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This online news website is owned and operated by Becky Watts. The Editor can be reached at 770-468-7583 or at editor(at)PikeCountyTimes(dot)com. Pike County Times is a website for citizens to keep up with local events and stay informed about Pike County government. It began on November 13, 2006 as a watchdog on county government and has turned into an online newspaper.
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Submitted photo of the fence.
Submitted photo of Amazon van stuck after trying to go around the fence blocking the road.
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 – 6:30 p.m.
Courthouse, Main Courtroom, 16001 Barnesville Street, Zebulon, Georgia
Courthouse Doors on East/South Sides open at 6:00 p.m.
Town Hall Meeting at 6:15 p.m.
The Pike County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. in the upstairs courtroom of the Courthouse. There was a Town Hall meeting held at 6:15 p.m. where the public was invited to speak to the commissioners about concerns without getting on the agenda beforehand or being on the record. It's a way to bring items to the attention of the commissioners.
Commissioners James Jenkins, Ken Pullin, Tim Guy, and Tim Daniel were present along Chairman Briar Johnson and County Clerk Angela Blount. County Attorney/Manager Rob Morton was not able to attend this meeting.
The Pike County Board of Commissioners has its own YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@pikecoga where citizens can watch the meetings both in real time and after the meeting to catch up on county business. Thank you to the Commissioners for providing this service to Pike County citizens.
Readers can go to www.PikeCoGa.com, click on Resources, scroll down to Other Links to click on Meetings & Agendas, and then scroll down to the meeting date and click on Online Agenda to review documentation related to this meeting. Morning meetings have links to financial information and reports from county departments and authorities.
1. CALL TO ORDER ..... Chairman J. Briar Johnson2. INVOCATION ..... Kyle Garner
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ..... Chairman J. Briar Johnson
4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA - (O.C.G A. § 50-14-1 (e) (1))
Motion to amend the agenda for person from Ranchland Estates to speak; put as Item B and allow them to speak up to 20 minutes. Approved 5-0.
5. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES - (O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1(e) (2))
a. Minutes of the May 8, 2026, Special Called Meeting.
b. Minutes of the May 8, 2026, Workshop.
c. Minutes of the May 8, 2026, Executive Session.
d. Minutes of the May 13, 2026 Regular Monthly Meeting.
e. Minutes of the May 13, 2026, Executive Session.
f. Minutes of the May 13, 2026, Special Called Meeting.
Approval of 6 sets of minutes. Motion to approve all of the minutes. Approved 5-0.
6. INVITED GUEST - NONE
7. REPORTS FROM COMMISSIONS, DEPARTMENTS, COMMITTEES, AUTHORITIES
a. Monthly Reports submitted from County Departments and County Authorities, including a Revenue/Expenditure Statement for all departments and a summary check register. There are no Department Reports as they will be provided during the first Board meeting of June. Revenue/Expenditure Statement and Detail Check Register are included.
Discuss/Approve/Deny
Motion to approve the reports. Approved 5-0.
b. County Manager Report
Update on County finances for the following funds/accounts:
General Fund ..... $1,626,048.21
Fire Dept. Donations ..... $10,710.43
Cash Reserve Account ..... $329,561.26
Jail Fund ..... $30,484.09
E-911 Fund ..... $137,037.33
DATE Fund ..... $18,133.28
Juvenile Court Fund ..... $15,852.65
Residential Impact Fee ..... $292,631.29
Commercial Impact Fees ..... $14,672.22
C.A.I.P FUND ..... $15,911.37
General Obligation SPLOST 2022-2028 ..... $3,204,260.68
L.M.I.G. Grant (DOT) ..... $644,458.22
c. County Manager Comment: None
d. Commissioner Reports
Chairman Briar Johnson. Thanked the American Legion Pike Post for the program yesterday. He said that it was a very good program.
Emergency envelopes are available from the Fire Department to put emergency information where EMS can grab information from refrigerator, etc. to accompany a patient to the hospital.
e. County Attorney Report to Commissioners
None.
8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS - NONE
9. NEW BUSINESS
a. Proclamation Honoring the Pike County High School Girls Soccer Team.
The Pike County High School Girls Soccer Team was praised for their dedication, training, and outstanding teamwork through the season that made them Back-to-back Class 2A Champions. They were also praised for representing the school and community with honor, integrity, and excellence both on and off the field. Chairman Johnson read the proclamation aloud before the team and their coach came forward for a photo and applause from those in attendance.
b. Residents of Ranchland Estates to Speak on Dam. (This was added to the agenda at the beginning of the meeting.)
[Note from the Editor: This was read aloud at the meeting. I asked and received several key documents pertaining to this case by email after the meeting. The resident who gathered these documents put in open records requests and brought them in a binder with everything labeled for easy access. She was not an attorney, but she gathered her information and pulled it together like I do. I was impressed with that type of organization to her file!]
Chairman Johnson, Commissioners Daniel, Guy, Pullin, and Jenkins:
My name is Adam Rainey, and I live in Ranchland Estates. I am here today because on May 5, 2026, the County Manager and County Attorney, Mr. Rob Morton, ordered the closure of the Ranchland Estates access road without Board approval, without public notice, and without following the procedures required under Georgia law. And it was all done to improperly benefit private interests.
I want to present the facts clearly and respectfully.
1. What makes this troubling is that Mr. Morton did not follow his own legal guidance. In the April 26, 2022, Board of Commissioners meeting, he explicitly advised the Board that any action involving the county road system must be approved by the Board, citing O.C.G.A. § 32 4 40. The minutes reflect his statement that OCGA 32-4-40 states “shall plan, designate, improve, manage, control… and shall have control of and responsibility of all construction, maintenance or other work related to the county road system” He states “in his opinion, anything that has to do with the county road system will need to be approved by a policy or approve the action.”
Yet four years later, he unilaterally ordered the closure of Watering Hole Pass — without an agenda item, without a vote, without a public hearing, and without any of the procedures he himself told the Board were legally required.
He ignored the very law he quoted and the very process he instructed the Board to follow.
There was:
• No agenda item
• No public hearing
• No Board vote
• No resolution
• No legal abandonment under O.C.G.A. § 32-7-2
Instead, the closure was announced only through a Facebook post on the morning the work began and it was described as being done to “prevent traffic from crossing the dam onto private property.”
The issue is address points exist on both sides of the dam, assigned to the same road name. Emergency routing treats it as one road. The County cannot publicly claim the road “dead ends” when its own mapping, addressing, and 911 systems say otherwise.
2. For nearly two full years, Mr. Mark Whitley of Whitley Engineer and BridleLake Ownership LLC repeatedly pressed the County Manager to close Watering Hole Pass at the dam. His requests began as early as November 14, 2024, when he wrote: “Is the County going to install any signage for warning road ends and No Outlet on Watering Hole Pass and Watering Hole Drive as well as possible signage, barricade where the roads end at the beginning of each side of the Dam (end of County R/W) of Bridle Lake”
He continued throughout 2025, including on August 1, 2025, when he told the County Manager he had already spoken with another engineer “concerning the closure of Watering Hole Pass and Watering Hole Drive at the Bridle Lake Dam.”
By February 9, 2026, he was still pushing, asking whether the County could “proceed with getting professional advice… since the roads do not extend across the dam.”
This shows a sustained, multi-year effort by a private property owner to persuade the County to close a public road — culminating in the 2026 barricades.
In early 2026, in an email to engineer Mark Whitley, Mr. Morton stated that the road issue was “not a county obligation.”
Despite that written statement, he ordered the road closed anyway.
At the same time, Public Works employees reported that Mr. Whitley was communicating directly with them, directing how the barricades should be placed.
Mr. Morton told residents that Mr. Whitley was not working for the County, yet allowed him to influence county operations.
The closure has also caused a direct loss of property value for every Ranchland Estates homeowner. Our covenants and plats grant us deeded access to the lake, dam, and recreation areas, and those amenities are a core part of the subdivision’s value. By blocking the dam and cutting off access, the County has effectively removed a major amenity that buyers expect and that homeowners paid for.
This damage is not hypothetical — it is measurable. Homes with lake access, recreation access, and continuous road connectivity appraise higher than homes without them. When the County installed fencing and barricades on County property — as confirmed in the May 5, 2026 email stating “we have completed the installation of the fencing needed to block the dam off in Ranchland Estates” — it eliminated the very features that define this community. The County cannot use public property and public resources to enforce a private preference.
A government action that reduces property value to benefit a private landowner is not only improper — it is unlawful.
3. The relationship between Mr. Morton and Mr. Whitley is characterized by overlapping private and public roles, with Mr. Morton simultaneously serving as County Manager, County Attorney, and registered agent for Mr. Whitley’s LLC — while taking official actions that directly advanced Mr. Whitley’s private interests.
Public records show:
• In 2022, Mr. Morton notarized the quitclaim deeds transferring the dam and common area parcels to Bridle Lake Ownership, LLC owned by Mark Whitley.
• In 2022, Pike County and Bridle Lake engaged in a land swap involving property directly connected to this same area. Land that Bridle Lake has “non-exclusive easement” to per the quitclaim notarized by Rob. L. Morton.
• Since 2022, Mr. Morton has served as the registered agent for Bridle Lake Ownership, LLC.
• Mark Whitley, Whitley Engineering serves as a consultant for Pike County.
• In April 2026, he used his authority as County Manager to close the only access road to those same properties.
• S. J. Reeves, who prepared the plats, is listed on Bridle Lake Ownership LLC as an organizer in 2022. He has a personal interest in the land he is surveying.
These overlapping roles create a direct conflict between his public duties and his private interests.
4. Bridle Lake’s 2022 quitclaim deed states that Bridle Lake has only a “non-exclusive access right.”
A non-exclusive right cannot be used to exclude Ranchland residents or the public.
Yet the road was closed as if Bridle Lake held exclusive control.
6. The land swap approved in April 2022 appears to have transferred portions of common area property — including land tied to our deeded access rights — without any evidence that the County verified those rights, protected them, or even acknowledged them. The County Attorney later admitted he never received a recorded plat for the land swap and only had a “proposed concept drawing” when the Board approved it. A land swap conducted without a final plat, without a verified legal description, and without accounting for existing deeded rights raises serious concerns about whether the County had the authority to transfer that property at all. A government cannot convey land free of encumbrances when those encumbrances — our deeded rights — legally run with the property.
It is also important to note that Mr. Whitley cannot lawfully sell the boat ramp area because Ranchland Estates homeowners hold deeded, appurtenant rights to access and use the lake, dam, and common area properties. These rights run with our land and cannot be removed, extinguished, or conveyed away by a private sale. A property owner cannot sell land “free and clear” when that land is burdened by permanent, recorded easements benefiting dozens of other property owners. Any attempted sale of the boat ramp area would therefore be subject to — and limited by — the deeded rights held by every homeowner in Ranchland Estates.
7. The barricades were placed on County property, directly blocking access to the dam and common area lands for half of Ranchland Estates residents.
But even if the barricades had been placed on private property, Georgia law is clear:
• A county cannot close, obstruct, or interfere with a public road, Even if the barricade sits on private land, If the purpose or effect is to deny the public’s lawful access, Or to benefit a private citizen or private LLC.
Under O.C.G.A. § 32-7-2, only the Board — not the County Manager — may close or abandon a public road, and only after:
• A public hearing,
• A published notice,
• A finding that the road is no longer useful to the public,
• And a recorded resolution.
None of these steps occurred.
The Facebook post framed this as a neutral safety measure. It is not. It is the culmination of a two year campaign by a single property owner to close a public road and restrict access to common area amenities that belong to the entire subdivision. And this property owner has business and working relationship with the County Manager/Attorney.
Blocking access to deeded common areas is not a “traffic measure” — it is the removal of a legally granted property right.
8. The County’s GIS Mapping Confirms Watering Hole Pass Extends Across the Dam because it shows:
• A continuous road centerline labeled Watering Hole Pass extending across the dam.
• Address points on both the east and west sides of the dam are assigned to Watering Hole Pass.
• The road is mapped as a single, uninterrupted roadway in the County’s official database.
What this means:
1. The County itself recognizes Watering Hole Pass as a continuous public road across the dam.
2. The County assigns addresses based on that continuous road, which is only done for recognized, navigable public roads.
3. Emergency services routing, 911 addressing, and County infrastructure records all treat the dam crossing as part of the public road system.
4. The County cannot legally claim the road “ends” before the dam when its own GIS, addressing system, and emergency routing show otherwise.
5. Closing the road contradicts the County’s own official records.
GIS is not a casual map — it is the County’s official road inventory, used for:
• 911 dispatch
• Emergency response
• Address assignment
• Road maintenance planning
• Public works routing
• Tax parcel integration
If the County’s own system shows Watering Hole Pass crossing the dam, then the County has already acknowledged it as a public road.
9. The USPS delivery route has been disrupted.
Before the barricade, the mail carrier drove directly across the dam to deliver to homes on both sides of Watering Hole Pass.
Now, because the County blocked the road:
• The USPS route is interrupted, the carrier must leave the neighborhood, drive through the City of Williamson, pass through a different subdivision and re-enter Ranchland Estates from the opposite side just to complete delivery on the same road.
This is a federal mail delivery disruption caused by a County action that was never approved by the Board.
USPS assigns a single road name only when it is a continuous, navigable route. The fact that Watering Hole Pass is the official address on both sides of the dam is federal recognition that the road is continuous.
10. Prescriptive Right of Way
Residents have used this road:
• Openly
• Continuously
• Notoriously
• For decades
Under O.C.G.A. § 44-9-1, that establishes a prescriptive easement.
A prescriptive right of way cannot be extinguished by a unilateral administrative order.
11. This closure didn’t just block a road — it cut off a way of life that has defined Ranchland Estates for decades. The dam and lake area are where our community gathers. It’s where we celebrate the Fourth of July, grill out together, shoot fireworks, fish, and watch our kids grow up side by side. Roughly 24 families on the west side and another 50 families on the east side have always shared this space as a common recreation area and a unifying landmark.
And this isn’t just tradition — it is a deeded right. Our subdivision documents grant residents permanent, appurtenant rights of access and enjoyment over the lake, dam, and common area properties. These rights run with our land. They are part of what we purchased when we bought our homes. [Note from the Editor: Their emphasis, not mine.]
When the County installed fencing and barricades on County property, it didn’t just inconvenience a neighborhood — it stripped more than 70 families of a deeded property right and erased the central gathering place of our community. All of this was done to protect the private preferences of one resident, at the expense of an entire community.
A government action that destroys community life and eliminates deeded rights for dozens of families — solely to benefit a single property owner — is not just unfair. It is an abuse of public authority.
12. What I Am Asking This Board To Do
I respectfully request that the Board:
1. Require Mr. Morton to explain why he ordered the closure, especially after stating in writing that it was not a county obligation and he used county funds to do so at the insistence of a private citizen who also happens to do consulting work as a Pike County engineer.
2. Reverse the unauthorized road closure immediately and restore residents’ deeded rights.
3. Recognize the prescriptive easement that has been established over the last 28 years.
4. Initiate a formal inquiry into Mr. Morton’s conflicts of interest, including his role as registered agent for Bridle Lake and his notarization of the quitclaim deeds.
5. Direct Public Works that no road closures may occur without Board authorization, as required by Georgia law.
6. Review the 2022 land swap approved by the Board due to existing deeded rights of homeowners that run with our property. Was it valid?
Closing
This is not about personalities. It is about process, transparency, and the rule of law.
A county road was closed without your approval, without any of the legal procedures required under Georgia law, and in a way that stripped more than 70 families of their deeded rights to access the lake, dam, and recreation areas that define our community. The County’s own GIS system shows Watering Hole Pass as a continuous public roadway across the dam, with address points on both sides — yet the County installed barricades on County property to block that public road and caused a significant decrease in home values in Ranchland Estates.
This closure didn’t just inconvenience a community. It disrupted the USPS delivery route, forced mail carriers to detour through Williamson, delayed first responders, and destroyed long standing community traditions — Fourth of July gatherings, fireworks, cookouts, fishing, and the shared use of the lake that brings our community together. All of this harm was imposed on dozens of families to protect the private preferences of one resident.
I would like to end by sharing a statement from a member of our community who could not be here today:
Affidavit Regarding Long Term Public Use of Watering Hole Pass and the Ranchland Estates Dam Roadway
STATE OF GEORGIA
COUNTY OF PIKE
Personally appeared before me, the undersigned officer duly authorized to administer oaths, Rusty Stewart, who being first duly sworn, deposes and states as follows:
1. My name is Rusty Stewart, I am over eighteen (18) years of age, competent to testify, and I make this affidavit based on my personal knowledge.
2. I reside at 205 Watering Hole Drive, which is located within the Ranchland Estates subdivision in Pike County, Georgia. I have lived at this address since: May of 2021.
3. I have personal knowledge of the roadway known as Watering Hole Pass, including the portion of the roadway that crosses the Ranchland Estates dam.
4. For the entire time I have lived in Ranchland Estates, Watering Hole Pass has been used openly, continuously, and without interruption by residents, visitors, delivery drivers, and emergency services. This includes regular use by:
o USPS mail carriers
o UPS and FedEx drivers
o Emergency vehicles
o Residents and guests
o Utility service providers
5. The roadway across the dam has always been treated as a normal, continuous public roadway, and at no time during my residency until recently was it considered a dead end, private driveway, or restricted area.
6. I have personally traveled across the dam on Watering Hole Pass on a regular basis, including for ingress and egress to my home and to access other parts of the subdivision, including bridle lake. I have personally been involved in the upkeep of the sides of the roadway crossing the dam, picnic area and boat ramp to Bridle Lake by mowing the grass, picking up trash, sticks and debris as I understand this area to be deeded common area of all Ranchland Estate Residents.
7. I have never been informed by Pike County, any county official, or any subdivision representative that the road across the dam was closed, abandoned, or not intended for public use until the recent installation of a fence or barrier.
8. The installation of the fence across the dam has obstructed normal access, interfered with travel, and created confusion and safety concerns for residents and service providers. On April 17, 2024 a young man died in my front yard after his car left the roadway, flipped several times, and coming to a stop on my driveway. The young man was traveling home from his job in Zebulon and was only half a mile from his personal residence in our subdivision. I made the call to 911 operators and while on the phone with the 911 operator, I personally witnessed EVERY emergency service vehicle including sheriff office, ambulance service, fire department trucks and evidently the coroner’s office, travel off of Reidsboro Rd, through Ranchland Estates subdivision by way of Watering Hole Pass, come across the roadway at the dam of Bridle Lake and then onto Watering Hole Drive to reach the scene of the accident in my front yard. Furthermore, At the end of last year, 2025, on more than one occasion, my wife or I have personally met emergency service vehicles that traveled the same path crossing the dam by the roadway that connects Watering Hole Pass to Watering Hole Drive in their efforts to reach the young lady in distress located at 97 Watering Hole Drive. The road across the dam has ensured emergency services vehicles can reach Watering Hole Drive residents quickly and efficiently in their efforts to administer emergency services to this section of Ranchland Estates. Now that the county has barricaded this section of the roadway any emergency service vehicle will have to be rerouted, only able to reach our section of Ranchland Estates by way of Hwy 362, creating unnecessary travel time and longer response times to any emergency. Most recently, May of 2026, the property behind my house was involved in a controlled burn of the forestry land and I witnessed fire department emergency vehicles stop and turn around because the roadway that travels across the dam has now been barricaded off. Clearly the county does not consider the safety of every citizen to be important when a road that is utilized by every emergency service vehicle has been barricaded and has now been blocked for travel.
9. To my knowledge, the road across the dam has been used by the public for more than twenty (20) years, and its use has been open, notorious, and continuous throughout that time.
10. I make this affidavit voluntarily, and I understand it may be provided to:
o The Georgia Attorney General
o The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General
o The Pike County Board of Commissioners
o Any other investigative or legal authority reviewing this matter.
I swear or affirm that the foregoing is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Signed, Rusty Stewart
As a community, we will continue pressing forward until this wrong is fully remedied. Thank you for your time.
[Note from the Editor: I have examined a lot of open records that were sent to me on this. I have concerns and questions.
1) I can think of two roads that were not closed lately because citizens either use the road or the road could be used later on when land is developed. There is a process that must be followed according to state law as was stated above. Did the county go through the process of closing this road?
2) If not, why not?
3) How much county time and money were spent installing this fence? Because NOTHING is free.
4) Is the fence on county land or private land? (All the questions asked in the meeting need to be answered too.)
5) What is the proper procedure for working through an issue like this? Obviously, there is a problem if the commissioners didn't know about it which leads to the most important question.
6) How can this problem be avoided in the future?
Final thought and most importantly... Since the process seems to have been conducted without the commissioners being aware of or voting on it, I request that there be a public discussion about this to ensure these citizens that their concerns are being taken seriously and nothing is being done behind closed doors. Avoiding the appearance of impropriety is important, and acting in a manner that is above reproach is needed in this and ALL county business.]
c. Consideration of appointing a three-member committee to serve on the Joint Committee between the City of Zebulon and Pike County.
Johnson. Do any of you want to be on the Committee? Timmy Daniel said yes. Motion for Commissioners Timmy Daniel, Ken Pullin, and CM/Attorney Rob Morton to serve on this committee. Approved 5-0.
d. Appoint a voting delegate for the 2026 NACo Conference.
Motion for Commissioner Jenkins to be the representative for this conference. Approved 5-0.
e. PUBLIC HEARING: To receive public input regarding REZ-26-03 Jason Pike, LLC Owner, and Randy Boyd applicant request a rezoning from AR (Agricultural Residential) to C-3 (Heavy Commercial) for property located at 6807 GA Highway 362, Williamson, GA 30292. The property consists of 1.365+/- acres in Land lots 181 & 182 of the 1st District, further identified as parcel ID 025 032. The request is to rezone the property for the purpose of converting the existing house into rental office space. Commission District 2, Commissioner Tim Guy.
Converting an existing house into rental space and an office. Staff has recommended approval as well as the Planning and Zoning Board. 1) Buffers are required according to state and county required, 2) building permit required to convert to a commercial building, 3) parking shall meet our standards, and 4) variances will be required if there are any deviations from our standards. P&Z. Recommended approval with these conditions plus 5) any changes from stated uses will require approval from the county. The exact wording is below.
IN FAVOR
Attorney for Jason Mask. This house is across from the filling station. Jason would like to renovate this house and turn it into office space for HVAC business. 5th condition was added in the meeting, and they asked if Jason would have a problem with limiting what can go in there? Jason said no then. Asked if the 5th condition could add those other possible uses in case the HVAC fell through.
OPPOSITION
None.
Closed the public hearing. Think it makes sense to add the other specialty trade contractor items. Motion to approve with conditions. [Note from the Editor: Conditions are copied from the post agenda and listed below.]
Conditions are as follows:
1) Buffers must be established in accordance with Article 26 of the Unified Development Code (UDC) and in accordance with any State and Federal requirements that may be applicable.
2) Building permits shall be required to convert the home into a commercial building prior to any business licenses being issued for commercial use.
3) Parking shall be provided by meeting the standards as outlined in Article 27 of the UDC.
4) Variance(s) shall be required for any deviation of any development standard(s).
5) The only permitted use of the property shall be those uses authorized under Article 13, C-3 Heavy Commercial, Section 1303, Permitted Uses, Item 18, “Special Trade Contractor Shop,” including, but not limited to: Janitorial, Exterminating, Floor laying, Masonry, Ornamental metal work, Painting, Plastering, Plumbing, Sheet metal, Special building equipment installation, Electrical, and HVAC contractor. Approved 5-0.
f. PUBLIC HEARING: To receive public input regarding REZ-26-04 Jason Pike, LLC Owner, and Randy Boyd applicant request a rezoning from AR (Agricultural Residential) to C-3 (Heavy Commercial) for property located at 6851 GA Highway 362, Williamson, GA 30292. The property consists of 0.828+/- acres in Land lot 181 of the 1st District, further identified as parcel ID 025 034. The request is to rezone the property for the purpose of converting the existing church into an office and to construct an auxiliary warehouse space for tire storage for tire store on the adjacent parcel. Commission District 2, Commissioner Tim Guy.
Church being changed into an auxiliary warehouse for tire storage. Zoning staff recommended approval. P&Z Board agreed with conditions with the same 4 conditions: 1) buffers required, 2) building permits are required 3) parking required to meet standards, 4) variances shall be required, 5) any changes from stated uses will require further approval from the county.
IN FAVOR
The attorney spoke again. Breaks community’s heart that this is no longer a church, but no other church has stepped up in the past 3 years to buy the church. He would like to add onto the church in the back for tire storage and leave the front for offices. Limit to mini-warehouses and warehouses on the property.
OPPOSITION
None.
Closed the public hearing. Discussion. 5th condition where tire storage would be protected with a fence. Would like to have the opportunity to have some office space there. Trying to protect the integrity of the frontage of the church. Warehouse behind the church with an addition that would be built. Add section how to have outdoor storage set up with an item #6 including the screened fencing. Intention is for indoor storage but may have to put some outside.
Motion to approve with conditions. [Note from the Editor: Conditions are copied from the post agenda and listed below.]
Conditions are as follows:
1) Buffers must be established in accordance with Article 26 of the Unified Development Code (UDC) and in accordance with any State and Federal requirements that may be applicable.
2) Building permits shall be required to convert the church into a commercial building and for the auxiliary warehouse building prior to any business licenses being issued for commercial use.
3) Parking shall be provided by meeting the standards as outlined in Article 27 of the UDC.
4) Variance(s) shall be required for any deviation of any development standard(s).
5) The permitted use of the property shall be limited to Article 13, C-3 Heavy Commercial, Section 1303, Permitted Uses, Item 11. Mini-warehouses and warehouses.
6) Outdoor storage shall be allowed only in side and rear yards and shall be fully screened from adjacent properties by a vegetative buffer in accordance with Section 1612 and shall not be visible from the public right-of-way, masonry walls, or opaque wood fencing. Screening shall be a minimum of two (2) feet higher that the top of the materials being screened and no less than six (6) feet nor more than ten (10) feet in height. Chain-link fencing, with or without slats, shall not be allowed as a screening material.
10. PUBLIC COMMENT (Limited to 5 minutes per person) - NONE
Our budget public hearing will be June 2 at 6:30 p.m. in the Courthouse.
11. EXECUTIVE SESSION - NONE
12. ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn. 7:30 p.m.
Agenda subject to change.
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