Commission approves rezoning request despite opposition

KCaulder@CalhounTimes.com

The Gordon County Board of Commissioners approved a rezoning request for a 36.6 acre property at 3538 Highway 41 S. despite opposition feedback from an adjoining property owner earlier this week.

The rezoning request from OWR. LLC was to change from A-1 (residential) to I-2 (heavy industrial). The applicant also plans to ask for a variance to reduce buffer strip between the property and adjoining properties from 250 feet to 20 feet on its north and east sides, 40 feet on the west side that fronts Highway 41 and 30 feet on the south end of the property that fronts Trimble Hollow Road. The request for rezoning had a recommendation for approval from the planning commission.

During the public hearing on Tuesday, attorney Steve Williams, who represents adjoining property owner Alberta Lewis Jones, who lives on Trimble Hollow Road, argued that while they would not oppose the zone change, they did not support the request to modify setbacks.

“Our position is that Ms. Jones doesn’t like having heavy industrial being right by her house, but we understand the reality of it, so I won’t oppose that change in zoning,” Williams said. “What’s before the board tonight is simply the zoning and not the setbacks, but the owner has asked the planning commission to modify the setbacks. That’s not before the board tonight, but we want to appeal that modification waiver of setbacks and we will be back before the board at that time. Ms. Jones is going to object to the setback of 30 feet.”

Williams also warned that property owners on the east side of the property were likely to oppose the setback modifications.

Applicant attorney Terry Brumlow did not speak about the setbacks at length on Tuesday because they were not part of the request being presented. Instead, he focused on the benefit of rezoning the area to heavy industrial.

“There is a large company that is interested in buying the building on this property along with additional acreage to put a campus here that will provide jobs for our economy here in Gordon County,” he said, noting that the name of that company cannot yet be disclosed.

The approval from the commissioners was unanimous.

In other business, the commissioners:

Approved a request to rezone a property at 200 Fin Road in Ranger from R-6 to RA-1 to allow for the construction of a home on the property.

Approved a request to rezone a property at 631 Highway 41 in Ranger from A-1 to R-6 to allow the property owner to place a manufactured home on the property to either rent or sale for extra income.

Approved an ordinance amendment for the fire protection ordinance to modify wording.

Approved an ordinance amendment for Licenses and Business Regulations for Record of Transactions of Pawnbrokers to modify wording.

Re-appointed Dewayne Bowen to the Northwest Georgia RC&D Council for a one-year term ending on Dec. 31.