The Dalton-Varnell-Whitfield County Planning Commission voted 4-0 recently to table an amendment to the unified zoning ordinance that would limit commercial poultry and swine operations in the cities of Dalton and Varnell.
Members of the planning commission and members of the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners wanted to find out if any existing farming operations would be affected. They also had questions about the amendment’s definition of commercial poultry and swine farming as “large-scale industrialized production.”
“What is large-scale production?” asked Board of Commissions member John Thomas.
Members of the planning commission said they wanted to gather more information before voting.
The planning commissioners did vote 4-0 to recommend approval of:
• A request by John West to rezone from rural residential to general agricultural 16.82 acres at 3613 Lindsey Memorial Road in Rocky Face. The property currently contains a single-family home. West wants to allow an immediate family member to build a home on the property. There isn’t enough road frontage to allow it to be subdivided.
• A request by Teddy R. Higginbotham Jr. to rezone from rural residential to transitional residential 0.46 acres at 759 Townsend Lane in Tunnel Hill. The property contains a quadplex, and the owner wishes to bring the zoning and use into conformity.
• A request by Grant Family Properties to rezone from general commercial to limited commercial 1.18 acres at 106 N.E. Wildwood Road in Dalton. A staff analysis said commercial zoning is common in the area and the owner wishes to have greater flexibility in the use of the property.
• A request by Juan Figueroa to rezone from heavy manufacturing to high-density residential 1.12 acres on Waring Road in Dalton. The owner wishes to bring the zoning and use into conformity.
• A request by Bryan Spence to rezone from medium-density, single-family residential to rural residential 0.19 acres at Straight and Fredrick streets in Dalton. Spence wishes to develop a duplex and a single-family home on the property.
• A request by Gonzalo Galvan to rezone from medium-density, single-family residential to rural residential 0.29 acres on Mitchell Street in Dalton. Galvan wants to develop a duplex on the property.
• A request by Kobayashi Healthcare International to de-annex 12.32 acres at 235 and 245 Kraft Drive from the city of Dalton.