The first minutes of the Planning and Zoning Board meeting were marred by faulty microphones which kept making noises. It was finally straightened out a minute or so later. I am very impressed with the turnout.
The minutes of the April 3 meeting were approved.
The first application was for a request for a special use permit for the use of sale of horses on Banks Mill Road. The application is recommended for approval with the condition that all sales be by appointment only. Joe Fowler says there will be no sign posted and no sign will be placed that says horses are for sale. Fowler says she received a stable license on March 26. Currently in the stable she has ten horses and a report says they are in excellent condition. Fowler said there have been calls questioning the condition of these horses. Fowler said the property owner has five appointments a week. Fowler said she delivers 90% of the horses purchased. Fowler also says she does not trade horses. The permit time is for three years. P&Z asks for opposition--apparently there is at least one. Someone says they live down the street and she says the traffic is bad and the road is narrow and she is concerned about the horse trailer being on the narrow road. Another citizen says there will be a lot of flies and she said yesterday she was almost or was run off the road yesterday by a horse trailer. Fowler says there is a neighbor that also has ten horses. The owner said "occasionally" there will be one person that comes to pick up a horse. Someone on the board asked if you had to have a business license to sell horses. The owner says she will sell 2-4 horses a week. The owner's partner has a farm in South Carolina and they bring horses from that farm to sell.
A board member has questions for Randy Hulsey, the DCDOT director. He wants to know about site distance. There is also the question of safety. Hulsey said the road needs to be improved and says a lot of roads need to be upgraded in order to handle the traffic. Hulsey is concerned with the possibility of horse trailers parked on the side of the road, which should not happen. Hulsey said he has not looked at the property but his staff has.
A board member is concerned with the traffic concerned with bringing feed in. The owner says she does not have a trailer and puts 1/2 ton of feed a week in the back of her pickup truck. The owner says she has been advertising since January 1st. The owner says she has sold four in a week--the most she's ever sold. She offers a seven day trial period for the horses.
A motion is made to approve the application. The permit time is changed to one year. P&Z approves it and it goes to the BOC, who makes a motion to approve and the application is approved.
The next application is for Tranquil AME Church for a special use permit for a church on one acre. They are recommending approval but with no additional driveways and to communicate with the DCDOT as to access to the building. The spokesperson says the church has been there for 150 years. He says he will "decide the best possible way to mark and stripe" the driveway to the church. A board member asks for opposition, but there is no opposition. Another board member is concerned with the masonry on the building and says it should be brick to match the church building already on the property. A motion is made to approve the application with several conditions and the P&Z unanimously approves it and it is sent to the BOC. Tom Worthan asks Amy Brumbelow to read the conditions again. Worthan then asks for a motion. A motion is made for approval. Worthan said he is concerned that the building would be too expensive to construct with four sided brick. The pastor said he could use it while it was still being constructed. Worthan gives him a year to construct it and the motion is quickly approved.
The next application is for life coaching utilizing horses on Leison Lake Road. Customers would not be riding the horses. Amy Brumbelow recommends approval with conditions. The property owner wants to pass information out but a board member tells her she cannot do this. The life coach says she will tell the customer to halter the horse and then will ask the customer what they are going to do with their life. I don't see what horses have to do with life coaching. One board member does not understand what she will do with the horses. She explains again. She says "it's not about the horses, it's about human development." She says she has a total of three horses but will soon have two. Another member asked what her previous job was and she said she worked in human resources. She has not mentioned that she has a psychology degree. She invites the board members to come to her farm and try it. She says mainly adults are customers. She says she is certified through an equine learning federation and is in the process of being certified as a life coach. A board member asks about the safety of future clients. The life coach says they are safe horses and because it is nonmounted it is safer. The life coach is certified in first aid. Charlie Camp asks if she offers discounts to neighbors and the meeting turns into a friendly conversation until Worthan ends it saying that Mulcare has a question. The life coach then starts to advertise, saying if they come out it will be 50% off for them. One asks if there are individual or group sessions and she says it is mainly individual. There are also corporate packages for up to 12 people. A motion is made to approve the application and it is approved with several conditions. P&Z sends it to the BOC who makes a motion to approve the application and it is approved.
The next application is for a request for a restaurant in the Lithia Springs area. Brumbelow recommends approval. The spokesman, Mickey Edwards, does not have a presentation. P&Z asks for any citizen opposition--there is none. A member asks if people are living upstairs and Edwards says no. Another asks if Edwards intends to pave the parking lot. Edwards says it "depends on how well they do." Edwards says he didn't think Lithia Springs did anything but sell business licenses and collect tax, then says he hopes he didn't offend anyone. P&Z asks for a motion and a motion is made to approve the application and the P&Z approves it. The BOC asks for a motion and there is one made for approval. The application is approved.
The next application is for a special use permit for a detached garage and shop behind his home. Brumbelow recommends approval. The property owner wants it for storage. P&Z asks for opposition--there is none. A P&Z member asks if he plans on running a business and he says he has a lot of tools he will store in it. P&Z asks for a motion and a motion is made for approval. P&Z approves the application and sends it to the BOC who makes a motion to approve. The application is approved.
The next application is for a professional office complex on Brookmont Parkway. Brumbelow is recommending approval with several conditions including that the buildings should be no more than two stories. Fowler is the spokesman for the owner. Fowler says the property is right next to the school and then next to the school there is a dentist office. Fowler says the dentist office "sets the tone for the type of construction" there will be in the office complex. Fowler says it will be all masonry and a Georgian design. There is a disagreement--they want a minimum amount of parking on the front. P&Z asks for a motion for the map amendment. A motion is made to approve the amendment and P&Z approves it and then asks for a motion concerning the zoning application. A motion is made to approve the rezoning application and it is unanimously approved and both the amendment and rezoning application are sent to the BOC. The BOC makes a motion to approve the amendment and it is approved. The BOC makes a motion to approve the rezoning application and it is approved.
A P&Z member asks for a 5 minute break. Part II to come.
