4/13/2015 Planning & Zoning Commission Minutes
GORDON COUNTY PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION
PUBLIC HEARING
APRIL 13, 2015
The Gordon County Planning Commission held a Public Hearing on Monday, April 13, 2015 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 Nathan Serritt to approve the minutes of the previous meeting of March 9, 2015. Eddie Smith seconded the motion. All voted aye. The minutes were approved as written.
REZONING APPLICATION #Z15-02, TINA NGUYEN
Chairman Rule read rezoning application #Z15-02, Tina Nguyen, requesting to rezone 62.50 acres located at 363 County Line Road, Resaca, GA from R-6 to A-1. Giles Jones, the attorney for the applicant, represented the request explaining that this property had been rezoned in 2001 from A-1 to R-6 but now the Nguyen’s have bought the property and would like to zone it back to A-1. The plan is to construct 8 poultry houses on this site. The adjoining property has 3 existing poultry houses and the applicant does live in this area as well. Area property owners Chris Smith, Katherine Bowman, and Carmen Jennings spoke in opposition to the request with concerns of noise from the trucks that would come in at night and the smell. Giles Jones then added that the owners could possibly move the driveway further away from neighbors home and also plant vegetation for a buffer. Mr. Jones also pointed out that the present poultry houses already create an odor and he believes that the newer poultry houses have a better ventilation system. All adjoining property owners had been notified.
Ursula Desrosier, Zoning Administrator for Gordon County, recommended that the rezoning request identified as Application #Z15-02 be approved.
Nathan Serritt made the motion to approve the rezoning application identified as #Z15-02 from R-6 to A-1, with the condition that a buffer tree line be planted the length of the property and that the new poultry houses be constructed as deep on the property as possible. Jerry Lovelace seconded the motion. Butch Layson and Eddie Smith voted against the motion. Chairman Rule voted with the motion. The vote was 3 to 2 for approval. The recommendation for approval was sent to the Board of Commissioners.
REZONING APPLICATION #Z15-03, CHARLES & NANCY RICHARDS
(Applicant: Glenda Sloan)
Chairman Rule read rezoning application #Z15-03, Charles and Nancy Richards (applicant: Glenda Sloan), requesting to rezone 8.52 acres located at 4560 Fairmount Highway, Calhoun from A-1 to R-5. Craig Jeup, with JPM Development, LLC, represented the request explaining that JPM Development and Westbrook Housing Development would like to purchase this property if the rezoning is acquired to construct a 64-72 unit apartment complex for affordable housing. JPM and Westbrook have been building for many years and currently operate 10 affordable housing projects. Jaime Layson spoke in opposition to the request explaining that affordable housing that close to the interstate would not be beneficial to possible future businesses looking to locate in Gordon County. Randy Rule asked what the range for rent would be on these units and the answer was $450-$650. Butch Layson commented that Highway 53 was a Commercial Corridor and rezoning to residential would require amending the ULDC. All adjoining property owners had been notified.
Ursula Desrosier, Zoning Administrator for Gordon County, recommended that the rezoning request identified as Application #Z15-03 be approved, with the following condition: All applicable state and local regulations shall be complied with, including but not limited to Gordon County landscaping and buffer requirements.
Butch Layson stated that he would abstain from voting since he owns adjoining property. Eddie Smith made the motion to deny the rezoning application identified as #Z15-03 from A-1 to R-5 since it would not be in line with the comprehensive plan. Jerry Lovelace seconded the motion. Nathan Serritt voted with the motion.
The vote was 3 to 0 for denial. The recommendation for denial was sent to the Board of Commissioners.
ADDITIONAL BUSINESS
Eddie Smith voiced his concerns with the increase in construction of poultry houses in Gordon County. Ursula Desrosier advised him to address the Board of Commissioner at their meeting on April 14, 2015 since that was a subject on their agenda to discuss. There being no additional business, Jerry Lovelace made the motion to adjourn. Butch Layson seconded the motion. All voted aye. The meeting was adjourned at 7:10 p.m.
