Planning commission recommends rezoning for Arbor Wood Company at County Road 62 after neighbor complaints about traffic, outdoor storage

The DeKalb County Planning Commission voted Jan. 15 to recommend that the County Commissioners rezone about 10 acres at 6878 County Road 62 in Saint Joe from A2 (agricultural) to I3 (high‑intensity industrial), forwarding the petition to the commissioners with an 8‑1 roll call vote.

The recommendation would bring the parcel currently used by Arbor Wood Company into zoning compliance with its manufacturing use and allow modest expansion, including a proposed third kiln. Jason Holman, who identified himself as a representative of Arbor Wood Company and as a longtime operator at the site, described the company’s process and the planned expansion. "We cook wood to a high temperature, and it... makes it water resistant, and makes it rot resistant," Holman said, adding the process uses no chemicals and the company is planning a small additional kiln to increase capacity.

Why it matters: The request would convert a property that county staff described as a legal nonconforming industrial use into an explicit heavy‑manufacturing zoning district. That change affects permitted uses (including outdoor storage and open uses allowed in I3), setback requirements, and the county’s ability to attach conditions when development permits are later sought. Neighbors said the rezoning would affect their daily life and property values; the planning commission’s favorable recommendation moves the decision to the County Commissioners, who will consider the petition on Jan. 18 at 9 a.m.

Discussion and…