropriate remediation and reuse to reduce health and environmental risks.
A series of public meetings will be scheduled in late 2022 to meet with property owners interested in having their land considered for brownfield assessment.
Home Sales Surge, Pushing Property Values Higher in Walker County
Strong home sales over the past year continued to push property values higher in Walker County. Recently mailed assessment notices show another substantial increase in value for many home and land owners.
"There are places where a couple of years ago, we had a house that sold for $200,000. Last year it sold for $300,000. This year it sold for $400,000,” said Terry Gilreath, Chief Appraiser. “So, that sort of thing is common, so we are having to constantly chase those numbers."
During a recent presentation to the Walker County Board of Commissioners, Gilreath reported property values increased an average of 25% this year. "It's not stopping, it's not easing up. The values of course, they keep going up. The sales are ridiculous," said Gilreath.
The Greater Chattanooga Realtors organization tracks sales in Walker, Catoosa and Dade counties in northwest Georgia, along with Hamilton and Sequatchie counties in southeast Tennessee. Their data shows the median sales price in this region increased 20.5% in April to $302,500. Just a year ago, the median sales price for the region was $260,000.
The housing inventory in the region also continues to hover at or below a one month supply. Gilreath pointed to demand for the limited supply of homes as the driving force behind the surge in home values. “The same house I was telling you about that sold three times had a $100,000 increase each year. When you have hundreds of them like that, it winds up affecting everybody else.”
The Walker County Assessors Office, which typically processes about 1,500 deeds a year, reviewed nearly 4,000 sales transactions last year. “The values are constantly going up and we don't see when it's going to end,” added Gilreath.
While property values are higher, that doesn’t directly translate into an increase in property taxes. Assessment Notices recently mailed to property owners provide a tax “estimate.” The millage rate set by governing authorities, such as the Walker County Board of Commissioners and Walker County Board of Education, determines how much will be owed. Those rates won’t be set until later this summer.
In 2021, the Walker County Board of Commissioners rolled back the county’s millage rate to minimize the impact of the higher appraisal values.
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