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Agent previews rezoning of 40-acre Elbert County parcel to allow 10-acre lots
Summary
Thomas Maroney, the property owner’s land-use representative, told neighbors at a community meeting that he plans to rezone 40 acres from agricultural (A) to AR to permit 10-acre residential lots; staff planner Kelsey Lanham said the application is at a pre-application stage and will go through referrals, the planning commission and the Board of County Commissioners.
Thomas Maroney, the land-use representative for the owner of a 40-acre parcel in Elbert County, told neighbors at a community meeting that he intends to submit an application to rezone the property from agricultural (A) to AR so it can be split into four roughly 10-acre residential lots.
"The application is to take 40 acres ... from A to AR, which would allow for 10 acre lots," Maroney said, adding the current drawing is preliminary and a formal plat will be part of the application packet. He identified the owner as Moe Ratti and said Maroney will compile the application, respond to referral comments and submit the packet to county staff.
Kelsey Lanham, a land-use planner with the CDS department for Elbert County, told attendees the meeting is an early, pre-application community meeting. "This is very early stages in the process," Lanham said, and staff will review the formal application for completeness before sending it to referral agencies. She described the planning commission schedule (regular meetings the first Tuesday of each month) and said the Board of County Commissioners makes the final decision after a separate public hearing.
Maroney and Lanham said the proposal already has a state-level water determination. "The water's already been adjudicated and the replacement plan is in effect," Maroney said, and he later reiterated that the state approved one well per 10 acres for the property. Maroney listed typical referral agencies that review new applications, including the Conservation District, the state Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Neighbors raised objections during the meeting. One resident said he had been told the owner would "raise goats" and complained that large parcels in the area have been repeatedly subdivided. "You told me you were gonna raise goats," the resident said, pressing Maroney on why the land was being split. Maroney responded that he is presenting an option that is permitted by county regulations and encouraged the resident to raise concerns at the formal planning commission and Board of County Commissioners hearings.
The county’s public-notice rules were explained: adjacent landowners within 1,320 feet must be notified, and county notices are sent at least 14 days before hearings. Lanham said staff is strict about application completeness and will not advance incomplete packets; after a planning commission hearing, the matter typically goes to the Board of County Commissioners for a daytime meeting where the three commissioners vote.
Maroney estimated development costs at roughly $300,000 per lot, noting that current market economics affect who will buy and develop such lots. Lanham and Maroney also discussed enforcement: the county has a compliance function to investigate zoning complaints and staff said the county is working to make enforcement more consistent.
Next steps: Maroney said he will compile and submit a formal application to county staff; if staff deems it complete, the application will go to referral agencies, then to the planning commission with a public hearing, and finally to the Board of County Commissioners for a decision. Attendees were urged to attend those hearings and speak if they have concerns.
