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Commission approves small used‑car lot along Gum Creek Church Road with conditions after heavy neighborhood opposition
Summary
The commission approved rezoning for roughly 0.63 acres at Highway 81 and Gum Creek Church Road to permit motor vehicle sales, restricting cars to 15, requiring hard surfacing, underground drainage and banning on‑site repairs after neighbors submitted hundreds of signatures opposing the use.
Walton County commissioners approved a rezone request to allow a small motor vehicle sales lot on a 0.63‑acre parcel at the Highway 81 and Gum Creek Church Road intersection, subject to several conditions intended to limit traffic, environmental risks and visual impacts.
Applicant Nathaniel (Nate) Sankar told the board he intends to operate a late‑model used car business and drive vehicles to the site from his existing garage roughly 2.3 miles away. “It's gonna be late model cars... I try to stay above $10,000 and above,” Sankar said, and he told commissioners he expects to keep roughly 15 to 18 vehicles on the lot at any time.
Opposition to the request was broad and organized. Residents and nearby property owners cited concerns about traffic, drainage and a decline in neighborhood character if a car lot occupies the corner. John Swope, who led a neighborhood petition effort, told…
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