In the News

New Hilton " Article 1

This is the first in a series of articles about the visions developed for Early County during the recent charrette planning process held by Early County 2055.

The PlaceMakers journeyed to all corners of Early County - Jakin, Damascus, Arlington and Hilton - to uncover Early County's assets and needs to help shape the visions they presented at the end of the charrette.

Taken back by the beauty of the Chattahoochee River and the natural resources in the Hilton area, the idea of a new river village was born.

Charrette director Bill Dennis noted the village could be built anywhere up or down the river.

The village depicted by PlaceMakers artists is bounded by Coheelee Creek to the north, a beautiful winding creek to the south, the Chattahoochee to the west and Highway 62 to the east.

New Hilton is a vision for a complete village appealing to families and retirees.
The village is shown connected to the region on the transit rail line between Dothan and Albany, and would be the only town in the county positioned along the Chattahoochee.

On the eastern end of the village sits three existing churches that provide civic spaces for family reunions and weddings. Center plazas and greens would be reminiscent of similar spaces depicted in Blakely, Jakin, Damascus and Arlington. The western side of the village could be complete with recreation trails, creeks, agriculture land, golf, and the Chattahoochee River.

The village could feature amenities such as a spa, shopping, swimming pool, boating, hunting, fishing, hiking, an 18-hole golf course, coffee shops and vista views. The village also takes advantage of the existing boat ramp near the Coheelee Creek covered bridge.

Connecting to Blakely via rail, tourists in the future could spend the afternoon enjoying the restaurants and sites in town, returning to the village the same day. And, residents of Early County could spend time relaxing and playing in the village.

The village is placed adjacent to the transit rail instead of on the bluffs and river banks which would remain a natural environment for everyone to enjoy.

To view this article online, click here.