Commission denies two requests to remove properties from Mill Village overlay

The Spalding County Planning Commission voted unanimously to deny two related future land use map amendment requests that would have removed parcels from the Mill Village overlay district and allowed expanded commercial/manufacturing uses. The first request, presented as a companion application by attorney Stephen Jones for Flume (5 Whitten Avenue), sought to carve about 15–16 acres out of a 23-acre former mill site so an aviation electrical contractor would establish a Georgia base. Jones told commissioners the proposal would "provide an employment center that facilitates the entire purpose of the Mill Village Overlay, which is through revitalization of the neighborhood." He said the operation would occupy the less-sensitive portion of the parcel and leave a buffer to nearby mill‑village residences. Staff recommended denial, saying the property sits inside the East Griffin activity center, the urban proximity area and the Mill Village overlay — all elements of the comprehensive plan that favor residential and mixed-use revitalization rather than new C-2 manufacturing. Commissioners noted recent precedent where nearby former mill parcels have been allowed limited non-residential uses after detailed review, but several members said they were reluctant to alter the future land use map without a stronger demonstration that the change aligned with the plan. "I'm becoming very reluctant to make any change in all of the efforts that went into that," one commissioner said. The second application — a separate owner request at 755 High Falls Road by Anthony Cornaccia — advanced similar arguments: the owner said the property has a 10,000-square-foot building, a concrete slab from the demolished mill and other constraints making residential redevelopment costly. He said listing the property as commercial had diminished its marketability under the overlay. Staff again recommended denial and commissioners voted to follow that recommendation, 5–0. Because both future land use map amendments failed, associated rezoning items tied to them were rendered moot and removed from the agenda. Commissioners instructed staff to maintain communication with the property owners and reminded applicants that staff and commissioners are available to discuss alternatives that work within the comprehensive plan.