Spalding County tables event‑center special exception and variance after neighbor objections and zoning concerns

Spalding County commissioners on Nov. 20 tabled a combined public hearing on an application by In House Real Estate LLC (Dorothy Brown) for a rural event center and a companion variance to reduce a 200‑foot perimeter setback to 100 feet in a northern portion of the parcel on Locust Grove Road.

Staff described the application as a request to divide roughly 34 acres into four parcels — one for a proposed event venue and three for single‑family residential lots — and told the board the planning commission recommended approval of the special exception but narrowed or took no action on the variance as originally submitted. Director Allen said the event center ordinance allows a rural event center in AR‑1 zoning if it meets lot‑size and operational criteria and that the code includes a 200‑foot perimeter setback for event centers; the planning commission recommended reducing that setback to 100 feet only on part of the northern boundary if the woods there remain undisturbed and a 6‑foot opaque fence is installed.

The evening included both support and opposition testimony. Applicant representative Daryl Johnson outlined noise mitigation and layout choices, saying the team had rotated buildings to reduce spillover and proposed fencing and plantings to protect the northern neighbors. Johnson said the intent was to locate the main venue buildings well back from Locust Grove Road and to "tuck" the event center behind residential frontage to preserve rural character. Neighbors, however, including Anne Dawson (2656 Locust Grove Road), opposed the use and asked that the facility be pushed as far back as possible. Dawson said she was "completely opposed" to the proposal.

Commissioners focused on whether carving residential lots out of the front of the site made the variance necessary or rendered the event center infeasible. Several members noted that creating separate residential lots adjacent to the venue would trigger the 200‑foot residential buffer and substantially reduce buildable area; some urged the applicant to reconfigure lots so the event center did not require a variance. Commissioners also discussed hours and noise control (staff read the code language for rural event centers as not operating between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m., while an amplification/noise ordinance references a 10 p.m. standard), and asked staff to include clear conditions about outdoor amplification if the application returns.

Given the unresolved questions, the board voted to table the combined hearing to allow the applicant to present revised options, redrawn plats, and clearer mitigation measures. Staff said the applicant could return as soon as December 15 if revisions were ready, but January is a likely option depending on the timetable. The motion to table passed 5‑0.

Next steps: the applicant will provide revised options and any supporting documentation; staff will evaluate the revised plan and prepare conditions, including explicit noise and amplification restrictions if appropriate.