Meriwether commissioners deny rezoning request for Ellis & Forrest Roads subdivision

John Knight, representing Chisel Mill Design & Build LLC, asked the Meriwether County Board of Commissioners on June 23 to rezone a 25.87-acre parcel at Ellis and Forrest Roads from RR to R-1 to permit 1.5-acre lots for Phase I of a multi-phase subdivision. Knight said the developer’s revised proposal reduced Phase I to five lots and that a hydrant flow test and an existing service agreement supported supplying water to those lots. He told commissioners the developer planned to pave its portion of Ellis Road “in early 2027” if project costs and approvals remained favorable and said his company porposed homes in the high $300,000s to mid-$400,000s.

The board’s debate focused on two issues: whether the developer had adequate cost estimates and whether approving smaller lots would set an undesirable precedent. Commissioner Gene King said developers approaching the board should obtain paving cost estimates before seeking zoning changes, because residents expect improvements to follow approvals. King said he has consistently advocated for a two-acre minimum in unincorporated Meriwether County and raised concern that rezoning a single large parcel could enable more intensive subdivision later. Knight responded that engineering and other costs often follow board approval and said the company would be willing to accept a stipulation limiting Phase I to the five lots presented.

Vice Chairman Jennifer Snelson, who represents the district where the property is located and said she had heard residents’ water concerns, moved to deny the rezoning request and retain two-acre minimums. Commissioner King seconded the motion. The board voted unanimously in favor of denial.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the approval would shape future development patterns along Ellis Road and stressed the importance of clear timelines and binding commitments for infrastructure such as road paving and water-line extensions. The denial preserves the existing two-acre minimum lot requirement for that parcel for now; the developer may return with revised plans or pursue engineering, infrastructure and zoning actions separately.

What happened next: The board closed the public hearing and recorded a unanimous vote to deny rezoning to R-1. No formal stipulation was attached to the denial; a developer representative said he would accept a stipulation limiting Phase I to five lots if the board had approved the request.

Context and background: Knight said the larger, multi-phase plan envisions 29 homes on roughly 74 acres across three phases but emphasized Phase I was limited to areas already served by water. Commissioners noted previous local developments where public water installation had led to smaller lot sizes and said they would ask staff to research prior rezoning approvals by Chisel Mill to confirm precedent.

Sources: Statements by John Knight (developer) and commissioners during the June 23 Meriwether County Board of Commissioners meeting.