Planning commission recommends suburban-agriculture zoning for longtime Tunnel Hill farm after dispute over truck traffic and earth-moving

The Dalton-Whitfield Planning Commission on Oct. 27 recommended rezoning 3320 South Ward Circle in Tunnel Hill from R-2 to Suburban Agriculture (SA), a decision that followed an extended and sometimes heated public hearing about long-running farm uses, grading work and heavy-truck traffic.

Petitioner Casey John McClure told the commission his family has farmed the tract since 1958 and that the request is intended to preserve agricultural uses. “All I want to do is continue doing what my family’s been doing for almost 70 years,” McClure said, adding that he hauls forestry byproducts (chips, sawdust, bark) and has parked trucks at his house since 2005. He said grading work is underway to slope a steep hill that currently prevents full use of the land and that soil‑erosion officials have inspected the site and found best-management practices in place.

Neighbors including Linda Dyer and other residents described a different experience. Dyer, who owns rental properties on South Ward Circle, said 18-wheelers and dump trucks have repeatedly used the narrow one‑lane road, causing damage and daily disruption: “He has damaged the road. He has damaged the infrastructure,” she told commissioners, and alleged a commercial trucking business began at the site in October 2023.

Contractor Neil Crowder of Total Express Trucking said his crew cleared a steep bank and used mulch berms, water trucks and sweeps to limit dust and road impacts and that inspectors confirmed compliance. Crowder said some excavated material was taken to a commercial lot and that crews have tried to minimize nuisance during work.

Staff recommended rezoning to Suburban Agriculture rather than General Agriculture, arguing SA is a limited agricultural district that better matches surrounding low‑density residential lots and the site’s topography. During the hearing a commissioner asked how many cattle SA would allow on roughly 20 acres; the discussion produced an off-the-cuff figure of about 46 animals for a 20‑acre parcel, which commissioners said would permit continued livestock use in most cases.

Following deliberation, the commission voted to rezone the property to SA (the motion was made and seconded; the board’s voice vote recorded the ayes). The commission’s recommendation will go to the Whitfield County Commission, which will make the final decision. The record shows that Mary Wimpey’s item on the agenda was tabled for lack of the applicant’s presence.

What’s next: The county commissioners review planning recommendations at their next meeting; any final zoning change would take effect only after county action and any required permitting for grading or other site work.