Elbert County planning commission continues Goodman rezone to May 6 after notice and document questions

The Elbert County Planning Commission on April 1 continued a public hearing on a Goodman rezone application — case RZ-2023-00026 — to the planning commission meeting on May 6, 2025, after commissioners identified missing documents and questions about noticing affidavits.

The Goodman application, presented by Kelsey Lanham of the Elbert County Planning Department, seeks to rezone a roughly 40-acre parcel (Parcel Number 64254-00-002) from Agriculture (A) to Residential Agriculture (RA) to allow future development of 10-acre parcels. The applicant, Catherine (Kathy) Goodman, told the commission she supports staff recommendations and expects to live on the property.

Commissioners said several required items were absent from the digital packet the commission received, including the mailed-notification list and a complete set of referral responses in the packet. Commissioner Nicole Hunt pressed staff on the timing of the required community meeting — held in August 2023 — saying an 18-month gap raised due-process concerns for neighbors who might only be paying attention now, in 2025. Hunt asked whether a follow-up community meeting should have been held; staff said the county regulations do not require a second meeting but it is often encouraged when large time gaps occur.

Commissioners also questioned whether certain technical submittals were reviewed against current county standards. Hunt noted the final drainage report was prepared under Elbert County standards published in 2019, while a 2025 edition of the standards now exists; staff said the county engineer had reviewed the drainage documents during the referral process and had no outstanding objections. Commissioners asked staff to confirm that review and supply any additional referral letters.

Another recurring concern involved the sign-posting affidavits. Commissioners observed that some affidavits were notarized on the same date the sign was posted and thus could not, as written, truthfully certify the sign had been posted for 14 consecutive days. Planning staff and the applicant said some affidavits were provided in paper form at the meeting because of packet-transfer issues and that staff had reissued notices after county legal directed re-noticing following a county closure on the original hearing date.

After discussion the commission voted to continue the Goodman hearing to May 6, 2025, to allow staff and the applicant to provide the missing packet materials and to correct or reissue noticing affidavits as needed. The continuance will delay any formal recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners until the record is complete.