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Whitfield County denies several rezoning requests, accepts road-closure petition; grants annexation non-objections
Summary
The Board denied multiple rezoning petitions (including a commercial rezoning opposed by Keith Street residents), accepted a petition to begin closing part of Old Mitchell Bridge Road and returned no land-use objection to two municipal annexations.
At its April 10 meeting, the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners decided multiple land-use items, denying several rezoning requests, accepting a petition to begin the statutory road-abandonment process and recording no land-use objection to two city annexations.
The board denied a rezoning application by Jordi Lara to change parcel 12-216-04-026 at 314 Keith St. from Low Density Single Family Residential (R-2) to General Commercial (C-2). The denial followed a public comment from Gary Oveby, a Keith Street resident who presented a petition signed by neighbors opposing commercial rezoning of that parcel. The motion to deny carried 3-0 (Jones, Thomas, Robbins).
The board also denied a request from Joshua and Jessica Atchley to rezone parcel 13-206-35-000 (530 Buckley Way, Resaca) from Rural Residential (R-5) to Light Manufacturing (M-1). Separately, the board approved Mitchel Kyle’s request to rezone two parcels (12-354-14-000 and 12-354-15-000) from Heavy Manufacturing (M-2) to Rural Residential (R-5). In another action, the board denied a rezoning application of Jorge Ruedas (parcel 12-244-03-053) by default under the planning commission bylaws because the petitioner was absent for two consecutive planning commission meetings.
Commissioner Greg Jones moved to accept a petition from Megan Witherow Quarles, Kenneth Collan Quarles and Steve Witherow to close and abandon a portion of Old Mitchell Bridge Road (Land Lots 111 and 112). Acceptance initiates the notice process to adjacent property owners and schedules a public hearing at the next regular board meeting on May 8, 2023; the motion carried 3-0.
The board also voted no land-use classification objection to two municipal annexations: City of Dalton parcel 12-179-02-059 and City of Tunnel Hill parcel 12-038-03-005. Both non-objection votes were 3-0.
Public commenters raised related topics: Vicky Alt asked whether the board will follow the completed joint comprehensive plan; Jorge Ruedas (through interpreter Blanca Cardona) asked the board to return his rezoning matter to the planning commission rather than act that night. The board recorded the planning commission’s recommendations and acted in accordance with those recommendations and standard procedures.
What’s next: the road-closure petition requires statutory notice and a public hearing (set for May 8); rezoning decisions are final as recorded and municipal annexations proceed with the cities’ processes.
