Dalton council approves a series of rezonings, zoning text amendment, budget amendment and merchant agreement

The Dalton City Council on its recent meeting approved a Whitfield County unified zoning text amendment addressing commercial poultry farming, seven separate rezoning ordinances for parcels in Dalton, the city’s final 2024 budget amendment and a merchant processing agreement for Knob North Golf Course.

The zoning text amendment (ordinance 2-5-02) raises siting standards for commercial poultry farming in the Unified Zoning Ordinance applicable to unincorporated Whitfield County; the county Board of Commissioners had approved the same amendment earlier that week. Andrew Calhoun, city planning staff, told the council that “the important takeaway though is that this only applies to unincorporated Whitfield County,” and that because the county maintains a unified ordinance, the City of Dalton was being asked to adopt the same text amendment.

The council also approved seven second-reading rezoning ordinances affecting small parcels across the city. Most received staff and planning commission recommendations for approval; several included conditions described in the ordinances (for example, one rezoning was conditioned on the property meeting the Unified Zoning Ordinance’s commercial parking standards before any commercial use, and another required that vehicles or equipment scheduled for repair be stored on private property and not in public parking). The council approved the requests by voice vote.

Separately, the council approved the final 2024 comprehensive budget amendment, described by finance staff as largely housekeeping: transfers between funds and final interest adjustments to close out fiscal 2024. The council then approved a merchant processing agreement for the city’s range ball vending machine at Knob North Golf Course and authorized staff to sign the related forms so the machine can be serviced and updated.

Votes at a glance - Ordinance 2-5-02 (Unified Zoning Ordinance text amendment — commercial poultry farming): approved (second reading). Applies to unincorporated Whitfield County; county Board approved the amendment earlier that week. Condition: not applicable. - Ordinance 2-5-03 (rezoning, 436 S. Glenwood Ave., R-5 to C-2, ~0.38 acres): approved (second reading). Condition: subject tract must comply with commercial parking standards before any commercial use. - Ordinance 2-5-04 (rezoning, 909 Riverbend Rd., M-2 to R-6, ~0.41 acres): approved (second reading). - Ordinance 2-5-05 (rezoning, Water St., M-2 to R-5, ~0.996 acres): approved (second reading). - Ordinance 2-5-06 (rezoning, 400 S. Hamilton St., C-4 to C-3, ~0.34 acres): approved (second reading). Condition A (in ordinance): automobiles or equipment scheduled for service/repair must be stored on private property and not in public parking. - Ordinance 2-5-07 (rezoning, Cartel Drive, M-2 to R-5, ~1.36 acres): approved (second reading). - Ordinance 2-5-08 (rezoning, 404 W. Hawthorne St., C-1 to C-1A, ~0.18 acres): approved (second reading). - 2024 Budget Amendment No. 6 (final 2024 amendment for general, special revenue and CIP funds): approved. Described as transfers and final interest adjustments to close fiscal 2024. - Merchant processing agreement with Heartland for Knob North Golf Course: approved; staff authorized to sign required forms.

The approvals were handled as second readings or routine consent items and were adopted by voice vote. When staff noted conditions (for example, parking compliance or on-site storage of vehicles), those conditions were included in the ordinances the council approved.

The actions change zoning classifications and clarify development conditions on the affected parcels; they also finalize internal budget bookkeeping for 2024 and allow the golf-course vendor transaction to proceed.