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Gordon County commissioners deny rezoning for Highway 53 Spur property
Summary
The Gordon County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to deny application RZ2024‑034, a request to rezone a parcel on Highway 53 Spur from suburban density residential (R3) to general commercial (CG), after neighbors raised concerns about noise, dust and proximity to homes.
The Gordon County Board of Commissioners voted 4‑1 to deny application RZ2024‑034, a request to rezone a parcel at Highway 53 Spur in Calhoun from suburban density residential (R3) to general commercial (CG).
The denial followed public comment from nearby residents who said the proposed use — described by the applicant as equipment parking and future storage of materials — would bring early-morning noise, dust and truck traffic next to existing homes. Planning staff recommended approval with stipulations; the planning commission had voted 4‑1 to deny the application.
Neighbor Britney Smith, who lives at 1833 Highway 53 Spur SW, told commissioners, "It's starting at 05:30 in the morning. It's setting our dogs off. It's waking our kids up. The dirt and debris do fly through the small tree line that's left. So it is going into our pool." Joel Smith, another adjacent property owner, said the proposed operations could introduce heavy machinery and processing that would increase noise and nuisance impacts.
Applicant Alexander Vigil said his business would primarily park equipment and store materials for system installations and that, so far, "usually, 2 or 3 only" pieces of equipment would be on site when not in use. He also said future plans might include a small office building and limited on-site work on equipment.
Commissioners questioned whether the CG zoning category fit the proposed activities, noting a difference between truck/equipment parking and more intensive industrial or material-processing uses. Commissioner discussion referenced a neighbor's home being about 45 feet from the property line and concerns about activities occurring close to that boundary.
A motion to deny the rezoning was made by Commissioner Stewart and seconded by Commissioner Cunningham. Roll call on the motion to deny recorded Stewart: yes; Abernathy: no; Sutherland: yes; Cunningham: yes; Owens: yes. The motion carried, resulting in denial of RZ2024‑034.
The applicant's file lists the Gordon County tax parcel number as 034‑017. Planning materials were incorporated into the record by county staff for commissioners' review.
Next steps: the applicant may pursue administrative appeals or submit a revised application; commissioners did not direct additional staff study during the meeting.
