Commission approves five conditional use permits after public hearings

The Commission of the Unified Government of Cusseta–Chattahoochee County, Georgia, approved five conditional use permits at a Feb. 27 called meeting, following public hearings held Feb. 24.

Chairman Charles Coffey opened the hearings, and Planning & Zoning recommended approval for each application with standard conditions. The permits approved Feb. 27 allow: a 1) tiny/stick-built home on 201 Massey Road (Mia and Derico Countryman); 2) placement of a mobile home on 711 GA Highway 26 (Julie and Jerome Wooten); 3) replacement of an unsafe stick-built home at 109 Nelson Street with a mobile home (applicant Sierra Smith); 4) replacement of a mobile home at 136 Patty Drive (Curtis Stroud Jr.); and 5) carving a 1.35-acre parcel from a 52-acre tract at 454 Old Louvale Road for a longtime tenant (Walter Miller).

Each approval was unanimous. Commissioner Timothy Biddle moved to approve the Walter Miller permit and Commissioner Jason Frost seconded; Commissioner Biddle moved and Frost seconded other CUP approvals as recorded. Chairman Coffey said approvals remain subject to the applicants’ compliance with county ordinances and state law and any required health-department inspections and plat signings.

Brent Ingersoll, chair of the Planning & Zoning board, told the Commission that several of the items were sent to the board solely because of lot-size or septic-code triggers in the county ordinance; he said the board found the proposals consistent with local conditions. Teresa Smith of Planning & Zoning reiterated that approvals were conditional on passing septic/perk tests and meeting setback and permitting requirements.

Applicants described their plans during the public hearings. Mia and Derico Countryman said a perk test for 201 Massey Road returned favorable results and that they intend to live on the property. Julie Wooten told the board that power, water and septic were in place at 711 GA Highway 26 and that the health department had inspected the septic. Sierra Smith said the house at 109 Nelson St. is structurally unsound and she intends to replace it with a mobile home; County Manager Thomas Weaver advised her to verify setback and septic requirements with the health department before purchasing a home unit. Curtis Stroud said he wants to replace an older mobile home with a newer unit at 136 Patty Drive. Walter Miller said he seeks to formalize a long-term tenant’s occupancy by subdividing a small parcel.

Chairman Coffey noted that conditional use approvals do not excuse applicants from obtaining building permits or satisfying health and zoning regulations. County staff will process required permits and record plats where appropriate. The Commission’s decision completes the local approval step; applicants remain responsible for any state approvals or administrative requirements.

The Commission has previously indicated it will review the county’s zoning and conditional use language after Planning & Zoning members warned that the current ordinance's drafting has produced unintended consequences for manufactured-home and small-lot applications.