1/11/2016 Planning Zoning Commission Minutes
GORDON COUNTY
PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION MINUTES
JANUARY 11, 2016
The Gordon County Planning Commission held a Public Hearing on Monday, January 11, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. in the Conference Room of the Gordon County Administration Building for the purpose of hearing variance and zoning change requests. Members present were:
Randy Rule, Eddie Smith, Butch Layson, Nathan Serritt, and Jerry Lovelace
Randy Rule called the meeting to order and advised all present of the sign-up sheets available for those who wish to address the Planning Commission on any of the zoning or variance change applications.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion was made by Jerry Lovelace to approve the minutes of the previous meeting of September 14, 2015. Nathan Serritt seconded the motion. All voted aye. The minutes were approved as written.
VARIANCE APPLICATION #V15-05, ALEX & LESLIE LONG GREESON
Chairman Rule read variance application #V15-05, Alex and Leslie Long Greeson, requesting a variance on a 5 acre tract located at 4802J Sugar Valley Road, Sugar Valley, GA. Mr. & Mrs. Greeson represented the application explaining that this 5 acres had been subdivided off from a 20 acre parcel that Mrs. Greeson’s grandfather had bought more than 20 years ago for his 4 grandchildren to each have a 5 acre parcel. They further explained that the property will be accessed by a 30 foot easement road that is shared by others in the area, that the home they would like to build his going to be a 3000 + square foot home, and the home will set 800 to 900 feet from the existing easement.
Alvin Long spoke in support to the proposed variance request stating that his father had purchased this for the intent for his grandchildren, and now 2 of the 4 grandchildren live out of state and the other already has a home in the east side of Gordon County, so the other 15 acres will not be used by them. Also adding that the home they wish to build is a home the community would be proud to have in the area.
Area homeowners, Louis Bondurant, Charles Taylor, Dennis Darrow, and Nancy Worley spoke in opposition to the variance request with concerns of: 1- safety because of the steep grade and visibility, 2 – drainage and issues with well water, 3 – bad feelings between the residents since an agreement for the easement maintenance is not in place, 4 – if this is approved that this would just set precedence for future sub-dividing, and 5 – where would this stop? There was already 6 homes using this easement and the reason many had bought and retired in this area was for the country setting, not to be living in a subdivision.
Mr. and Mrs. Greeson added that this was the dream home they always wanted to build and that their future hope is to be able to purchase the remaining 15 acres from her sister and cousins, so they would have the entire 20 acres. All adjoining property owners had been notified.
Ursula Desrosier, Zoning Administrator for Gordon County, recommended that the variance request identified as Application #V15-05 to reduce the required county road frontage to a 30 feet easement; be approved with the condition that evidence of a permanent easement for access to the property from Sugar Valley Road is submitted to the Gordon County Planning and Development Department.
Butch Layson made the motion to approve the variance application #V15-05, to reduce the required county road frontage to a 30 feet easement; with the condition that evidence of a permanent easement for access to the property from Sugar Valley Road is submitted to the Gordon County Planning and Development Department. Jerry Lovelace seconded the motion. All voted aye. The variance was granted. The thirty-(30) day appeal period was explained.
ADDITIONAL BUSINESS
There being no additional business, Jerry Lovelace made the motion to adjourn. Nathan Seritt seconded the motion. All voted aye. The meeting was adjourned at 6:49 p.m.
