Zoning Board denies paving variance

  • From left, Morgan Robinson, Sam Nash, JF Hansford, Jimmy Shealy and Chair Janet Hill, who joined by Zoom, attend the Feb. 12 zoning board meeting. At the end of the table is Jeff Sharp, director of planning, zoning and compliance. Teresa Campbell, planning assistant and permitting administrator, sits at the desk on the far left taking meeting minutes. One of the approved items by the board was a variance to acreage rules requested by William Cunningham. (Photo Emilie Sullivan/The Oglethorpe Echo)
    From left, Morgan Robinson, Sam Nash, JF Hansford, Jimmy Shealy and Chair Janet Hill, who joined by Zoom, attend the Feb. 12 zoning board meeting. At the end of the table is Jeff Sharp, director of planning, zoning and compliance. Teresa Campbell, planning assistant and permitting administrator, sits at the desk on the far left taking meeting minutes. One of the approved items by the board was a variance to acreage rules requested by William Cunningham. (Photo Emilie Sullivan/The Oglethorpe Echo)
  • Morgan Robinson, a zoning board member, reviews agenda items and county zoning maps Feb. 12 at the Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners office. Robinson was filling in for Chair Janet Hill, who attended the meeting virtually on Zoom. (Photo/Emilie Sullivan Oglethorpe Echo)
    Morgan Robinson, a zoning board member, reviews agenda items and county zoning maps Feb. 12 at the Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners office. Robinson was filling in for Chair Janet Hill, who attended the meeting virtually on Zoom. (Photo/Emilie Sullivan Oglethorpe Echo)

    The Oglethorpe County Zoning Board reinforced the county’s continued push to enforce development requirements at its monthly meeting on Feb. 12. 

     

    The board denied a request to waive a paving requirement for a private access drive, required by a previously approved rezoning. 

     

    David and Tammy Owens requested the variance after previously receiving approval in December to rezone and subdivide their property on Yancey Road. The approval was contingent on paving a private access drive to the new parcel.

     

    “We made the rezone on contingent of them paving, and so they decided they don't want to pave it because it’s expensive,” said Jeff Sharp, Oglethorpe County’s director of planning, zoning and compliance. 

     

    Board members said the original rezoning was granted because the Owenses agreed to pave the drive. Removing that condition would undermine the earlier approval. 

     

    In other business, the zoning board: 

    • Approved a variance request for Tony Smith who asked for exceptions to lot size and width rules so he could divide property on Clark Circle into two 1-acre residential lots. Smith also requested to change the zoning from agricultural-residential to single-family residential to allow a subdivision, which was approved.

     

    • Approved a variance for Steven Davidson for RBA Oglethorpe Investments, LLC for one parcel that didn’t meet the required road access length for a large subdivision on Faust Farm Road.

     

    • Reviewed and approved a plan to divide a large property into multiple parcels for Oglethorpe Investments, LLC on Faust Farm Road.

     

    • Approved a zoning change request by Bernardo Acevedo on Washington Road from light industrial to agricultural so it better matches land use and could allow homes in the future.

     

    • Approved a zoning change for three parcels on Black Snake Road from intensive agriculture to general agriculture to align with current land use and comply with regulations in the Oglethorpe County Unified Development Code. Two parcels are already used for residential purposes, and poultry operations on the third property have been inactive for over a year. The property owner supported the rezone.

     

    • Approved a rezone from agricultural to agriculture-residential by Jerry Southers on Wirebridge Road so it could be divided for family use.

     

    • Approved an exception on Cunningham Road, requested by William Cunningham, to acreage rules so property could be subdivided on an unpaved road. It had been debated earlier due to ordinance changes; the board approved it after another vote.
    zoning board
    Jeff Sharp