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Paulding County considers six-month moratorium on most residential rezoning applications
Summary
County staff proposed a six-month pause on accepting rezoning applications for residential subdivisions while the county updates its unified development regulations; agricultural and large-lot residential requests would be exempted, and builders urged more public input.
The Paulding County Board of Commissioners discussed a proposal to impose a six-month moratorium on accepting rezoning applications for residential subdivisions to allow county staff to finish updates to the Unified Development Ordinance.
The moratorium, presented by planning staff member Anne Litman, would halt acceptance of rezoning applications for residential subdivisions in most zoning districts for up to six months but would exempt A-1 (agricultural), ER (estate residential) and R-1 (rural residential) zoning. Litman said projects that already have the required zoning would be allowed to proceed “as a matter of right.”
Litman told the board the county’s development regulations date to 1999 and are being integrated into a new UDO. She said the county is projecting final updated regulations in September and recommended a wording change to the draft resolution to allow rezoning of assemblages of parcels rather than restricting single-parcel requests.
Local builders and contractors urged caution. Jonathan Jones, a local business owner and member of the building industry, said the moratorium threatens small local contractors who rely on steady closings and warned that extended pauses in permitting concentrate advantage with larger firms. "Little guys can't weather big storms and have trouble weathering little storms," Jones said during public comment.
A commissioner who identified himself as a member of the construction industry said the board understands the anxiety and pledged to solicit input from builders before changes are finalized. That speaker emphasized the board’s intent to provide the building community opportunities to comment during the drafting process.
The transcript records discussion of resolution 2025-19 and public comments but does not record a final vote on the moratorium in this meeting.
