Cusseta‑Chattahoochee commission approves five conditional‑use permits after public hearings

The Commission of the Unified Government of Cusseta‑Chattahoochee County voted unanimously at a Feb. 27 called meeting to approve five conditional‑use permits that were the subject of public hearings Feb. 24.

Planning‑and‑Zoning had recommended approval for all five applications, subject to standard permitting and health‑department checks. The applications included a request from Mia and Derico Countryman to build a small stick‑built home on a 0.74‑acre parcel at 201 Massey Road; a request from Julie and Jerome Wooten to place a mobile home on 711 GA Highway 26 (an 18.11‑acre parcel); an application from Sierra Smith to replace an unsafe stick‑built house with a mobile home at 109 Nelson Street (0.75 acre); Curtis Stroud Jr.’s plan to replace an older mobile home with a newer unit at 136 Patty Drive (0.46 acre); and Walter Miller’s petition to carve a 1.35‑acre parcel from a 52‑acre tract at 454 Old Louvale Road so a long‑time tenant can obtain the dwelling.

Planning & Zoning members told the commission that several of the parcels required conditional‑use review because of lot‑size or septic requirements. County Attorney Bin Minter and Planning & Zoning chair Brent Ingersoll discussed how the county ordinance and state plumbing/septic rules affect permitting for parcels under certain acreages. At the Feb. 24 work session and public hearing commissioners and planning board members agreed the county ordinance language could be clearer about manufactured‑home siting; the board asked staff and the attorney to draft any needed clarifications.

Chairman Charles Coffey, noting the need for consistent treatment of applicants, told one applicant: "we aren't trying to be difficult; we are trying to be fair for everyone." Commissioners emphasized that approvals remain contingent on compliance with county zoning and building codes and required health‑department approvals. Several applicants were told to confirm that advertisement and sign‑posting timelines met county requirements; staff checked those timelines during the hearings and noted one case where the sign‑posting schedule required verification before final platting.

The Feb. 27 approvals will not substitute for required inspections, permits or plat signings. Planning & Zoning must sign plats where applicable, and applicants are responsible for securing building permits, septic approvals and any required variances or setbacks before installation or construction.

Procedural note: these CUP approvals followed public hearings on Feb. 24 and were finalized at the Feb. 27 called meeting. No member of the public registered opposition at the hearings for the five approved applications.