Commissioners Deny Rezoning Request

The Meriwether County Commission turned down a request from a developer to rezone land to use for 1.5 acre building lots.

John Knight of Chisel Mill Design & Build LLC appeared before the Commissioners at their June 23 meeting to ask that 36.81 acres of land at the intersection of Ellis and Forrest Roads be rezoned from RR to R-1 for the proposed use of 1.5 acre lots, rather than two acre lots. Knight said the plan, first presented to the Commissioners at the May 26 meeting, had been reduced from seven lots to five lots as part of Phase One of Ellis Forest. During the discussion, the topic of water availability and pressure was brought up. Knight said sufficient water and pressure was available in the area.

Commissioner Gene King then asked Knight about paving roads in the proposed subdivision. King said that the board had been asked for permission earlier to begin paving but no work had been done, and Knight replied that developments like these take multiple years to bring about. He thought it unfair that King would make comments on immediate road paving costs, and King responded that Chisel Mill was counting on rezoning the land for 1.5 acre lots to help pay for the road. Knight said that Chisel Mill had Commission approval for paving, but they did not have any approval for planned lots as of yet.

Commissioner Adam Worsley asked Knight why an entire 25-acre parcel was being rezoned rather than just the 9.4 acres needed for the proposed five lots, and Knight said that the land was all in one parcel and would have to be rezoned as such before they could “cut it up.”

Following discussion regarding 1.5 acre lots in the county, which are smaller than the required two acre lot sizes, Commission Vice Chair Jennifer Snelson moved to deny the rezoning request, which passed unanimously.

Marie Branch, daughter of the late Meriwether County Sheriff Dan Branch, spoke with the Commissioners regarding a tree at the County Courthouse which her father had planted in 1980 when the Courthouse reopened after a 1976 fire. The board had been discussing trimming or removing the tree, which they said was too large and had not been taken care of, but wanted to get the Branch family’s thoughts on the matter. Branch told the board that her father would not be opposed to cutting it down, as it keeps travelers from seeing the Courthouse. King suggested that if the tree is taken down, it should be replaced with a dogwood and a presentation be made in honor of the late sheriff. The Commissioners voted to remove the tree and to follow King’s suggestion, and the other trees alongside it will be trimmed. The board will also ask the Georgia Department of Transportation to trim a tree at the Methodist church on the corner of the downtown square which hangs out and blocks view of the Courthouse as well.

In other business, the Meriwether County Commission:

• Continued to the July 13 meeting a public hearing on closing Hoss Bowden Road;

• Tabled to July 13 an appointment to the District 2 seat on the Airport Authority;

• Appointed Timothy Morris to the District 2 seat on the Department of Family and Children Services;

• Approved a request from the Coweta Circuit Public Defender to increase their budget by $12,040 to cover pay increases for staff;

• Approved a bid from Penco not to exceed $167,000 for remediation of the third floor of the County Courthouse;

• Approved a new personnel policy manual for county employees effective July 1;

• Approved the purchase of a narcotics safe and tracking system for the Meriwether County Fire/EMS for $41,062.14, pending legal review of contract and seeking a warranty;

• Approved purchase of a LUCAS chest compression device for the Meriwether County Fire/EMS pending legal review of the contract;

• Approved $8,310 to repair a damaged column on the north elevation of the County Courthouse and tuck point rope joints, and $5,900 to paint all handrails, light poles, and doors on the exterior of the Courthouse;

• Set a work session for budget discussions for additional staff and capital asset requests for the July 28 meeting; and

• Approved asking the county’s legislative delegation for assistance in holding a referendum for the Local Homestead Option Sales Tax, or LHOST.

The next regular meeting of the Meriwether County Commission will be Monday, July 13, at 6 p.m.