Pickens County planning commission forwards truck-parking rezoning after safety and air-quality objections

The Pickens County Planning Commission heard more than an hour of public comment before moving to forward a staff recommendation on RZ191082, a request to rezone a roughly 8.1-acre parcel on Highway 53 East (Parcel 049040002) from agricultural to highway business to allow a secured parking and rest area for semi and tanker trucks.

Charles, a county planner, told the commission the rezoning would "allow for the establishment of a dedicated parking and rest area for semi trucks and tankers" and noted the site falls within the East Pickens corridor where mixed-use and highway-business uses occur. Staff recommended approval but said final site-plan review would address buffering, fire protection and Georgia Department of Transportation access encroachment.

Applicant James Craig Hackens said the facility would serve his domiciled fleet and was not intended as a commercial truck lot. "These trucks are domiciled," he said. "They will be shut off when they come in." Hackens told the commission he expects to use roughly 3–5 acres of the 8.1-acre tract to park about 7 to 10 trucks, add a small office trailer and perform no on-site mechanical work.

Several nearby residents urged denial or conditions. Camille Johnson, whose property she said is about 1,500 feet from the proposed parking area, told the commission she can see the site from her home and raised safety concerns at what she described as a blind curve where there is no dedicated turning lane. "Having large trucks coming in and out is concerning," Johnson said, citing the potential for slow-moving traffic and accidents. She also asked the commission to require a 50-foot vegetative buffer, downward-facing lighting, weekday hours and limits on outdoor storage longer than 48 hours.

Another nearby homeowner, Steven, said the proposal is "incompatible land use" for an established residential area and asked whether a traffic-impact study had been completed and what enforceable conditions would prevent overnight idling and other nuisances.

Proponents including a local contractor and the landowner's representative said the parcel is screened by terrain and that the applicant would not host other carriers. Amy Chambers, representing the property owner, said the parcel sits on a straightaway and that surrounding hills reduce visibility from nearby homes.

Commission discussion focused on buffering, site grading and the regulatory steps that remain. Charles said buffers "will be required if necessary" as part of the final plan and reiterated that DOT and fire review would govern access and safety conditions.

A motion "to approve as recommended" was made and seconded; commissioners conducted a vote and the record shows the commission's action will be forwarded as a recommendation to the Pickens County Board of Commissioners for final action. The commission's referral does not itself change the parcel's zoning.

Next steps: the Board of Commissioners will consider the planning commission's recommendation at a future meeting. The record includes numerous resident requests for buffering, hours-of-operation limits, lighting controls and enforceable no-idling conditions for commissioners to consider.

(Provenance: Staff presentation and case details introduced by Charles; applicant testimony by James Craig Hackens; resident testimony by Camille Johnson and Steven; owner representative Amy Chambers; motion and vote recorded in hearing.)