Commission recommends GA rezoning for small Whitfield parcel to allow second dwelling after family division failed

The Dalton-Whitfield-Varnell Planning Commission recommended approval of a request to rezone 6.5 acres at 421 New Zion Hill Road from Suburban Agriculture to General Agricultural (GA) to permit a second dwelling following a failed family division attempt.

Planning staff said the subject parcel is adjacent to GA and R5 zoned land and that GA zoning would enlarge an adjacent GA district and align with the area's existing agricultural character. Staff also stated the limited parcel size "prevents most agriculture practices that could compete with the established pattern of development in the area."

Applicant Alexandre (Lisandro) Ramirez said the rezoning request would allow him to place a second dwelling on the property for family use; he said he currently lives with his father on the primary residence and plans to put a mobile home for a family member. Steve Curtis, a nearby resident, opposed the rezoning because a manufactured double-wide would sit about 35 to 40 feet from his house and expressed concerns about proximity and whether GA could allow poultry operations. Planning staff advised the parcel is too small for commercial poultry houses and that road access and other constraints limit such uses.

The commission voted to recommend rezoning; commissioners noted that staff's analysis found the GA district compatible with the comprehensive plan and that development of significant agricultural operations is unlikely on a 6.5-acre parcel. The recommendation will go to the Whitfield County Commission for final action.