CLEVELAND, Ga. – The White County Board of Commissioners spent an hour working through a single proposed land use issue that came before them Monday afternoon.
The request was from April James, owner of Lucille’s Mountain Top Inn and Spa located on Rabun Road in Sautee Nachoochee. James wanted to rezone her property, which sits atop a mountain, from Residential Single Family and Community Commercial to C-2 classification which is Highway Business.
James told the commissioners she was seeking the change to obtain a better insurance rate.
Opposition to rezoning
The proposal had earlier received approval from the White County Planning Commission without any restrictions. That followed a large number of area residents who opposed the change. Many of those residents attended the county commission meeting Monday along with several residents who were in approval.
The commissioners felt there should be some restrictions on the property to prevent any large development on the mountaintop.
After hearing from James, the commission board voted 4-1 to approve the change with restrictions to limit the property to its current use as a health spa, lodging, tourist shop, and retail dining.
Commissioner Craig Bryant cast the lone dissenting vote.
The board also approved the construction of a new spa building next to the current building but limited it to 3,500 square feet.
To help ease some of the concerns of those opposed to the change, the commissioners said that the limiting conditions they approved will stay with the property if it is ever sold.
