Proposed mountaintop dragon inflames Georgia community. 'An abomination before the Lord'

Miguel Legoas, Augusta Chronicle
·2 min read
25
This dragon sculpture with a 10-foot wingspan made by Derek McCarthy from Washington served as a model for a proposed dragon with a 160-foot wingspan to be built on a mountain near Hiawassee, GA.
This dragon sculpture with a 10-foot wingspan made by Derek McCarthy from Washington served as a model for a proposed dragon with a 160-foot wingspan to be built on a mountain near Hiawassee, GA.

A dragon has fired up the residents of a small mountain town in north Georgia.

Mike Parrish, a developer out of Asheville, NC, presented to Hiawassee's city council plans to build a massive dragon sculpture on top of a nearby mountain as part of a unique castle getaway concept.

The proposed dragon, which would have been visible to passers-by, was slated to be more than 30 feet tall with a 160-foot wingspan and would resemble Smaug from J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit." He explained during his initial June 27 presentation how he loves to do projects that bring fantasy to life, having already built a Lord of the Rings-inspired AirBnb in the Asheville area and is currently in the process of building a starship.

While the sculpture would have been on private property, Parrish had to obtain a Mountain Act Protection permit due to the elevation of the property, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. These permits are issued by local government agencies.

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The June meeting was light-hearted with plenty of laughs. However, in following weeks, opposition formed. Notable comments from residents to Parrish during a July 24 city council work session included:

  • "It ruins the beauty and the natural feeling of the outdoors."

  • "Most of the people here, we want to honor and glorify God in everything that we do. That, quite frankly, is an abomination before the Lord and it breaks my heart."

  • "One thing that concerns me more than anything is the amount of tourists that are going to come from around the world that are going to want to see the dragon of Hiawassee. This town cannot handle the amount of traffic and tourists that are going to come here. You're going to destroy this town."

Comments opposed to the dragon continued for about an hour. In addition, a petition circulated on Care2 with more than 1,500 signatures in opposition of the dragon. While the site also has petitions in support of Parrish's idea, they don't have nearly the same amount of backing.

"If I'd have received that at that first meeting, I would have backed off at that point," Parrish said.

By the end of the July 24 session, Parrish said he would reconsider his plans and instead may build a smaller dragon only visible from his home. He is also reconsidering the design of his home but promises it will be eccentric.

"I've met people since then and it hadn't changed my thoughts about Hiawassee," he said. "I love it there, I'm looking forward to moving there."

Hiawassee has a population of about 1,000 and is located just south of the North Carolina border, about 20 miles north of Helen, Ga.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Proposed mountaintop dragon sculpture angers Hiawassee, Ga. residents