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Planning commission motion to continue county zoning study recorded 6–5 but announced as failed
Summary
At a DeKalb County planning commission meeting, commissioners recorded a 6–5 roll call on a motion to continue research and public conversations about county zoning; the chair announced the motion failed. Supporters said the step would advance public input; opponents called zoning an overreach.
The DeKalb County Planning Commission recorded a 6–5 roll call on a motion to continue conversations and further study of county zoning, but the chair announced the motion failed.
The motion, recorded in the meeting as made by Beth Pafford and seconded by Larry Green, would have directed staff to continue researching the pros and cons of county zoning and to bring findings back to the planning commission for further consideration and public input.
Commissioners and participants framed the discussion as a preliminary step rather than a proposed ordinance. A staff member emphasized that any next step "is just to continue a conversation" and would "be a process that will involve the public and getting public input on that" and that any resulting proposal would return to the full commission for approval.
A committee member objected to the idea of zoning regulation, saying it "seems to apply to everybody but the government" and that "us telling anybody what they can do with their property is an overstep of this county's government." That objection was one of several concerns raised during the debate.
The clerk conducted a roll call and recorded the following votes: Tony Calloway — No; Sabrena Farler — Yes; Jeff Barnes — No; Brandon Donnell — No; Glenn Merriman — No; Matthias Anderson — Yes; Andy Pack — Yes; Greg Matthews — No; Beth Pafford — Yes; Larry Green — Yes; Jack Barton — Yes. The clerk then announced, "Six yes, five no." The chair immediately stated that the motion "fails due to lack of majority." The meeting record supplied in the transcript does not explain the apparent discrepancy between the recorded tally (six yes, five no) and the chair's announcement that the motion failed.
After the vote was announced, the commission moved on to the next agenda item on solid waste.
The matter of whether and how DeKalb County should adopt zoning remains open. The planning commission's next step, should it be reconsidered, would be to conduct additional public engagement and then present any draft proposals to the full commission for approval.
