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Commission approves Villarrica Highway self‑storage rezoning and special‑use permit
Summary
The Planning Commission approved a request to rezone 1.747 acres to B‑2 and grant a special‑use permit for a self‑storage facility that joins an existing, approved commercial parcel; approval includes six staff stipulations and conditions for buffering and screening to address neighbor concerns.
The Paulding County Planning Commission approved a rezoning and special‑use permit to add roughly 1.747 acres to an existing B‑2 commercial tract for a proposed self‑storage facility and retail building along Villarrica Highway, voting 6–0–1 in favor of both applications with six staff stipulations.
The 1.7‑acre parcel sits behind an earlier approved 5.933‑acre B‑2 site that received a special‑use permit in 2022 for a self‑storage project. The current applications would join the smaller parcel to the larger tract, allowing the overall developer to complete a commercial building facing Villarrica Highway and storage buildings to the rear.
Applicant counsel said the proposal is consistent with the character and future land‑use classification for the area and that the conditions mirror those in the 2022 approval. The applicant told the commission the plan includes a heavy buffer between the proposed storage buildings and the adjacent residential property and agreed to use opaque screening and an eight‑foot fence along the property edge to reduce visual impacts for nearby residents.
Neighbor Jim Newport, who owns property south of the site, said he opposes additional commercial uses near his home but the applicant’s representative noted the site plan shows a minimum 40‑foot buffer where the project adjoins residential parcels. The applicant also committed to opaque fencing and heavy landscaping along the shared boundary. The applicant characterized the use as low intensity, single‑story storage buildings and said the design incorporates buffering and screening to reduce noise and visual impacts.
Planning Commission member Roger Leggett moved for approval with the six printed stipulations; the motion passed 6–0–1 and the commission recorded the vote. The rezoning and special‑use permit will proceed to permitting and plan review; the applicant must coordinate any required Georgia Department of Transportation approvals for the highway frontage and meet conditions set by county staff.
