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Residents urge caution on proposed Chapter 121 zoning changes, request transparency on data-center NDAs
Summary
At a July 16, 2026 Dawson County work session public hearing on amendments to Chapter 121 (land use/zoning), residents warned raising minimum house sizes and lot sizes could worsen housing affordability; one resident urged a 60-day public notice for any data-center NDA.
Community Development Director Richard Osborne opened a public hearing on proposed amendments to Chapter 121, the county's land use and zoning ordinance, at the Dawson County Board of Commissioners' July 16 work session. Chairman Billy Thurmond then invited members of the public to speak on the changes, which would alter minimum house sizes and lot requirements in multiple districts.
Michael Turner of Dawsonville testified in opposition, saying the amendments risk worsening an affordability crisis. Turner said the county has "a housing affordability crisis" and warned that "by raising the minimum house size, increasing the lot sizes ... we're creating a vacuum." He cited local figures, noting Dawson County recently graduated 292 students from Dawson County High School and said the average age of a first-time homebuyer in Dawson County is 42, arguing the changes could push younger residents to live elsewhere until they can afford housing locally.
Corey Gutherie, also of Dawsonville, urged caution before making new countywide adjustments and asked the board to evaluate the measurable outcomes of the 2025 land-use revisions before imposing further changes. Gutherie summarized the 2025 package as having "increased lot sizes in several districts, reduced residential density opportunities, strengthened buffering and landscaping requirements, expanded public involvement, [and] increased traffic review requirements" and said the county has not yet given those changes sufficient time to work.
Andrew Sinn of Dawsonville spoke in favor of strengthened data-center rules and urged enhanced transparency. Sinn recommended the board adopt a resolution that any proposed nondisclosure agreement (NDA) from an entity seeking to establish a data center be published for public notice for 60 days so the public would have an opportunity to know the county had been approached before a county NDA is signed.
Chairman Thurmond closed the hearing after public comment and announced a second public hearing on the Chapter 121 amendment will be held at the Aug. 6, 2026, voting session at 6:00 p.m. The minutes record the public comments and the scheduling of the follow-up hearing; the work-session minutes do not include further action or votes on the amendment.
