Planners recommend amending Candler Road zoning to permit smaller industrial buildings with screening conditions

The Hall County Planning Commission on Monday recommended approval of amended zoning conditions for parcels at 0 and 2010 Candler Road to permit multiple small industrial buildings and outdoor storage, subject to conditions including screening and engineering review.

The property is currently zoned Heavy Industrial. Applicant Peyton Dunnigan — represented by James Irvin of Foothills Land Design — told commissioners the applicant had initially obtained heavy industrial zoning for a single 50,000-square-foot welding shop but now proposes constructing four smaller, roughly 6,000‑square‑foot buildings, two of which already exist. Irvin said parking and storage areas within the 300-foot Gateway Corridor Overlay District would be paved (asphalt or concrete) and that the applicant will prepare site construction plans for existing buildings to ensure compliance with county regulations.

Staff recommended approval with 11 conditions. During the meeting commissioners modified one condition to allow outdoor storage outside of the 300-foot Gateway Corridor but only if screened from view from Candler Road by a six‑foot‑tall opaque fence subject to final review and approval by the Director of Planning and Zoning or designee. Commissioners also confirmed the internal driveways and paving will be reviewed under county land‑disturbance permits and by the fire marshal and engineering departments.

A nearby resident asked whether the county reviews traffic impacts on the state highway; staff replied that Georgia Department of Transportation controls access on the state route and that traffic studies are required only for projects that meet code thresholds. Irvin said the proposal will likely generate less traffic than the previously approved single large building. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Commissioners for final action at its March 27 public hearing.