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Spalding County commissioners push zoning overhaul, call for planning-commission training
Summary
Commissioners reviewed a comprehensive rewrite of the county zoning ordinance with a target to finalize by June, raised concerns about planning-commission capacity and voluntary board training, and agreed to review the county code chapter-by-chapter at work sessions.
Spalding County commissioners heard an update on a long-planned zoning ordinance rewrite and discussed steps to reduce repeated work coming from the planning commission, county staff said. The county’s zoning update is on a timetable to be finalized in June and will include an airport-overlay amendment being reviewed by an off-airport stakeholder committee.
The issue matters because the rewrite will determine the rules that guide development, inspections and the county’s ability to enforce standards for residential and commercial construction. County Manager Dr. Steve Ledbetter told the board staff is “working diligently” on the update and that “you’re gonna be seeing those ordinances along the journey.”
Several commissioners said the recurring problem is not the ordinance text itself but inconsistent decision-making by the volunteer planning commission, which they said sometimes forwards applications that require the commission or staff to do the same research later. One commissioner, speaking during the item, said the planning commission often lacks the technical background to apply the ordinance consistently and recommended focused training for members.
Ledbetter and staff proposed two concrete steps: send planning-commission members to a basic training (the Carl Vinson Institute of Government Planning 101 was mentioned as an option) and hold an “all boards” meeting to align commission members and staff. Director Allen was present and offered to answer questions at future meetings, Ledbetter said.
The board also agreed to a phased review of the county’s code of ordinances. County Attorney Stephanie (last name not specified in the transcript) will bring sections of the general code to monthly work sessions for review, rather than presenting all 27 chapters at once. Ledbetter said the board’s priority will be building-code and residential standards because of near-term development pressure; off-airport and industrial overlays would follow.
Commissioners emphasized both front-end and back-end enforcement: while the planning commission must apply the ordinance consistently, county inspectors also must catch construction problems during inspections. One commissioner urged the board to avoid repeatedly overturning planning-commission work and to ensure citizens’ expectations align with what the written ordinance allows.
No formal vote was recorded on the zoning ordinance item during the meeting; staff committed to returning to the board with training and coordination proposals and to present ordinance sections at work sessions going forward.
The county manager said the expected timeline is a final program by June, with ordinances presented “along the journey.”
