[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-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",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":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,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6180756,"mediaKeyId","5116708-deac8f8e12099b9cea3e772c3f5bef58","parentId",5116708,"title","Newton County approves Jolly Solar project after months of debate","audioSeconds",6160,"startMs",410000,"endMs",6570000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5116708-deac8f8e12099b9cea3e772c3f5bef58&start=410&end=6570","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5116708-deac8f8e12099b9cea3e772c3f5bef58/thumbnail_410000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6180756/Newton-County/Georgia/Newton-County-approves-Jolly-Solar-project-after-months-of-debate","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6180756-2a7c4524037cfe0d6c5b687176609fc9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204320&Signature=ZDpXLYX79u90wlJxrpNCv5fjmrpB2DhRoS82BZpPE8mW7fQlHC88a4Dh8UWlYiUaitE3rO0JS7FHYhwe4K4EpBtwf4IRsDAM9JjFncejxkoLSBfWYKC0k-VPP-PJlkzC3BJMucEPrnvgUczLhvETrJ4bRjFlvDDkU4y2CBTISvHAzRSZ9Qw5Ry8s48OY4TUdR9lQOhvDy4O9X0JCGRJUXi4CtFILmvoUZYZPvTq9jkNyanfD9-GgMhKqL1AWfaKxWvk7RZzKwYwj-nsRGyrI~Rci1y14HeKdumUVxW2kEH35fteSyisbttmBa-q8UCh918UyP-lsfLYjJreAz4xciQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-07-02T14:53:12Z","article","Newton County commissioners approved a conditional use permit on July 1 for a large-scale solar facility proposed for the Jolly Farm properties along Brown Bridge and Magnet roads.

Supporters said the project offers a lower-impact alternative to residential development and will bring clean energy and tax revenue; neighbors raised concerns about buffers, property values, health and panel disposal. The county approved the permit with a set of staff-recommended conditions addressing buffers, fencing, tree removal and decommissioning.

The project applicant proposes a 14-megawatt alternating-current ground-mounted solar array contained within a fenced area of about 132 acres of the roughly 332-acre site, with the remaining acreage to remain undisturbed. Snapping Shoals EMC and Green Power EMC are the utility partners identified in the application; Snapping Shoals officials told the board they will oversee construction and ongoing maintenance.

At the public comment portion of the hearing, residents from nearby Trotters Walk and adjacent subdivisions repeatedly said the planned arrays would be at their back doors. \"Would you want to live beside the solar plant? Would you want your health to potentially be at risk due to the electromagnetic fields?\" asked Donna Yopf, a Trotters Walk resident. Erin Shaw, who said her property abuts the proposed facility, told commissioners she worried about runoff and erosion: \"Should the erosion methods not be sufficient or any of them should fail, I'm going to end up with water or could potentially end up with serious water issues on my property from runoff.\"

Supporters, including residents who live farther away and representatives of Snapping Shoals EMC, urged approval. Snapping Shoals Vice President Chris Wood said Snapping Shoals has operated in the area for decades and will be responsible for maintenance: \"We maintain and monitor things. We will be overseeing the project.\" Nicholas Hamm of Green Power EMC told the board that solar is a mature technology and that the company adjusted the site plan in response to neighborhood concerns: \"When we heard issues from neighbors that we could accommodate, we adjusted the design.\"

Planning staff described the proposal and the county's solar ordinance provisions, and noted that the applicant revised the plan after the May community meeting: the array was shifted away from the Trotters Walk subdivision, and the applicant increased the perimeter buffer to 100 feet and proposed agrovoltaic uses and managed grazing inside the fenced area. Staff recommended approval with conditions including a requirement that the area inside the fence not exceed 132 acres, a minimum 100-foot buffer from residential dwellings, a 6-foot opaque fence where the project directly abuts a subdivision, and a cap on tree removal to no more than 50% of existing tree coverage unless replacement plantings are provided. Staff also noted that a decommissioning plan must be submitted and that detailed stormwater, land-disturbance and permitting review will be required before construction.

Commissioners debated neighborhood concerns, economic trade-offs and what alternative uses might occur if the project were denied; some speakers said a large subdivision could bring more traffic, schools and public-safety impacts. Chairman Patrick Mason said he had solicited community input and weighed the responses before moving the motion to approve the conditional use permit with staff recommendations. The board voted to approve the CUP; the planner will require the applicant to complete a minor plat combining the affected parcels and to obtain all necessary permits and external agency approvals prior to construction.

Next steps: the applicant must finalize the minor plat and submit land-disturbance, stormwater and building permit applications. The county's approvals do not remove requirements for state or federal permits that may apply to wetlands and utility interconnections. Commissioners and staff said they would continue to monitor compliance with the conditions approved by the board.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Newton County BOC Regular Meeting July 1, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Newton County commissioners approved a conditional use permit on July 1 for a large-scale solar facility proposed for the Jolly Farm properties along Brown Bridge and Magnet roads.","taxTitle","Newton County, Georgia","taxId",28541,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6180741,"Commissioners approve two future‑land‑use amendments in District 2 to enable small family conveyances and subdividing",1522,1973000,3495000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5116708-deac8f8e12099b9cea3e772c3f5bef58&start=1973&end=3495","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5116708-deac8f8e12099b9cea3e772c3f5bef58/thumbnail_1973000.jpg","/articles/6180741/Newton-County/Georgia/Commissioners-approve-two-futurelanduse-amendments-in-District-2-to-enable-small-family-conveyances-and-subdividing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6180741-e10070fbf05a60ba73a1787f0ed46bd2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204320&Signature=lH5Dx5W2WhQ350c5-wPOqdsTLtzIjBANjcQqrhyhlL0bbgceZz5kFDu4Bz1pw9iTddn~d96o8vdrPzK-oswuE6bhhpiUPZLCMjsd~2spbbJc~MK-kSU531dp0Q3-8NOw7eBaeOXnWdjiEC0Uwpv1VDRkow~89Kcpf90WDJxljCDx~XzbRt2WMvAOWSqyBOAm4Sr8dh0GG12V8lyFj65YtCkWjdMuHICd6nTW0a9KbjxSpZ~oG4B-ol1i6-3n1eQoo7L~czpBStrJNM3aJkTG-XrXzSMbLtIQqL-umHl7e1wq2NeIRg-GiW~ZlVawRU3fp-CbyAZjGiqsU0cbJBcqaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Newton County commissioners approved two future land‑use map amendments July 1 for properties in District 2, each described by staff as a down‑zoning step to allow later rezoning to agricultural residential (AR) and modest subdivision or family conveyance.

Case FLU25-000001 (6610 Highway 20): owner Brianna Scott sought to change the future land‑use designation from commercial to rural residential for a 10.32‑acre parcel to enable a family conveyance and division into three one‑acre lots for family members. Planning staff said the application corrected a boundary easement issue that had delayed earlier hearings; the parcel lies in the South River watershed and the emerging suburban character area. Scott told the board she and relatives want adjacent lots for shared childcare and family support.

Case FLU25-000003 (off Richard Chapel Road): the applicant requested to change the future land use from residential to rural residential for a long, narrow parcel to enable rezoning to AR and creation of three lots. Staff explained the parcel lacks sufficient contiguous road frontage to create conventional lots without producing flag lots; rezoning to AR is the mechanism the applicant proposes to lawfully create the proposed configuration. The planning commission previously reviewed the parcel and recommended denial in April because the applicant was not present; the board held questions and staff confirmed required notices were provided.

Commissioners discussed the implications of flag lots and whether the amendments would allow smaller subdivisions than a major subdivision would. Planning staff emphasized that FLU amendments are a planning tool and that subsequent rezoning applications would return to the board and could include conditions. The board approved both FLU amendments; any rezoning requests will be considered as separate formal actions with the opportunity for public comment.

Next steps: applicants who pursue rezoning must submit formal rezoning applications and plats; Development Services will process those requests and the board will consider rezoning and any conditions at a future meeting.

","The board approved two future land use (FLU) amendments in District 2 that staff described as down‑zonings to enable agricultural residential rezones for family conveyances or to allow three-lot subdivisions; planning staff said both amendments are consistent with the comprehensive plan and will return to the board if rezoning is sought.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6180745,"Commissioners grant conditional use permit for Lubin family’s seasonal events and weddings",738,3624000,4362000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5116708-deac8f8e12099b9cea3e772c3f5bef58&start=3624&end=4362","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5116708-deac8f8e12099b9cea3e772c3f5bef58/thumbnail_3624000.jpg","/articles/6180745/Newton-County/Georgia/Commissioners-grant-conditional-use-permit-for-Lubin-familys-seasonal-events-and-weddings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6180745-e7f5fdb8abe4632b298f6718d229d099/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204320&Signature=ngv9WQg0GAgdWANhZRLxWG7Fv7FbSsYFQ1-cy58RYumfgjbAlTHEVTwIAhkz8I~GQh6wWBmadEca06ewnpyHS4JDM0lXeGqxc1Rl5oaOnWxlejZFUiuWH7R4zonJuS-jZW00H-uH8FwSZkYuSenlzVibyUYgwoGhffqgNvPn789wHE8HBKBks6NY~z0d4EjSq6I6enIwW-t2olvzqfKw6wudhaH-sMhyr7aP3hx2skjjI1f~cgRg6ifz4fgFZ0nSeKVncjAW1wsTqouIj1k4IjpdT0SO3zyQwI6vHNHZmDuNMdps2Za2WU8~SfOTapXy5BNoYaj9nNhe5hy9c~gqMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Newton County commissioners on July 1 approved a conditional use permit allowing Richard and Devin Lubin to operate a private events facility on their 10-acre property at 910 Duncan Road, subject to staff‑recommended conditions and an additional condition that the permit not automatically transfer to a future owner.

The Lubins told the board they plan to host private weddings, family reunions, seasonal hay‑rides and a Christmas light display. They said events will be by appointment and that on‑site parking for up to 60 cars, parking attendants and emergency access plans will be provided. \"We're just trying to give something back to the community,\" Richard Lubin said.

Several neighbors spoke in favor or said they were not opposed if the Lubins manage traffic and noise. One nearby resident said thefts on the dirt road had concerned him in the past and asked that event parking not block the road. Planning staff said conditional‑use permits allow the board to review the operation and to add conditions to protect the surrounding rural character; staff also said the board may require the applicant to return for rezoning if conditions are not met.

Commissioner Jason McCaffer moved approval with the standard staff conditions and the additional stipulation that the permit expire if the property is sold, thereby requiring any new owner to reapply. Commissioner Henderson seconded the motion; the board approved the CUP. Staff said the Lubins must maintain on‑site parking, adhere to noise and lighting controls, and obtain any required alcohol‑service permits through county processes if a private event includes a bartender.

Next steps: applicant to coordinate with Development Services on permit compliance; county to include condition that the CUP is owner‑specific so a change of ownership would require a new board review.

","Newton County approved a conditional use permit for a private special‑events facility at 910 Duncan Road with staff-recommended conditions and a stipulation that the permit not automatically transfer to future owners; the Lubins said events will be private, family‑oriented and will include parking controls and managed traffic.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6180751,"Board approves T‑Mobile tower near Alcovy High School to improve coverage",843,6605000,7448000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5116708-deac8f8e12099b9cea3e772c3f5bef58&start=6605&end=7448","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5116708-deac8f8e12099b9cea3e772c3f5bef58/thumbnail_6605000.jpg","/articles/6180751/Newton-County/Georgia/Board-approves-TMobile-tower-near-Alcovy-High-School-to-improve-coverage","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6180751-8071dbe25126d3d8870bfddea33466cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204320&Signature=oFqbwPFfhZn4c3nAmrlcK-q3UUpR9Qdu2QoBBmWjLPC2ogWBmjJMJRSGH8xnmvSwYY1c9lI1HLjPg-CFXcz9jIzqrHGAqxgIuekkTVqd14rVP8zrdBYFPT0Hbl92l0dYEZelptVhKpNi-hncDwFxEl76axOZORux3Vb4V83h01mHWPPHaNcTPvNmnAn3sJoGmQoaEMQ4k7WTtC0~wVqbQeOkBuc9XweE7rNVbUOM4v6hhXMYvqYNvaG63DaGnzW7poT8WFJKa~ywjULDaNUvTh0Iel6cLjitQTTY6KNrtrqbJiq7a9XC38v82C03hco6d8YZlx56HqUlUpM--pz3NA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Newton County commissioners voted July 1 to approve a conditional use permit for a new 195‑foot monopole telecommunications tower proposed at 14327 Highway 36, a property that lies near Alcovy High School.

The project’s applicant told the board the tower will be enclosed in a roughly 60-by-60-foot compound inside a 100-by-100 leased area, accessed by an existing driveway apron from Highway 36. The compound will be surrounded by a minimum 6-foot opaque fence and evergreen trees as required by the zoning ordinance. The county’s conditions require the monopole to accommodate emergency‑services equipment below the third antenna and to meet or exceed the tower‑setback standards in section 5.10.6.30 of the zoning code.

Supporters included Alcovey High School staff who said cellular coverage at the school has been unreliable. \"We can hardly make phone calls. There have been several emergencies that have taken place where we have not been able to make phone calls,\" said teacher Brian Coates, who urged approval for student and staff safety. The engineering consultant for APC Towers confirmed the site meets ordinance requirements and exceeds required setbacks.

Planning staff recommended approval after verifying setbacks, landscaping and compound design meet the county’s wireless-telecommunications standards. The proposed tower’s required setback equals tower height; staff said the planned separation distances exceed that requirement. The board approved the conditional use permit; the applicant must file final plans, a landscaping plan and any necessary land‑disturbance permits before constructing the facility.

Next steps: applicant to submit final construction and landscaping plans for Development Services review and to obtain any required state permits. County staff said they will verify compliance with the landscaping and fencing conditions before issuing a certificate of occupancy or activating the site.

","County commissioners granted a conditional use permit for a new 195‑foot monopole telecommunications tower at 14327 Highway 36 after staff review; the project includes a locked compound, 6‑foot opaque fencing and evergreen screening and is sited to comply with setback rules.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Newton County approves Jolly Solar project after months of debate

Commissioners approve two future‑land‑use amendments in District 2 to enable small family conveyances and subdividing

Commissioners grant conditional use permit for Lubin family’s seasonal events and weddings

Board approves T‑Mobile tower near Alcovy High School to improve coverage