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Tuesday, October 27, 2015 – 6:30 p.m.
Courthouse Annex, 79 Jackson Street, Zebulon, Georgia
All five commissioners are present, County Clerk Jo Ann Wrye to take the minutes, County Manager (CM) John Hanson, and County Attorneys Rob and Tom Morton. The room was standing room only with people lining the walls and standing outside too. Citizens were there primarily to voice their opinions on the rezoning for the property at Hwy 18 and Bottoms Road and the horse arena.
1. CALL TO ORDER....................................................................................Chairman J. Briar Johnson
2. INVOCATION……………………………………………………………………………Ben Maxedon
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE...................................................................Chairman J. Briar Johnson
4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA - (O.C.G A. § 50-14-1 (e) (1))
CM Hanson added an Executive Session to discuss Pending and Potential Business prior to New Business on the agenda. Approved 5-0.
5. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES - (O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1(e) (2))
a. Minutes of the October 14, 2015 Regular Monthly Meeting.
6. INVITED GUESTS - None
7. REPORTS FROM COMMISSIONS, DEPARTMENTS, COMMITTEES, AUTHORITIES
a. Monthly Reports submitted from County Departments and County Authorities, including a Revenue/Expenditure Statement for all departments, and a summary check register. There are no Department reports as they will be provided during the first Board meeting of November. Revenue/Expenditure Statement and Detail Check Register is included.
b. County Manager Report
▫ Update on County finances for the following funds/accounts:
General Fund ............................................................................................ $1,395,383.35
Fire Dept. Donations........................................................................................ $1,971.40
Cash Reserve Account................................................................................. $589,484.84
Jail Fund ........................................................................................................ $23,463.15
E-911 Fund .................................................................................................... $17,272.35
DATE Fund ................................................................................................... $35,772.43
Juvenile Court Fund....................................................................................... $15,751.18
Residential Impact Fee ................................................................................ $298,146.48
Commercial Impact Fees ............................................................................... $13,449.10
C.A.I.P FUND................................................................................................. $1,895.63
General Obligation SPLOST Tax Bond Sinking Fund, 2011...................... $547,848.80
L.M.I. Grant (DOT)..................................................................................... $122,660.51
c. County Manager Comments.
Public Works Update. Williamson-Zebulon Road is being worked on now. The rain has set their schedule back, but they are working on it.
We currently have a 75% discount for businesses in the county. Johnson Battery has expanded once already and are looking to expand again. He asked to waive the 25% discount for them. $924.23. This does not include building permits, etc. He has been good to Pike County. Motion to waive the Impact Fee for this expansion for Johnson Battery. Approved 5-0.
There are a lot of items on the agenda that will impact our tax base. He said that we have a low commercial tax base and residents are carrying the tax load for now. He said that we can have smart growth here for our county. 5% commercial is all that we have in our county.
d. Commissioner Reports.
District 4 Jenkins asked a question about rollback money for the county.
e. County Attorney Report to Commissioners.
District 4 Jenkins asked a question about rollback money for the county.
Rob Morton said that Morton and Morton is assisting with the SPLOST at this time and that they are awaiting responses from the cities where they have been invited to participate.
Executive Session at 6:40 p.m.
Back into session at 7:05 p.m.
8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None
9. NEW BUSINESS
a. Consider one appointment to the J. Joel Edwards Library Board to fill a three-year term, set to expire August 31, 2018. Applicant has met criteria
Susan Goodwin. Current chairman and renewal of her term. Motion to approve. Approved 5-0.
b. Approve/deny renewal of Alcohol License (Retail Sales – beer) for Mitul Patel d/b/a Caddie’s Corner, 10030 Hwy. 19 N, Zebulon, GA. Applicant has met criteria.
Motion to approve. Approved 5-0.
c. Approve/deny renewal of Alcohol License (Retail Sales – beer and wine) for Dolores Ferguson d/b/a Ferguson’s, 6764 Hwy. 362, Concord, GA 30206. Applicant has met criteria.
Motion to approve. Approved 5-0.
d. Consider Tax Refund/Relief Application from Randy Corbin.
Motion to approve. Approved 5-0.
As we moved to the Public Hearing portion of the meeting, Chairman Johnson thanked everyone for coming to the meeting. He asked for quiet and for no outbursts. He said that a deputy will escort an offender outside if there are any outbursts. There will be 20 minutes for each side and he will be keeping track of the time.
e. PUBLIC HEARING: To receive public input regarding REZ-15-05 – The Development Authority of Pike County, property owner and applicant, is requesting a re-zoning from A-R (Agricultural-Residential) to M-2B (Manufacturing-Heavy) to develop a commercial / industrial business on the property. The subject property, located off of U.S. Hwy. 41, has approximately 325 feet of frontage along the western side of U.S. Hwy. 41. The property is located in Land Lot 164 of the 2nd District of Pike County, Georgia. The property consists of 6.76 acres and is further identified as a portion of Tax Map Parcel #088 043.
ACTION: Discuss/Approve/Deny
e. Rob Morton asked if commissioners wanted to do e and f together. Motion to consider both items e and f together. Approved 5-0.
Planning and Development Director David Allen gave an overview of these two items. K & K Manufacturing paints tractor trailers and they are looking to move from Spalding to Pike County. They live here in Pike. This went before the Planning Commission on October 8, 2015. The Planning Commission recommended for approval with conditions: annual business license, layout and materials confirm to Overlay standards, GDOT approval on the driveway, signage conform to sign ordinance with one additional requirement for a detailed landscape plan be reviewed and approved by the Director of Planning and Development. An Environmental Hearing was held on this. They are not handling any toxic materials other than paint, etc. so the Environmental Review Committee recommended approval with a separate containment area for paint. Director Allen commended the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) for picking a good candidate for this area.
IN FAVOR:
Steve Reeves spoke on behalf of the IDA tonight. He said that this is a suitable place for industry and offered to answer any questions.
Several citizens spoke and said that this business provides quality work and would be good for Pike County.
OPPOSITION:
No opposition.
Public hearing is closed. Discussion from the Commissioners. Commissioner Powers said that he knows their work and it good. Motion to approve with these conditions. Commissioner Guy said that he has also had work done by this company, that Mr. Kendall was a good man and that this is good for the community. CM Hanson commended the IDA for putting this together. He said that he appreciates all the work of all parties on this and that the county looks forward to them being here. Approved 5-0.
f. PUBLIC HEARING: To receive public input regarding ERC-15-01 – The Development Authority of Pike County, property owner and applicant, is requesting a re-zoning from A-R (Agricultural-Residential) to M-2B (Manufacturing-Heavy) to develop a commercial / industrial business on the property. The subject property, located off of U.S. Hwy. 41, has approximately 325 feet of frontage along the western side of U.S. Hwy. 41. The property is located in Land Lot 164 of the 2nd District of Pike County, Georgia. The property consists of 6.76 acres and is further identified as a portion of Tax Map Parcel #088 043.
ACTION: Discuss/Approve/Deny
Approved with item e above.
g. PUBLIC HEARING: To receive public input regarding SUB15-02 - Johnny Bertram, property owner, and Steve Godwin, applicant, are requesting preliminary plat approval of a 6-lot single family residential subdivision on 25.72 acres located off of Ga. Hwy. 109 East and also off of Walker Road. Said property is zoned A-R (Agricultural-Residential), with approximately 948 feet of frontage along the southern side of Ga. Hwy. 109 and approximately 279 feet of frontage along the western side of Walker Road. The property is located in Land Lot 89 of the 8th Land District of Pike County, Georgia. Property is further identified as Tax Map Parcel Number 093 035.
ACTION: Discuss/Approve/Deny
Director Allen said that this was also before the Planning Commission on October 8, 2015. This is technically a major subdivision, but it is simplified. All of the lots meet Agricultural-Residential (AR) zoning with at least 3 acres and all have well and septic. There are 2 shared driveways and meet DOT requirements.
IN FAVOR:
Steve Godwin said that he and Bertram have been working through this with the county. They have some reputable builders who are going to build 1800 to 2200 square foot homes that will look nice in the county.
OPPOSITION: None.
Public hearing closed. Discussion between the commissioners. Commissioner Powers said that he’s been out there several times, and it looks good to him. Chairman Johnson asked Director Allen about onsite sanitation. He was told that each individual homeowner will get their own septic permit at the time of building. Motion to approve. Powers, Daniel. Approved 5-0.
h. PUBLIC HEARING: To receive public input regarding SE-15-11 – Christ Chapel Community Church, property owner, and Clay and Karen Lewis, applicants, are requesting a special exception in an A-R zoned district to allow for the hosting of special events (weddings, receptions, birthdays, and family gatherings) on the property. The subject property, located off of U.S. Highway 19 North, has approximately 355 feet of frontage along the northwestern side of U.S. Highway 19. The property is located in Land Lot 62 of the 2nd District of Pike County, Georgia. The property consists of 21.31 acres and is further identified as Tax Map Parcel #076 090.
ACTION: Discuss/Approve/Deny
This was brought before the Board of Appeals (BOA) on October 15, 2015. The property is currently owned by Christ Chapel and it wants to sell it to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis. They want to build an event barn on the property behind the house. This is 21 acres total. BOA recommended approval with conditions: annual business license, not violate sign ordinance, not violate litter ordinance, no vehicle parking on Hwy 19, it is subject to Overlay Ordinance, building permits will be required, and a Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) driveway is required. Planning Commission members gave an opinion that they would rather see the joined driveway paved.
IN FAVOR:
Mr. Lewis wants to build a house on the property and a barn for this. He said that 95% of the business on the property will be on the weekends so traffic isn’t going to be a problem. They want to live here and have this here in the county. They didn’t look anywhere else. It should hold about 150 people with a kitchen, 2 changing rooms, and bathrooms. They hope to hire 3 to 5 part-time workers. The DOT has required an entry and an exit driveway but no deceleration lane. There were some concerns about the hours of operation there. 10 or 11 a.m. start for the day for business, and there will be no concerts there.
Two citizens spoke and said that this is an opportunity for our county to have people come into our county who have never been here before and that there is a big demand for a venue like this. Both said that it would be good for the county.
OPPOSITION: None.
Public hearing closed. Discussion. Motion to approve with conditions. Jenkins, Daniel. Approved 5-0. [Note from the Editor: There is another motion that pertains to this at the very end of the meeting. There were three conditions that were not read aloud and Director Allen made sure to get them on the record.]
i. PUBLIC HEARING: To receive public input regarding SE-15-12 - John R. and Rosalyn B. Boren, property owners and applicants, are requesting a special exception in an A-R zoned district to allow for large-scale, public equine related events at the arena on the subject property. The property, located on Concord Road, has approximately 500 feet of frontage along the eastern side of Concord Road. The property is located in Land Lot 203 of the 1st District of Pike County, Georgia. The property consists of 107.51 acres and is further identified as Tax Map Parcel #026 029B.
ACTION: Discuss/Approve/Deny
Director Allen gave the overview. This went before the Board of Appeals (BOA) on October 15. This went before the BOA in December of last year and was recommended for approval, but he pulled it prior to the Commission meeting due to unresolved issues at that time. The BOA recommended for approval with conditions: concession stand needs final approval by the Health Department and Planning and Development Office, no parking on the shoulders of the road or on adjacent properties, no trespassing or horses on adjacent properties, no littering or animal waste on adjacent properties, hours of operation for large scale events will be 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Fridays or Saturdays only, large scale events held a maximum of once a month and will advise the county prior, non-transferable, will obtain an annual business license, this approval is non-transferable from one property owner to another, night sky friendly lighting, abide by the sign ordinance, noise to be addressed by the Sheriff's Office, a privacy fence and screen should be installed along the arena property prior to any large scale events, and no overnight camping on the property. He suggested that the commissioners have a discussion about large scale versus not and practices versus events and what constitutes practices. He noted that there are letters for and against and a petition for it in the commissioners' packets.
IN FAVOR:
John Boren said that they withdrew the first request that he had made some mistakes along the way by holding events without permits and were not allowed on the property at the time. He said that he found out after the fact that could not hold a large scale event on an AR property but that he could apply for a special exception. He said that what he would like to have is no more than 2 practices per week and one event per week. There were 700 entries at the last event. He said that a large event would be more than 200 entries per event with no more than 4 per year. A medium sized event would be 75 plus entries with no more than 6 per year. And anything else would be small. Monday through Thursday, lights will be out at 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 11:30 p.m. And if they are allowed to hold anything on Sunday, lights will be out at 8 p.m.
[Note from the Editor: I did not get everyone's name (it was so loud in the meeting with a full house!) so I am not going into super detail with every single person. Please keep in mind that there was 20 minutes of discussion for each side too so it was a LOT of info to try to keep up with in a loud room as I have already said. Here is the gist of it.]
Several parents and grandparents said that they support this and their kids and grandkids go there. One parent said that she has to drive to Jackson or Heard Counties for her kids to practice so it is good for them to be able to practice here so they can go on to participate on a national level. This parent asked commissioners to think about horse children and not just football, etc. kids. A drill team Mom spoke in favor of it. One man asked everyone who came in support of the arena to raise their hands and there were a lot of hands raised for the commissioners. It was mentioned several times that there is nothing else like this around here and that it's needed. One man said that the nearby gas station sold out of diesel and snacks at that one event earlier this year and noted how that will help local businesses and the county as a whole. A real estate agent said that the properties adjacent to the arena will not be affected positively or negatively by this because properties are marketed to a target audience. A nearby neighbor said that he thinks that it will help maintain property values and may even bring people into the county. A neighbor from across the road told commissioners that he lives directly across the road and that he was gone the day of the show and came back home and didn’t even know that they had had a show that day. Several said that this is convenient and good for the citizens of our county and pointed out how it can help the county. [Note from the Editor: More would have spoken but only 20 minutes allowed total. It started raining and the commissioners opened up the hallway to the commission office to get people in out of the rain. I didn't get a head count and wish that I had now! It is the best attended meeting that we have had in a while.]
OPPOSITION:
One neighbor said that he moved from Atlanta for country living. He went to the barrel racing event there and thought it was great... until he got home and could hear the race times all day and all night. He said that he thought changing the positions of the PA system would help at first, but not now. He asked that there be stipulations on large events and asked if there was a way to meet in the middle with maybe 2 large events per year like the Concord Jubilee or even one big event per quarter so things would be organized and people could either choose to attend or go out of town and Ferguson’s could make sure to have extra diesel fuel. He handed each of the commissioners a piece of paper and asked to address that again at the end.
Nancy Boren said that the owners of the property have already violated the rules and that it makes life unbearable for the neighbors. She cited noise from the events and trailers and said that she doesn't have a problem with horse riding but that it needs to be done in a way that doesn't affect the neighbors. She asked for clear, precise definitions for events. The nearest neighbor cited the proximity of the structure to his house saying that there is 107 acres and it is 100 yards from his front door. He said that the constant activity there already is unbearable, that he can no longer leave his home or vehicles unlocked, and that there was no consideration of the neighbors when this was conceived. He said that none of the people who raised their hands are as affected as he is and asked for denial.
[Note from the Editor: There were two attorneys present at the meeting and either one or both could have been the reason for the Executive Session that was added prior to this part of the meeting.] Attorney David Brisendine spoke on behalf of Nancy Boren. He said that commissioners need to look at how the initial application was obtained—it was for personal use only. He said that a site plan could have mitigated problems with the neighbors. He said that if Mr. Boren had gone through the proper process that the Planning and Development Director could be an advocate for the property. He said that this building was just built a year ago and that it appears that it is in the most intrusive position on the property. He said that this appears to be a family squabble, but he thinks that if different people lived there, he thinks that there would be the same concerns.
Another person discussed whether an event would be on a Friday or Saturday or whether it would be on a Friday and Saturday for one event. His concern was people camping out at two day events as well as the noise. He said that he spoke with the Sheriff about how a noise complaint could be handled and was told that since the county doesn't have a noise ordinance, there is not much that they can do.
Closed the public hearing. Commissioner Daniel asked for permission to ask a question to Mr. Boren, Sr. about two day events. Mr. Boren said that it was not a two day event and that he does not plan on holding two day events. Chairman Johnson asked David Allen a question. Director Allen said that in the absence of a noise ordinance, the Sheriff's Office could only ask them to quiet things down. CUVA has been investigated and addressed and will run out in 14 months. Commissioner Daniel then asked about drill team practices and whether that is considered an event. In December, small scale events included drill team practices. It was noted that there should be a balance of government on this without asking permission for every single thing that is held out there like drill team practices though it was noted that the team roping, barrel racing, etc. are the large scale events that need to be approved by the Board of Appeals. County Attorney Rob Morton has a list of permitted uses and a list of items for special exceptions. The commissioners can amend this list as well. He said that this is not presently regulated but the county can clarify this if they would like. It was asked if the county could stipulate that the PA system not be allowed during the week days? Yes.
Director Allen said that government shouldn’t be involved in the small stuff, but that big events should be and that now we have middle ground with middle sized events that needs to be defined. Commissioner Jenkins said that we don’t have anything about how long they can be there and asked for clarification. He asked if having trailers out there overnight or over a large period of time should be addressed.
Chairman Johnson said that the commission is concerned about the neighbors who live there. He also said that this is a good idea for the county. He said that he would like to address the hours of operation and wants to see them be able to close earlier at night and be able to be out there on Sundays. Director Allen said that it was stated that there would be no two day events, but County Attorney Rob Morton said that it was asked for Sunday approval as well.
Commissioner Daniel said that he wanted to see some middle ground too and that he was concerned with the number of participants and the middle ground of a middle sized event. Director Allen said that neighbors want to be able to prepare for an event, but it seems like it is constant. CM Hanson said that the best way to do this is by registration and this could be done prior to the event. He suggested 50 and under is small and anything else is large—maybe there should be no middle ground. He said that we can’t regulate who shows up, but registration could be cut off to ensure compliance.
Chairman Johnson said that the county should address practices that are not regulated by the county. CM Hanson said that community related practices can’t be regulated. County Attorney Rob Morton said that the current recommendation is for Fridays and Saturdays and that no big events can take place during the week. There is a football team that practices during the week right down the road. He suggested that the county regulate the hours and define events by participants. CM Hanson said that the county doesn’t want a gray event where it is said that there will be no awarding of trophies, etc. Discussion of when to cut off practices during the week. Question about soccer, football, etc. Commissioner Daniel suggested 8 p.m. during the week and no public address system during the week. Chairman Johnson suggested 9 p.m. on summer nights. Director Allen said that 8 p.m. would be better.
County Attorney Rob Morton said that he heard only 4 big events a year would be agreeable with both sides. CM Hanson agreed that it would be good to go there and decide what is a large event. Commissioner Powers suggested giving a certain amount of time after an event to vacate the event. Chairman Johnson liked the idea of defining large and small event. Consensus to not have a middle sized event. 49 and under be small. 50 and over would be large. Discussion on how to measure the number of people and decided to not to go with trailers, but to judge the size of an event by the number of participants.
Arena lights and PA system are now recommended to go off at 10:30 p.m. Consensus to go with 11 p.m. on a weekend night. Discussion about Sundays and hours and possibility of treating it like a week day event. Director Allen said that he is opposed to Sundays though he isn’t a commissioner. Commissioner Powers is against Sundays. Discussion that Director Allen will be the one getting complaints about this on Sundays and will have to go out there. Consensus to not allow anything on Sundays--not even practices.
Commissioner Daniel said that any time there is an event, it is an event and was worried about the burden on Planning and Development to keep up with all of this. County Attorney Morton suggested having to provide registration to the county for these events.
[Note from the Editor: I may amend this list after I get the minutes from the county because it was loud, but this is close to the final list of stipulations.]
The concession stand needs final approval by the Health Department and Planning and Development Office, no parking on the shoulders of the road or on adjacent properties, no trespassing on adjacent properties, no littering or animal waste on adjacent properties, hours of operation for large scale events will be 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays or Saturdays only-with lights out and PA system off at 11 p.m., lights out at 8 p.m. during the week and no PA system, no activities on Sundays, only 4 large scale events per year-and the registration list is required in the Planning and Development Office no less than 7 days prior to the event, only 8 small scale events per year, 49 and under participants is a small scale event and 50 participants and above is a large scale event, they will obtain an annual business license, this approval is non-transferable from one property owner to another, night sky friendly lighting, abide by the sign ordinance, no temporary lighting by generators, night friendly lighting, no overnight camping, and it was noted that the current evergreen buffer is not sufficient but that will be handled by Director Allen prior to the first event.
Motion to approve with stipulations that are outlined on the record. Guy, Powers. Approved 5-0.
There was a 10 minute break. Back in Session at 9:17 p.m.
j. PUBLIC HEARING: To receive public input regarding REZ-15-02 – Marjorie B. Harrison, property owner, and Teramore Development, LLC applicant, are requesting a re-zoning of a portion of a former railroad right-of-way from “no zoning” to C-2 (General Commercial) to provide more area for a proposed commercial retail development. The subject property is located off of Bottoms Road. The property is located in Land Lot 110 of the 9thDistrict of Pike County, Georgia. The subject property portion consists of 0.32 acres and is further identified as a portion of Tax Map Parcel #042 027A.
ACTION: Discuss/Approve/Deny
Both j and k were discussed together. Motion to discuss them both together. Approved 5-0.
Director Allen said that this was heard by the Planning Commission on October 8. Conditions are as follows: annual business license, abide by the sign ordinance, night sky friendly, parking lot and driveway comply with building code and standards, grading and erosion plans be approved, standard building and permit fee and Impact Fee, there is a requirement for matching masonry, etc. facing Bottoms Road and Highway 18, shall abide by the commercial standards for building on both Bottoms Road and Highway 18, shall abide by landscaping recommendation.
This is in designated commercial area. The railroad area was deeded back to the property owner in 2003 without a zoning. Need about 1/3 of an acre to be rezoned commercial. Pike Propane will still remain next door. They are also asking that the remainder of this former railroad strip be commercial or agricultural-residential (A-R) depending on where the property sits. [Note from the Editor: Here is the nutshell version on this. The railroad property was deeded back to the owner in 2003 and should have been designated the same as the property around it, but it wasn't. The owner has been paying commercial taxes on this since 2003. A piece of the railroad property is needed for the proposed Dollar General Store. The hearing tonight is on the rezoning of both pieces of railroad property with a mix of requirements for the property on this specific project.]
IN FAVOR:
Attorney Bill Nigel spoke to commissioners and said that this is a unique situation. His client wants to purchase the entire property with part of it being commercial already and a portion that has no designated zoning. He said that they have developed over 100 of these Dollar General Stores throughout the state and they are good at that. This store will bolster the tax base of the county. The Planning Commission approved it. The county planner has approved it. And we ask that you approve it as well.
Tom Hodges addressed access to the store. The store conceded to make some improvements on Bottoms Road that were not budgeted. They have been working on this project for 1 ½ years. He brought documentations, examples, and correspondence with GDOT. He said that the DOT will not allow them to put in a driveway off of Highway 18. The intersection was designed by the DOT and the driveway meets their safety requirements.
Several residents spoke on this. One said that sight distance requirements are being met, this will bring in jobs and growth to the county, and that this meeting wouldn’t have even been needed if that one piece of railroad property had been zoned already. Another said that that if people stayed off of their phones and obeyed the laws, speed wouldn’t be a problem. She said that roads in the county are a problem but without smart commercial tax revenue in the county, we will never be able to fix up anything in this county. She pointed out that Mrs. Harrison has been paying commercial tax on this portion for all of these years and this isn’t fair for her, and the property needs to be given the correct designation. Another said that it would be wonderful to have a Dollar General closer to her and other elderly persons who want something closer. Another supporter said that that there were 7 or 8 stores there when she was young and now there is only 1 ½ stores, and she is tired of not having any place to go to shop. Another said that this is a convenience and will bring jobs to Pike County and that it should help lower her taxes. Another said that it’s about 15 miles for her to go to the grocery store now and she would love to have something a little closer.
OPPOSITION:
One person said that she uses Bottoms Road for a cut through, and it is already a horrible road. She said that having stores within a stones throw of your house isn’t always good, and she moved away from the city to live in the country. Lynn Cunningham wrote a letter to commissioners (that is on my Letters to the Editor page). She says that she is still opposed though it will probably be approved. She addressed convenience and said that there have been several stores selling a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk and none of them lasted long. She said that it is taking her home from residential to commercial and she opposes it. Another spoke in opposition saying that Bottoms Road is a horrible road and it is one of the worst maintained roads in the county. He said that he doesn’t think that this end of the road will hold up to this kind of traffic and that the big trucks are liable to use a short cut to get to the store. He said that he isn’t opposed to it but doesn’t think that putting it in that particular place is wise. Another man commended commissioners for rolling out the red carpet for K&K and that he supports good quality growth in the county. He thinks that it should be well planned and in target areas that are outlined in future land use maps. He asked whether the county wants to target businesses in specific places to help us grow or build lots of little businesses all over the county. Another said that this business is being built in a residential area and that this business will be ugly in this part of the county, that this an outlet for Chinese junk, and that the profits for the county will leave the county. He said that the noise level will go up there and said that this is a dangerous intersection regardless of what the DOT says, and it is an accident waiting to happen. Mike Cox addressed the planning for these types of businesses coming into our county and said that we need a plan for development coming into our county so we don’t have anything being placed “willy-nilly.” He also said that the yellow sign in this area will not be pretty in this location.
Public hearing was closed. Discussion. Commissioner Jenkins asked about Concord and this store. CM Hanson said that Concord did not decline a Dollar General. Pike Propane is a C-2. He asked if there are any other propane businesses that are C-2 there. Yes, there are two other propane businesses out there.
Commissioner Daniel asked the county attorney whether the county could use a development agreement with the business to address the bushes, etc. County Attorney Rob Morton said that this could be used to discuss landscaping, signage, bricks, etc. We have a general building code here but today’s decision just deals with the zoning today. Nothing can be done until the zoning is approved. Commissioner Guy said that there is no question that it should go back to commercial zoning especially because the owner has been paying commercial zoning for years.
Motion to approve the property being zoning C-2 with the stipulations with a development agreement that will need to be approved. Discussion about the addition of a development agreement. Approved 5-0. This vote pertains to the first parcel being rezoned only. County Attorney Rob Morton advised that there will need to be another vote on the rezoning of the other parcel of property for item k. See below.
k. PUBLIC HEARING: To receive public input regarding REZ-15-03 – Marjorie B. Harrison, property owner, and Teramore Development, LLC applicant, are requesting a re-zoning of a portion of a former railroad right-of-way from “no zoning” to C-2 (General Commercial) in conjunction with the existing commercial business adjacent to the subject property portion. The subject property, located off of Bottoms Road and Williams Drive, has approximately 127 feet of frontage along the eastern side of Bottoms Road and approximately 100 feet of frontage along the western side of Williams Drive. The property is located in Land Lot 110 of the 9th District of Pike County, Georgia. The property consists of 1.72 acres and is further identified as a portion of Tax Map Parcel #042 027A. (This portion will be the remainder after the area of Item #2, if it is approved, is removed from the parent parcel.)
ACTION: Discuss/Approve/Deny
Motion to approve. Guy, Powers. Approved 5-0.
l. PUBLIC HEARING: To receive public input regarding REZ-15-04 - Kenneth Rogers, property owner and applicant, is requesting a re-zoning of a portion of a former railroad right-of- way from “no zoning” to A-R (Agricultural-Residential) to join the area with a similarly zoned parcel to its rear. The subject property, located off of Williams Drive and Ga. Hwy. 18, has approximately 100 feet of frontage along the eastern side of Williams Drive and approximately 960 feet of frontage along the northern side of Ga. Hwy. 18. The property is located in Land Lot 110 of the 9th District of Pike County, Georgia. The property consists of approximately 1.73 acres and is further identified as a portion of Tax Map Parcel #042 027A.
ACTION: Discuss/Approve/Deny
The owner is not present so this will have to be readvertised.
h. PUBLIC HEARING: (Further Discussion on this.) To receive public input regarding SE-15-11 – Christ Chapel Community Church, property owner, and Clay and Karen Lewis, applicants, are requesting a special exception in an A-R zoned district to allow for the hosting of special events (weddings, receptions, birthdays, and family gatherings) on the property. The subject property, located off of U.S. Highway 19 North, has approximately 355 feet of frontage along the northwestern side of U.S. Highway 19. The property is located in Land Lot 62 of the 2nd District of Pike County, Georgia. The property consists of 21.31 acres and is further identified as Tax Map Parcel #076 090.
ACTION: Discuss/Approve/Deny
Director David Allen asked commissioners to go back to the item about Mr. Lewis with the church. He said that he neglected to read three conditions on it out loud and brought it back before the commission. Discussion of whether the maker of the motion will ok a friendly amendment on this. Commissioners Jenkins and Daniel agreed. Commissioner Jenkins said that he remembered Director Allen mentioning these but they were not read out loud. Hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Night friendly lighting. Anything outside of the requested events is not allowed. Commissioner Jenkins gave the ok and Commissioner Guy ok’ed it. Approved 5-0.
10. PUBLIC COMMENT- (Limited to 5 minutes per person) - None
11. EXECUTIVE SESSION - None
12. ADJOURNMENT
Agenda subject to revision.
Motion to adjourn. 10:11 p.m
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