Ware County rezones 100‑foot strip of 840 McKinley Road to allow single‑wide manufactured homes

The Ware County Board of Commissioners voted on Oct. 27 to rezone a 100‑foot‑deep strip along Beauregard from R‑75 to R‑75 MH on parcel 055D02014 (840 McKinley Road), a change intended to allow single‑wide manufactured homes where sewer service is available.

Don Gray Johnson, who identified himself as the property owner at 840 McKinley Road, told the board his goal was to "provide living without giving up as much property" and said he intended to place a few single‑wide homes for rent, not to develop a mobile‑home park. "I didn't plan on putting a mobile home park," he said during the public portion of the hearing.

Staff and commissioners discussed technical constraints and safeguards. Planning staff said R‑75 currently allows double‑wide or class A manufactured homes but not single‑wide units; single‑wides require the R‑75 MH designation. Staff also said lot sizes depend on access to water and sewer: lots with sewer may be as small as roughly 9,000 square feet (about 0.21 acres), while lots without sewer typically require about a half‑acre and a 100‑foot lot width. Staff noted the existing sewer line stops approximately 329 feet short of West Jackson, so the number of homes that can connect depends on how far sewer would be extended.

Residents who spoke said they had no problem with two or three mobile homes on the parcel but opposed rezoning the entire lot because it could permit a future mobile‑home park. To address that concern, commissioners and staff described a compromise: rezoning only a defined 100‑foot‑deep band along Beauregard — initially described as about 300–400 feet long depending on parcel boundaries — so that the remainder of the property would remain R‑75.

Commissioner Jeremiah made a motion to rezone the described portion of parcel 055D02014 from R‑75 to R‑75 MH beginning at the parcel's northeast corner and running south along Beauregard for the length of the parcel, 100 feet deep; the motion specified that the rest of the parcel remain R‑75. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The board’s recorded roll call on the motion showed affirmative votes on the record and the item passed.

The rezoning narrows developer options by limiting the new classification to a defined strip; staff advised that if the owner later seeks additional lots that require sewer extension, the owner would need to extend sewer lines at his expense or return for further approvals. The board did not set a timetable for any additional approvals; the action on Oct. 27 amended the county zoning map for the described portion of parcel 055D02014.

What happens next: The formal rezoning will be reflected on the county zoning map and in county records. Any further subdivision, road construction or additional homes that require extended sewer service would require the owner to satisfy subdivision standards and utility‑extension requirements under county rules.