Commissioners briefed on two District 1 zoning requests: one denied by planning commission, one recommended with conditions

Planning staff walked the board through two planning and zoning cases in District 1 on Jan. 6.

Case 1: Merodynamic Pools (Joel Merrow) — The applicant requested rezoning of roughly 4.2 acres from residential to general commercial and a special‑use permit to operate a pool‑installation and maintenance business. Staff said the site contains an existing roughly 1,700‑square‑foot residence that the applicant proposed to convert to office space and to construct a new ~2,400‑square‑foot building with 6–8 employee parking spaces. The Planning Commission recommended denial of both the rezoning and the special‑use permit.

Case 2: Counseling office (8609 Highway) — The applicant seeks to rezone about half an acre from R40 to neighborhood commercial to operate a counseling practice that primarily serves former military clients with PTSD. The request includes a concurrent variance to reduce a required 30‑foot buffer to 15 feet so an existing building and a proposed ~80‑square‑foot addition can remain in the buffer. Staff noted the property will be affected by a Highway 20 road‑widening project; GDOT has approved a shared commercial driveway, and staff said the Planning Commission recommended approval with a condition that the variance only apply to the shown encroachment.

Planning staff emphasized the different recommendations from the Planning Commission and summarized the specific site conditions and proposed building sizes for commissioners’ consideration.