Statham council makes salvage yards a conditional use in industrial zones, 5-0

The Statham City Council on March 31, 2025, voted unanimously to amend the city's Unified Development Code to allow salvage yards and wrecked motor vehicle compounds as a conditional use in specified zoning districts, reversing a prior prohibition.

Councilmember Patterson moved to amend Section 1 to change "Salvage Yard and Wrecked Motor Vehicle Compound" from prohibited to conditional; Councilmember Burnette seconded. The motion to amend passed 5-0 (Councilmembers Terilli, Bogenrieder, Patterson, Penn and Burnette voting yes). After the amendment was adopted, Patterson moved to approve the ordinance as amended and Burnette seconded; the council again voted 5-0 to adopt the ordinance.

The action followed a public hearing at which City Attorney Jody Campbell provided background and policy considerations on the proposed UDC amendment. During public comment, Gayle Steed asked when the city's zoning map for areas around Old Highway 29 near U.S. 316 would be updated; Campbell said the night's discussion was limited to the UDC amendment and briefly described how map amendments are handled. David Shockley said he represents clients who want to bring a salvage yard to a Light Industrial (LI) zoned area and urged the council not to eliminate salvage yards, saying the buyer would agree to conditions. Grant Whitworth requested and received a copy of the proposed ordinance.

The council opened the public hearing at about 5:01 p.m. and closed it at 5:17 p.m.; Councilmember Penn joined by phone during the hearing. The meeting then moved to the voting items, and the council adjourned at 5:19 p.m.

The ordinance amends Table 2-1 (Permitted and Conditional Uses by Zoning Districts) of the city's Unified Development Code. The UDC amendment was adopted by vote; the transcript does not specify any additional conditions or the exact zoning districts that will permit salvage yards under the conditional use designation beyond the motion text.