INFOBOX
Special budget meeting
The Board of Commissioners will meet at 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 17 to finalize the 2026 budget and millage rate.
The Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved revisions to the A1 Zoning District ordinance following a recommended approval from the zoning board at its Monday meeting.
This makes changes to legacy setback standards for commercial farms (mainly poultry operations) and allows farms that were in operation before Sept. 8, 2015 to expand.
The ordinance states: “For farms that wish to expand above 300,000 square feet of floor space, a 600-foot setback from all property lines shall be required. The total square feet of poultry house floor space shall not exceed 400,000 square feet unless additional setbacks are imposed.
“For up to every 100,000 square feet of floor space that is added, an additional setback of 100 feet is required (i.e. up to 500,000 square feet of floor space shall require 700-foot setbacks). The maximum floor space allowable shall be 650,000 square feet.”
About 16 people attended the meeting, which lasted 25 minutes.
Jeff Sharp, the county’s director of zoning, planning and compliance, said any future modifications to farms require approval from the Board of Commissioners.
District 2 Commissioner Andy Saxon commended Sharp for his work on the changes.
“I think what we have in place right there will be good for the existing poultry farmers that we have,” Saxon said. “And a fair opportunity for the ones who want to become poultry farmers in our county.”
In other business, commissioners unsealed two lease bids for approximately 60 acres of county-owned property behind the Sheriff’s Office on Buddy Faust Road.
The board unanimously voted to approve the lease to Lexington resident Sam Nash for $85 per acre annually.
The second bid came from Buffalo Creek Straw & Feed, a Stephens-based business, which offered $1,560 for all 60 acres over a three-year period.
The board also heard the chairman’s report and an update on the resurfacing of Crawford-Smithonia Road. The reclamation phase of the project has been completed and the asphalt started Tuesday.
“I think a lot of people stayed off the road. I think it’s helped. Traffic’s definitely been down,” District 5 Commissioner Tracy Norman said. “But I know everybody’s going to be real happy when that road gets back open.”
In other business, the BOC:
- Unanimously approved a request for support and financial obligation from the Georgia Department of Transportation for $75,000 to replace the bridge on Wolfskin Road over Big Creek through the Local Bridge Replacement Program.
- Unanimously approved and submitted a temporary use application submitted by Douglas H. Griffin for the Field of Worship event, scheduled for 4-10 p.m. Oct. 10-12 at 1085 Crawford-Smithonia Road.