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Commissioners approve Hope Ranch agritourism conditional use; applicants licensed and inspected by state and USDA

3865502 · June 18, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Gilvin and Shannon Ballen received conditional use approval for a 30‑acre agritourism operation called Hope Ranch Zoo; the county recorded conditions including occupational licensing and required state and federal animal permits.

The Effingham County Board of Commissioners granted conditional‑use approval on June 17 to Gilvin and Shannon Ballen for an agritourism operation called Hope Ranch Zoo at 1383 George Hurst Road.

Planning staff said the proposal covers about 10 of the site’s 30 acres for public agritourism uses, including animal enclosures, a gift shop and parking. Staff’s written conditions require the applicants to obtain and maintain an Effingham County occupational tax certificate, hold applicable U.S. Department of…

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