Whitfield County planning commission forwards most rezoning recommendations after public hearing; neighbors raise concerns about traffic, smell and subdivision

The Whitfield County Planning Commission on Monday heard public testimony on multiple rezoning applications and voted to forward most staff‑recommended approvals to the Board of Commissioners, while denying one request and tabling another for revision.

Staff planner Ethan Calhoun told the commission that most applications were routine requests to change zoning to allow family easement divisions or to bring existing uses into conformity. For example, a petition by Miguel Arrendondo sought to rezone 7.43 acres on Airport Road from R‑5 (rural residential) to GA (general agriculture) so two detached single‑family homes could be placed on a single tract; staff recommended approval with a condition prohibiting commercial animal feeding operations.

Neighbor Phyllis Garrett urged caution on the Arrendondo request, saying "the things that we're concerned about is the noise and the smell because general agricultural could have a lot of animals," and citing language in the GA rules that, she said, could allow RV campgrounds, slaughter yards, shooting ranges or…