Staff recommends adding poultry to county 'livestock' definition after auction‑barn dispute

Madison County planning staff asked the county planning and zoning body to recommend an amendment to the county zoning ordinance that would add poultry to the local definition of "livestock," bringing the county definition in line with the Official Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.). The change was prompted by a withdrawn application for a livestock sales pavilion that applicants said would include poultry.

Planning staff said the change would address a gap exposed during the recent Zac Hightower application, which was withdrawn from the public hearing. Under current county language, poultry is excluded from the definition of livestock; matching the O.C.G.A. would explicitly allow poultry as part of livestock sales in A1 zones. Staff said they voted at a commissioners' meeting to forward the proposed amendment for advertising and public hearing.

The proposed change matters because it could alter whether poultry sales at a livestock pavilion require a conditional‑use permit. Staff told the planning and zoning body that a livestock sales pavilion is an allowed use in the A1 zone; poultry currently sits outside the county's livestock definition and would require a separate review if not added. With poultry included, proponents would not need a conditional‑use approval specifically for poultry sales, though other permitting and site requirements would still apply.

Commissioners and staff discussed practical concerns raised during prior public comment and meetings: truck turning and circulation on the site, proximity of some neighbors to the pavilion, and the potential for trucks and attendees to block access during events. Staff reported that three immediate neighbors in Commissioner Adams's district told staff they expected to work at the facility and that the only nearby complaint staff had received came from a more distant resident. Staff also noted that the applicants had considered a full auction barn designation but that a more limited livestock sales pavilion would better describe the proposed use.

Staff said advertising for the ordinance amendment had been sent and gave a schedule for review: the planning and zoning board will discuss the amendment at its next meeting (advertising and public‑hearing schedule indicated an August 19 public hearing before the board and a subsequent county commission hearing on September 2, with a follow‑up on or about September 8). Staff emphasized the proposal was not intended as a "knee‑jerk" response but as a technical alignment with state code prompted by the Hightower matter.

No formal zoning change was adopted at this meeting; the Hightower applicants withdrew their agenda item before a commission decision. Staff said that, as written, a livestock sales pavilion is an allowed use in A1 and that applicants may currently operate a livestock sales business that excludes poultry; if the definition is amended, poultry would be explicitly permitted under that land‑use category.

Next steps include the advertised public hearings and deliberation by the planning and zoning board, followed by a commissioners' decision. Staff recommended the board review the language changes and forward a recommendation to the commission.