Whitfield planning panel approves four county rezonings and a 250‑ft cell tower

The Dalton‑Whitfield Planning Commission on June 22, 2026, voted by voice to approve four county rezoning requests and a special‑use permit for a 250‑foot telecommunications tower, moving each application forward after staff recommended approval.

Staff planner Ethan Calhoun told the panel the four rezoning requests are generally consistent with the county’s comprehensive plan and adjacent land uses. The rezonings would convert small parcels now zoned for commercial or manufacturing to rural residential R‑5 or to general agriculture (GA) in one case, enabling new single‑family homes or duplexes on the sites. The commission’s approvals were taken by voice vote; tally counts were not recorded in the public transcript.

In Tunnel Hill, petitioner Shazman Ali sought rezoning of 2.68 acres at 514 Sagamore Drive from general commercial (C‑2) to R‑5. Calhoun said the parcel is surrounded on three sides by R‑5 and that rezoning would remove a commercial “spot zone.” The petitioner estimated the lot could accommodate “four to five homes” given current septic constraints, and staff recommended approval.

At 3328 Chattanooga Road, Matthew Brackett asked to rezone 0.82 acres from C‑2 to R‑5, saying the property contains a condemned single‑family home he intends to remove. Brackett told the commission he owns an adjacent store and has surveyed the site; staff said up to three duplex dwellings were feasible and recommended approval as consistent with nearby duplex development.

A larger parcel at 192 Duck Way — 11.53 acres owned by Javier Hernandez — was approved to change from R‑5 to GA so the owner may add a second single‑family dwelling on the tract. Calhoun said the property exceeds the five‑acre GA threshold and that GA and R‑5 can be adjacent without creating a spot zone; Hernandez and his translator confirmed the request was to allow a second residence, not to start agricultural operations.

On Ponders Drive, Michael Willis sought rezoning of 0.33 acres from heavy manufacturing (M‑2) to R‑5 to assemble a buildable residential lot. Willis told the commission he intends to place a single trailer on the parcel to live between family members; staff said the change would correct a legacy nonconforming zoning pattern and recommended approval.

The commission also granted a special‑use permit for a 250‑foot telecommunications tower on a large parcel on Mount Olive Road. Staff said the applicant documented a coverage gap and compliance with federal‑telecommunications‑act criteria, including FAA considerations, and recommended approval. Applicant Wendy Florian, representing XL Towers 3 LLC, said the company has recorded an access easement through the town of Cohutta and is working with Verizon as the initial carrier, adding, “Once you build it, they will come.”

Each county item and the special‑use permit passed on voice votes at the meeting. The panel’s recommendations follow the public‑hearing procedure described by staff, and any additional permitting or engineering steps required by county regulations will proceed as the applications move through administrative review.

The Planning Commission’s actions advance the rezonings and the cell‑tower permit under the county’s zoning process; the record shows staff recommended approval for each application and that applicants and a few nearby residents addressed the commission during public comment.