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Commissioners accept planning commission recommendations on seven items; residents renew opposition to data center and rezoning
Summary
The board voted 4-0 to accept planning commission recommendations on seven zoning cases, including rezoning one parcel to SA instead of the originally requested R-5; public commenters at the meeting pressed commissioners on Board of Assessors appointments, senior homestead exemptions and the data center approval.
Whitfield County commissioners voted May 12 to accept the planning commission’s recommendations on seven zoning items from the most recent planning board meeting. Commissioner Robbins moved to accept all seven recommendations; the motion was seconded by Commissioner Staton and passed 4-0.
Commissioners said one application that had prompted citizen concern was revised from an original request for R-5 (residential) to SA zoning; county staff and commissioners said the change satisfied both the zoning board and citizens present at earlier hearings. Two other items identified as letters b and f on the packet were denied by the planning commission and that denial stood when commissioners accepted the recommendations.
During public comment later in the meeting, several residents raised separate but related concerns. Margaret Wolf asked whether commissioners could rescind appointments to the Board of Assessors; the board replied its authority to remove appointees is limited to specific statutory grounds such as residency changes and not for dissatisfaction with decisions. Deborah Gordon and other residents questioned the county’s involvement with a proposed data center, saying there had been several public objections; commissioners said they considered public input and materials submitted but that the board had approved the project at a prior meeting.
Lisa Adams told commissioners she has assembled a team to research rezoning and new construction approvals from the past year and said she intends to hold commissioners accountable to the oath of office. Commissioners thanked speakers, noted the procedures available to residents and closed public comment before moving into executive session on personnel matters.
The meeting record did not show any immediate changes to earlier votes on the data center or to recent assessor appointments.
