Whitfield County planners recommend R5-to-GA rezoning despite neighbors' poultry concerns

A majority of the Dalton-Whitfield-Varnell Planning Commission recommended approval of a petition to rezone 73 acres owned by Joe Stanley Moore from R5 to General Agricultural (GA).

The recommendation, made after a public hearing, followed staff testimony that the parcel is surrounded by GA, SA and R5 zoned land and that GA zoning would align the tract with the area's rural agricultural character. Tyler White, of the Northwest Georgia regional office, summarized the staff recommendation to approve, saying the GA district "would be a good fit for the rural agricultural reserve character area of the comprehensive plan."

Tom Cosby, representing Moore, told the commission his client had purchased a larger 2,200-acre tract and that the rezoning would make the remaining parcel consistent with the rest of the ownership. Cosby said, "my client doesn't have any intention of putting any poultry farms on the property, but he would oppose any restriction on his land."

Several neighbors opposed the rezoning at the public hearing. Diane Stanley, who lives on South River Bend Road, said she feared commercial poultry or swine operations and described numerous nearby poultry houses: "By allowing the rezoning it is forcing adjoining property owners to live on a poultry farm." Alex Tucker, an adjoining landowner, said his family moved to the area expecting agriculture and timber, and he said he "support[s] the decision" to keep the land agricultural rather than residential. Resident Mike Key asked whether the commission or county could attach conditions to prohibit poultry or swine; planning staff replied such a condition could only be a recommendation from the commission and ultimate restrictions would be up to the county commissioners.

Commission members debated whether to recommend conditions. The commission's recommendation was a motion to approve the rezoning without additional conditions; the motion carried with a second and the recorded voice vote produced "the ayes have it." The commission noted this is only a recommendation; the county commission will make the final decision.

Documentation presented at the hearing showed existing concentrations of commercial poultry houses nearby and neighbors displayed a map of properties they said were within a short distance of existing poultry operations. Planning staff reiterated that the GA zone allows agricultural uses consistent with the comprehensive plan and that the rezoning request was intended to align the parcel's zoning with adjoining GA parcels.

The commission's approval advances the request to the Whitfield County Commission; no county action occurred at the planning meeting.