Neighbors object but board approves manufactured home application; staff says application was filed before new UDO

Troup County commissioners approved a request by Carly McCall to place a manufactured home on a 10.5-acre parcel in Lakeside Residential zoning after a lengthy public hearing that drew multiple neighbors who said the proposal could harm property values and open the door to additional manufactured homes near the lake.

Planning staff explained that the application was received prior to an August 1 update to the county’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that now limits manufactured homes to agricultural zoning, meaning this application is processed under the prior rules and is grandfathered. Neighbors raised concerns about public-notice signage (some said the sign had fallen), the history of lot subdivision and the potential for subsequent approvals on adjacent parcels. Gerald Cash, a nearby resident, told the board he had moved to the area to be in a lake community and warned that allowing mobile homes could lower property values.

"I'm not against affordable housing," Cash said, "but where does this end?" Staff recommended approval with standard conditions — compatibility with single-family standards, new septic and building permits — and the board approved the application on first reading and vote-eligible action.

Why it matters: the decision illustrates how preexisting applications are treated under new zoning rules and shows strong neighborhood concern about the UDO change and the future character of lake-area residential neighborhoods.