The Habersham County Commission will hold two public hearings addressing land use changes during their regular meeting Monday evening. Both public hearings will be about developments on GA 17, one at Tom Arrendale interchange and the second in the Fairview community.
Burger King
The first public hearing will be for a change in land use from Low Intensity (LI) to Medium Intensity (MI). Property owner David Irvin initially applied for the property to be changed from LI to High Intensity (HI). However, the Planning Commission recommends to the County Commission that the land use application be approved as Medium Intensity.
The two parcels are located at the intersection of GA 17 and Glade Creek Parkway. The property is adjacent to the intersection of GA 365 and US 441 at the Tom Arrendale interchange. The property is 8.15 acres.
Irvin owns the Burger King in Cornelia and intends to put a Burger King on that property. The remaining property would be used for retail and small office type uses.
The property is located between areas currently zoned as agricultural and commercial. Approximately a quarter mile away is a Dollar General and a convenience store.
Harvest Church self-storage facility
The second public hearing is for a Conditional Use Permit for a self-storage facility to be located on Harvest Church Road at the intersection of GA 17N near Hayes Corner in the Fairview community.
The proposed self-storage facility will have five separate storage buildings and a separate office building. The property will also allow storage of recreational vehicles and large trailers.
The property is owned by Randy and Neva Fain and is adjacent to a residential development currently under construction by A & R Homes and Lula Capital, LLC and owned by developer Ryan Chitwood. Last year, several residents in the area opposed the development due to traffic concerns and sight distance issues.
The Planning Commission recommends that the County Commission deny the Conditional Use Permit. County staff feel that the traffic concerns that area residents expressed during the subdivision hearing last year will only be exacerbated by the addition of the self-storage facility.
Cornelia annexation
Commissioners will decide whether to object to a proposed annexation into the city of Cornelia. The annexation proposal from the city was removed from the agenda during the March commission meeting.
The 28.71 acre property along Elrod Street in Cornelia would have created an unincorporated island, which is against state law. The property owner has excluded a portion of the property along Elrod Street that would not be part of the annexation. This change alleviates the issue of creating an unincorporated island, allowing for the annexation to move forward.
County staff have no objections to the annexation. The County Commission is the final authority to object based on “a material increase of burden” related to a change in land use, increase in density, or infrastructure demands.
Recycling
Prior to the regular meeting, the County Commission will hold a work session to discuss a phased in approach to recycling.
For the last year, the County Commission has heard from citizens about increasing the opportunity for residents to recycle. Recently, the commission heard from Interim Landfill Director Johnnie Vickers about the benefits of recycling.
The one major benefit of recycling is reducing the amount of household waste going to the landfill. According to Vickers, approximately half of household waste going into the landfill is recyclable. By reducing the amount of waste going into the landfill, it could extend the life of the current landfill. That would give the commissioners more time to develop a plan for the landfill.
In February, the landfill quit accepting construction and demolition debris due to those cells reaching capacity.
Another benefit is the ability to sell recyclable materials such as cardboard and plastics. Based on his research, the county is missing an opportunity to generate revenue by not having an expanded recycling program.
The Habersham County Commission will hold a work session and their regular meeting Monday April 15. The commission will hold both meetings in the Jury Assembly Room in the Habersham County Courthouse. The work session will begin at 5:00 p.m. and the regular commission meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. The Habersham County Courthouse is located at 295 Llewellyn Street in Clarkesville.
