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 concerns raised Commissioners and members of the public focused on outdoor storage, truck traffic and overnight staging, noise, on‑site screening, stormwater/discharge from kilns, and the condition of County Road 62. Carlisle Holman, a neighbor at 6854 County Road 62, submitted a written letter and spoke in public comment raising specific concerns: outdoor storage that appears to have expanded, setbacks for storage, whether fencing or screening would be required in I3 zoning, drainage from additional kilns, and increased semi truck traffic including trucks that sometimes park overnight in the driveway adjacent to his home.

Arbor Wood representative Jason Holman and staff provided operational details: current operations run two kilns, with the company reporting roughly 14 kiln loads per month per kiln (about 28 loads a month total), and an intended expansion that would increase capacity by roughly double once a new kiln is installed. Holman described kiln cycles and byproducts: the kiln reaches about 212 degrees Celsius (about 420 degrees Fahrenheit) for several hours, with roughly a 3½–4 day process per batch; water and condensed resins are captured in settling tanks, and newer kiln equipment is designed to reburn emissions so smoke or smell should be reduced.

County staff and applicants said the property has been used for similar industrial activity for years and therefore currently qualifies as a legal nonconforming use under the county’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). Staff noted the I3 district allows heavier manufacturing and outdoor storage that I2 (light manufacturing) does not, and that an I3 designation would permit greater flexibility for future operations. Staff also reported that technical agencies had returned non‑objection letters: DeKalb County Highway Department (Dec. 17), County Board of Health (Dec. 20), DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District (Dec. 18) and county surveyor (Dec. 17).

What commissioners said Commissioners asked about truck volumes, staging, screening and whether the company would be required to add buffers. Staff explained that expansions to an existing building typically proceed through building permits and are not always subject to the development‑plan review that would trigger buffer requirements; because the parcel is adjacent to agricultural zoning (not residential), statutory buffering is not automatically required. Commissioners also discussed whether a less intensive industrial district (I2) would be more appropriate; staff responded that the operation as described (including outdoor storage and potential future intensification) fit the I3 definitions in the UDO.

Vote and next steps A motion for a favorable recommendation on petition 205‑3 carried on a roll call (Angie Holt: yes; Frank Pulver: yes; Bill Van Wy: yes; Tyler Lanning: yes; Sandy Harrison: yes; Suzanne Davis: yes; Bill Hartman: no; Jerry Yoder: yes; Jason Carnahan: yes). The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the DeKalb County Commissioners for final action at their Jan. 18 meeting at 9 a.m. Staff noted that any conditions or commitments adopted by the commissioners would be recorded in the DeKalb County Recorder’s office.

Community context and developer response Holman said Arbor Wood purchased the plant and property from EcoVantage in December 2023 and plans modest expansion to meet demand for siding and decking; he said approximately 13 employees currently work at the plant and the new kiln would add about 6–8 jobs. Neighbors urged screening and better on‑site organization; Holman said the company was open to moving material behind the building, adding hoop‑style covered storage, and improving the plant front to address neighbor concerns.

Remaining issues and implementation If the commission’s recommendation is adopted by the County Commissioners, future physical changes (new kiln, storage structures) will require building permits; staff said some expansions do not trigger the county’s full development plan review, which limits the commission’s ability to impose buffering conditions at the rezoning stage. Commissioners and public speakers emphasized that truck staging on County Road 62 and improvements to the dirt road are matters the Highway Department monitors; staff also noted the Highway Department had provided a non‑objection letter for the petition.

Provenance: transcript excerpts begin where the petition is introduced and conclude with the roll call vote forwarded to the commissioners.