Commissioner wants bigger tracts for Agri-Entertainment

GAINESVILLE - Hall County Commissioner Scott Gibbs said Monday he wants bigger lot sizes for land owners who want to operate under the county's proposed agri-entertainment ordinance.

Under a new state law, rural land owners could hold barn weddings. The ordinance amends Hall County zoning which listed barn weddings as a commercial use. Gibbs says such events on bigger lot sizes would not disturb the neighbors; the planning commission recommends 15 acres.

"What we're doing is amending our zoning where they could hold weddings but we want some minimums put in place so it won't disturb the neighbors," Gibbs said. "We want large tracts of 30 to 50 acres or so where it is not disturbing the neighborhood. Our staff recommended 25; I will probably recommend 30 or 35."

Gibbs said at least six to seven land owners would benefit from the ordinance, which comes up Thursday for a first reading.

Also coming up Thursday is the controversial rezoning request from David Wayne and Michelle Gibbs to use their 28,500 square foot barn on 4.9 acres on Ransom Free Road in North Hall County as a special events facility and change the zoning from agricultural to a Planned Commercial Development. The application has drawn fire from nearby homeowners who complain of noise from events already held there. The Planning Commission denied the request.

REFUNDS COMING

One Hall County land owner has as much as $13,000 in a refund check coming to her, the result of a property tax error according to Chief Tax Appraiser Steve Watson.

Watson told county commissioners that Elizabeth Pennington's 11 acres was valued at $85,512 in 2006 but the land value was increased erroneously to $482,500 in 2007. Commissioners approved her refund request.

"In this case the value discrepancy was a result of an error that was made when they plugged in the acreage pricing schedule for that particular tract," Watson said.

Commissioners also approved a refund request from Ben Parker, who was taxed for a community dock that was not on his property.