[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,73,85,97],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":55,"_72":55},"mediaId",6248775,"mediaKeyId","3209115-c4250884cc50cde8991ce7529fddf8e9","parentId",3209115,"title","Several family-split rezoning requests set for May hearings; staff reports most meet comp plan","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",167000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3209115-c4250884cc50cde8991ce7529fddf8e9&start=167&end=167","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3209115-c4250884cc50cde8991ce7529fddf8e9/thumbnail_167000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6248775/Madison-County/Georgia/Several-family-split-rezoning-requests-set-for-May-hearings-staff-reports-most-meet-comp-plan","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6248775-43771486b9dc95656fb08668a6aa4254/orig.mp4?Expires=1775131808&Signature=eeJ7n~0Q1hvepv8ZPXkgMyZmU-TbwP0gg~lxRDF1NkHppySsi5OBndYZCLvOllhYXvN~EpkKhfG7gOtZb1zD8pySr1mngvRvTmp4Jqf541gQYYAyssFY~7vrUU35Xp7UaUwKD-wcxoXYf5wFci7KE-chmu6-swrFhYD4EcOWN2l6~GJ19h0yM57gY6wKLVDC6GDWa6oOTcCH4Z579FzXGEdFCJBvXEBwIwzOsZHYGCykMZZb1qjTrrLMwI0WtdPUSsFTM~KX8WxBGa1DsraC-~K0I6eHbYwUJMJKnUugX8rk4l0bl3VEaovYnz~Er5qFN2t1t3R93RZo2G5h03jI-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-07T11:23:54.113Z","article","Madison County planning staff presented a group of rezoning applications for May public hearings that largely involve property owners splitting acreage to retain a home site and sell or gift adjoining tracts to relatives.

Items presented included: Bridal Watkins seeking to split 26.51 acres to create two tracts at 12.751 and 13.763 acres; K. Tracy Galloway requesting rezoning of a 2-acre portion of a 17.14-acre parcel to combine with adjacent AR land; Royce Bray on behalf of Herman Fields requesting a 4-acre gift to a nephew from a 20-acre parcel; Nick and Heather Jefferson requesting a 10.94-acre split that staff said would breach a conservation contract with an estimated penalty of about $8,800 but that the owners acknowledged and said they would pay; and Eric Borders, on behalf of Jerry Wakefield, requesting a dual rezone to split roughly 11 acres into an R1 lot to retain and an AR lot to sell as part of estate division.

Staff told the board most of the applications have “ample road frontage” and that zoning changes are consistent with the county comprehensive plan, although some parcels are in conservation contracts (CUVA) and may carry penalties or require appraisal review. Commissioners asked routine questions about minimum lot sizes, prior splits, and whether remaining parcels would meet lot-size requirements. In some cases commissioners and staff discussed the number of prior splits and whether a three-year waiting period applied.

At the start of the meeting staff also gave a brief recap of the previous night’s Board of Commissioners meeting, noting that the county commission largely followed the planning board’s recommendations and that a contentious concrete plant item drew a large public turnout and was decided 5–0 in line with staff recommendation; the presenter said one commissioner advocated otherwise but that the commission ultimately followed the recommendation.

The transcript segment provided does not include formal votes on these May items; they were presented for public hearing scheduling and will return to the board for action at the May public hearings.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","5/6/2025 Madison County Planning and Zoning RBM","oneSentenceSummary","Madison County staff presented multiple rezoning applications for May public hearings — mostly family splits to create home sites — and said the applications generally meet the comprehensive plan and have adequate road frontage; one application cited a CUVA penalty the owner agreed to pay.","taxTitle","Madison County, Georgia","taxId",28540,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":74,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":75,"_41":76,"_43":77,"_45":78,"_46":79,"_48":80,"_50":81,"_52":82,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":83,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":84,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":55,"_72":55},6248782,"Owner seeks dual rezone to split 8.1 acres for family; staff says the transaction won’t breach conservation contract",127,1852000,1979000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3209115-c4250884cc50cde8991ce7529fddf8e9&start=1852&end=1979","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3209115-c4250884cc50cde8991ce7529fddf8e9/thumbnail_1852000.jpg","/articles/6248782/Madison-County/Georgia/Owner-seeks-dual-rezone-to-split-81-acres-for-family-staff-says-the-transaction-wont-breach-conservation-contract","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6248782-8a1eb9b276adfffc7ccebb8a07bf147d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775131808&Signature=cDZXaP6XXULzQqWJ0Nvrkj0KwkfKciqa2FZo69NEM~BxcNUSJzx7n6q2bVJA3997ztJSgTo6Bfuh30lqTj2RRTFQW4SFs881hcn6SIKeNczy8QB-nB4e6GT-tKVMdjLwC-o8m7xQHev6wud5iivAcw3naPHCTMhiioLFNu-NMw3tPV6u2xOuo895~JB5OWexWn~QLvQYS9~NsY0q7a3ttqtv7jMLCD-lvsQBrKFGIZPiVChgFhhVQBSfpwuGj8R80YoWpWEpy5tk2hs5fRJqWx3fRZ~MoFcLx2aI8aabl~P42Vzfr8IlDxndHK71v76YR6HWxUX0T5~XJhpxAe8Zgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a Madison County zoning hearing, applicant Tara Eck presented a dual rezoning request on behalf of property owner Donna Caine to split an 8.1-acre portion of a 23.6-acre parcel and rezone the remainder to bring the property into compliance with zoning rules.

Eck said the 8.1-acre parcel would be rezoned to AR and sold to a niece and her husband as a home site; the remaining 15.5 acres containing Ms. Caine’s existing home would be rezoned as required because it no longer meets A1 minimum lot-size standards. Staff said the 8.1-acre split will be accessed by an easement due to topography and three ponds on the tract, and that the easement will serve solely that new parcel.

Staff told the board the property is enrolled in a conservation contract but is in the last year of that contract and that the county’s property valuation office determined the proposed split will not constitute a breach of the contract. The applicant said the split is intended to allow Ms. Caine’s niece and husband to live nearby after the recent death of Ms. Caine’s husband.

No final action was recorded in the transcript excerpt provided; the discussion centered on access, topography constraints requiring an easement, and the county appraisal office’s review of CUVA implications.","Donna Caine, through applicant Tara Eck, asked to split 8.1 acres from a 23.6-acre property and rezone the remainder to bring the parcel into compliance; staff said the split will be served by an easement and, because the CUVA contract is in its last year, the county’s property valuation determined this transaction will not constitute a breach.",{"_33":86,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":87,"_41":88,"_43":89,"_45":90,"_46":91,"_48":92,"_50":93,"_52":94,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":95,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":96,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":55,"_72":55},6248787,"Owner seeks family split; county says existing easement exempts parcel from driveway paving requirement",122,1428000,1550000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3209115-c4250884cc50cde8991ce7529fddf8e9&start=1428&end=1550","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3209115-c4250884cc50cde8991ce7529fddf8e9/thumbnail_1428000.jpg","/articles/6248787/Madison-County/Georgia/Owner-seeks-family-split-county-says-existing-easement-exempts-parcel-from-driveway-paving-requirement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6248787-94df88475f11abbe668c60afe2831289/orig.mp4?Expires=1775131808&Signature=G12gX7OWQJZiDSAPpdr47VUeybTNK1S-xB42cjrDgpaJKjPoKmOLGRqwlaz2bQEZbAfzMGo7La-ECBCsMPcAs9m7qpYc7~kzNS9vMmKuU0NLgyAj~awuX20uixUSApRneQ9UI7kyOAlyzLTb3lGsAXlrxndBn~~1Wtpb51Pn-Fg1kdz704c~Yqfvnh5c1QhDP5yZkpMpsu3GsqVx0vw5TlS6VcvuLBoQ1J5ukn~YpZF2IN~GJPhSvoaHx-zEeOToqKhkGjq4oLcHdFln-zsqLir9woGxBLzGh7GYfuJA5hrerBjzuP~eVo8PNt0b4jU92UeoY56nNWa5cy6etTvmnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a Madison County zoning hearing, Andrew Saunders requested rezoning of a 5.6-acre portion of a 40.97-acre property from A1 to AR so the acreage can be split for a family member’s home site.

County staff told the hearing the 5.6-acre parcel will be served by an existing recorded easement that already serves three other tracts. That easement was platted and recorded in February 2022, before the county adopted its driveway ordinance in May 2022; staff said the easement is exempt from the driveway ordinance and will not require paving or county road upgrades.

Staff also noted the property’s earlier parcel history: the larger 95-acre parent parcel was previously subdivided and that the three-year waiting period for additional splits had expired, allowing the requested split. Saunders told the board he has no plans for future splits and indicated he would accept a condition preventing further division if the board requires one.

Commissioners asked whether additional splits would trigger subdivision and road improvements; staff explained that further subdivision using the easement could require the owner to bring the access up to county standards and potentially pay for improvements. No formal vote on the rezoning was recorded in the provided transcript segment.","Andrew Saunders asked to split 5.6 acres from a 40.97-acre tract for a family home site; staff said the split uses an existing recorded easement that predates the county’s driveway ordinance, so paving and road upgrades are not required.",{"_33":98,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":99,"_41":100,"_43":101,"_45":102,"_46":103,"_48":104,"_50":105,"_52":106,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":107,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":108,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":55,"_72":55},6248791,"Owner seeks rezone of 6.32 acres after county says adding land breached conservation contract",181,573000,754000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3209115-c4250884cc50cde8991ce7529fddf8e9&start=573&end=754","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3209115-c4250884cc50cde8991ce7529fddf8e9/thumbnail_573000.jpg","/articles/6248791/Madison-County/Georgia/Owner-seeks-rezone-of-632-acres-after-county-says-adding-land-breached-conservation-contract","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6248791-5beaba7122dba547ea0f4251d9868635/orig.mp4?Expires=1775131808&Signature=HrKr3nkeSS1EU4QkTxyX-jd--cFulfJpMSPdGBmgbtHc7BBIuatba80PnbQjAg~ZWeQxSLBg4yw7nNWUbm-A6TVYp5RA-P6HpO7i0xKn9lNBd~1fVwxM-WlMMBdYkAG-YKe-pISjbeScG3~-36kE~DD6oa6hdVOMS-mVY4OGtCdFb6JQQKflEi2MVQ-EQQFg~U9z8Ev4CFFKlX9D0iGAZuFNpRSUdon40H0QpM7kt1wKYX8GXhgfaOud8-cQdrpLSZJmK6lRn5fbs38NfnWDIEn73-z8uNLYslvo0dL4oiDitc3UENyM2khCtyKSBKONqjaSkXEXEMLdPy4jsc0l3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a Madison County zoning hearing, Pierce Sullivan requested rezoning of a 6.32-acre portion of a 31.92-acre tract from A1 to AR so the acreage can be split off and avoid a conservation-use contract breach.

The request arises after a county conservation-use valuation (CUVA) review found that combining the 6.32-acre tract with an adjacent 25.6-acre tract breached the property’s CUVA contract. Chief appraiser Robin Baker told the board the acreage “cannot be added to a tract without breaching it” and that the only corrective step was to remove the 6.32 acres from the combined tract.

County staff told the board the parent parcel originally measured about 50.6 acres and was previously split into tracts; the prior rezoning and splits met minimum-lot-size rules at the time. The CUVA breach notice dated March 26, 2025, triggered the current request. The applicant said the rezone is needed to correct the CUVA violation; the county records show the affected 6.32-acre portion lacks direct road frontage and would require a 30-foot easement across an adjoining property to provide access.

Commissioners and other participants pressed staff on why the breach was not detected earlier, with at least one commissioner saying the owner spent money and effort on a process that could have been flagged sooner. Staff acknowledged the concern and said corrective referrals to the appropriate county offices were possible but that the immediate question before the hearing was whether to allow the rezoning to resolve the acreage configuration.

No formal vote on final approval of the rezoning was recorded in the transcript segment provided; the discussion focused on the parcel history, the CUVA determinations, and the proposed access easement.

The applicant faces a potential penalty tied to the CUVA breach if the split is not processed; county staff described the rezoning request as intended to restore the acreage configuration that would comply with CUVA rules.","Pierce Sullivan asked Madison County planning officials to rezone 6.32 acres to fix a conservation-use (CUVA) breach that county staff and the chief appraiser said occurred when acreage was combined; the parcel has no road frontage and would need a 30-foot easement for access.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Several family-split rezoning requests set for May hearings; staff reports most meet comp plan

Owner seeks dual rezone to split 8.1 acres for family; staff says the transaction won’t breach conservation contract

Owner seeks family split; county says existing easement exempts parcel from driveway paving requirement

Owner seeks rezone of 6.32 acres after county says adding land breached conservation contract