Whitfield County approves 401-acre Planned Unit Development with conditions despite resident opposition
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Summary
The Whitfield County Board of Commissioners approved rezoning 401.19 acres to a Planned Unit Development (PUD) with six conditions, moving forward despite multiple residents' public comments opposing the project. The board voted 3-0 on July 11.
The Whitfield County Board of Commissioners on July 11 approved rezoning roughly 401.19 acres on Cleveland Highway and Strain Road from Low Density Single Family Residential (R-2) to a Planned Unit Development (PUD), imposing six conditions intended to limit commercial impact and preserve buffers.
Chairman Jevin Jensen opened the meeting and the board voted 3-0 to approve the rezoning application submitted by developer Dave Canter. Commissioners John Thomas, Greg Jones and Robby Staten were recorded in favor; Vice-Chair Barry W. Robbins was absent.
The conditions attached to the approval require a minimum 30-foot vegetative buffer along the entire residential boundary; limit commercial uses to retail and restaurants with no single tenant exceeding 20,000 square feet; restrict commercial signage on Cleveland Highway to monument signs no taller than 15 feet; require LED downward-facing lighting to reduce light pollution; require the developer to assume any Georgia Department of Transportation costs for ingress/egress and improvements at the Cleveland Highway/Strain Road intersection; and set minimum heated-space requirements of 1,600 square feet for single-family dwellings and 1,200 square feet for multi-family units.
Several nearby residents spoke during the public comment period to oppose the Canter rezoning. Matt Coker (4485 Cohutta Varnell Rd.), Carol Matthews (324 Marla Rd.), Mary Smith (4607 Cohutta Varnell Rd.) and Daniel Alt (1060 Cohutta Varnell Rd.) each voiced opposition to the development, citing concerns recorded in the meeting minutes. The board approved the rezoning after considering those remarks.
Separately the board approved two smaller rezoning requests — Alexander Tucker's request to rezone 0.50 acres from General Agriculture to Rural Residential and Tammy Jo Kirk's request to rezone 1.20 acres from Heavy Manufacturing to Rural Residential — and denied a separate commercial rezoning request by Mark Cady (Suburban Agriculture to General Commercial) for a 5-acre tract. Each of those motions passed 3-0.
The board did not place any other conditions on the smaller rezones and recorded the denial of Mr. Cady's request following public comment from Issac Wheat on Mr. Cady's behalf.
What happens next: site-plan compliance and any GDOT-required intersection improvements will be part of the development permitting process. The board's recorded votes and the conditions imposed will be posted with the county's official planning records.