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Commissioners table rezoning request for Highway 81–Cowan Road site for 60 days after heavy resident opposition
Summary
Newton County planning staff presented REZ26‑000004 to rezone a 3.36‑acre parcel at Highway 81 and Cowen Road from R‑2 to general commercial. Neighbors cited traffic, school‑safety and drainage concerns; District 2 Commissioner Mason moved to table the matter for 60 days to resolve outstanding issues.
Planning staff opened a public hearing June 16 on REZ26‑000004, a request to rezone roughly 3.36 acres at Highway 81 and Cowen Road from single‑family residential (R‑2) to general commercial to accommodate a multi‑tenant neighborhood retail building. The staff presentation described the site, trip estimates (fewer than 100 daily vehicle trips), required GDOT access constraints and recommended conditions including an opaque fence and prohibitions on uses such as gas stations and pawn shops.
Several residents who live adjacent to the site spoke in opposition, telling the Board they bought homes in a residential neighborhood and feared traffic, noise, loitering and stormwater impacts near Livingston Elementary. "We are opposed to rezoning in our close‑knit community that would threaten our investment or our current quality of life," said Waka Hughes, who identified herself as a resident of Lincoln Estate subdivision. Other nearby homeowners described frequent bus traffic on Cowen Road, limited sightlines on a nearby curve and a lack of sidewalks where children wait for buses.
District 2 Commissioner Mason responded that he had traveled the road often and shared many of the residents’ concerns; he also said there were "very serious matters" regarding the site that could not be discussed in open session. Mason moved to table the petition for 60 days "to get those very serious matters resolved" before making a decision. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
What happens next: the item is paused for 60 days to allow staff and the petitioner to address the issues Mason referenced and for any ongoing nonpublic matters to be resolved. Commissioners offered to meet with residents and staff during the hiatus; Mason asked residents who stayed after the meeting to speak with him for follow‑up contact information.
Votes and procedural note: the motion to table was made by Commissioner Mason and carried by the Board. No rezoning decision was made tonight; the public hearing remains open to further processes required by ordinance.
