Gordon County denies rezoning for proposed eight-house poultry operation after lengthy public hearing

The Gordon County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday denied a request to rezone about 98 acres on Taylor Town Road for a conditional use that would have allowed eight dry-litter poultry houses.

Planning staff introduced application Z24-17 from ML Patton Farms LLC and said departmental reviews recommended conditional approval, but noted missing items in the submitted site plan including precise locations for the stackhouse, water impoundments and clear distance measurements to a named creek. The applicant asked for conditional use to site eight houses sized in the application at 55 by 600 feet each.

Neighbors and health professionals pressed the board to reject the proposal. "There are many health problems" tied to high-density poultry operations, said Katie (last name not provided), a physician testifying as a resident, who cited peer-reviewed studies and warned of aerosolized pathogens and drug-resistant bacteria. "We need to embed public health perspectives in decision making," she said.

Several residents said the property drains to Johnson Creek and to downstream waters used for fishing and recreation. "Our kids swim in it," said Amanda Copeland, noting photographs that, she said, show the creek flows year-round. Nearby resident John Johnson said the project would hurt property values and described recurring dust and flies from existing houses in the area.

Applicant representatives and experts said modern dry-litter poultry operations limit odors and emissions and emphasized regulatory setbacks. Carlton Veer, a realtor speaking for the applicant, said modern houses "maximize productivity" and are positioned to take advantage of existing tree screening. Applicant Scott M. Jones and counsel addressed buffer questions and said they would not alter existing trees and would follow setbacks.

Planning staff and commissioners, however, flagged technical deficiencies in the application record. The planner said required elementsincluding clear demonstration of setbacks from any perennial stream (the code sets 200 feet in such cases), shown water-management features, and the precise location of all structureswere not fully documented on the plan presented to the board.

After public comment and board discussion about environmental risk, notification and incomplete documentation, a commissioner moved to deny Z24-17; the motion carried on a roll-call vote.

The board recorded its denial of the conditional-use rezoning; commissioners also noted that affected parties retain appeal rights under the county code and that applicants could return with a revised, fully documented plan.