Barnsley Resort opposes proposed mining project in Adairsville

DEAR EDITOR:

On behalf of Barnsley Resort and our employees, members, guests and fellow Adairsville neighbors, we are gravely concerned and adamantly opposed to the proposed Rock Fence Road mining project in Adairsville.

The resort’s peaceful environment, job opportunities, prestigious reputation, and economic contribution to Bartow County are jeopardized if mining comes to the area.

As an outdoor-oriented resort located within the impact area of the proposed mining project, compromised air and water quality will destroy the experience that the community has enjoyed, and the reputation Barnsley Resort has built since it opened in 1999.

Potential destruction to the streams and lakes along the golf course create a risk of losing the protected wetlands on our property, and the wildlife who call this land home. Blasting proposes imminent risk to the historic structure of the 1840s era Manor House Ruins which the community has enjoyed visiting long before the resort was developed.

For our guests and members, imagine playing a round of golf through a cloud of dust or preparing for a special wedding day with the sounds of blasting in the background.

If the mining project is approved, the viability of Barnsley Resort to continue as a premier destination resort should be of concern to the entire county. Reductions in occupancy result in reduced sales tax and SPLOST contributions.

Additionally, Barnsley Resort’s hotelmotel tax collections are the largest in the county, and that tax is allocated to the Cartersville-bartow Convention & Visitors Bureau. Reductions in hotel-motel tax revenue directly reduce the marketing budget which is designed to attract inbound visitors to the county’s world-class museums, historic sites and recreation areas.

Reduced guest room occupancies and the inability to compete with other resort destinations for lucrative wedding and corporate group business also means that we lose hundreds of jobs for hardworking, loyal employees whose livelihoods are also at risk due to the proposed mining project.

We invite all concerned business owners and citizens in Adairsville and Bartow County to join us in voicing an opinion against Yellowstone LLC (or any other party) obtaining mineral rights and future mining development on the Rock Fence Road property. We encourage other community citizens and organizations to join us in signing the community’s petition against this.

Visit Change.org and search “Adairsville No Mining on Rock Fence Road,” sign a written petition at a community meeting in downtown Adairsville on July 23 at 6:30 p.m. or attend the August 3 zoning commission hearing to make your voices heard along with ours.

David M. Friederich, president, The Saul Family, owners Barnsley Resort