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Stephens County planning panel approves conditional use for show pigs at Crawford Circle home
Summary
The Stephens County Planning Commission granted a conditional use permit allowing a Toccoa resident to keep up to two show pigs on a 0.67-acre residential lot, subject to removal by Oct. 31, 2025 unless extended by the commission after review.
The Stephens County Planning Commission on July 1 approved a conditional use permit allowing Dana Horton to keep pigs as show stock at 692 Crawford Circle in Toccoa.
The commission granted the permit for the 0.67-acre property conditioned on the animals being removed by Oct. 31, 2025, unless the owner requests and the county grants an extension after review of code enforcement concerns. The owner told the commission the animals are kept in a covered shelter at the rear of the lot, are cared for daily and would be sold and removed after shows.
The request drew support from Horton, who said the animals are part of Franklin County 4-H and FFA show projects and that neighbors had not complained. "None of the neighbors were even aware that pigs were on the property at the time because we were taking great care of them," Horton said during public comment. Horton added she arranges for weekly manure removal and that her daughters feed and care for the animals every day.
Commission discussion focused on whether to set an expiration date for the permit. Chairman Scott Stroud and other commissioners said they preferred a trial period to allow the family to demonstrate the animals would not create nuisances; some commissioners argued the permit should not automatically run with the land and that future owners would need to seek approval if circumstances changed. One commissioner summed up: if there are no complaints and no code-enforcement actions, the commission would be inclined to allow renewal.
After the public hearing the commission moved to approve the staff recommendation with the time-limited condition. The commission recorded the motion as carried; no roll-call tally was provided in the hearing record.
