Applicant Laura Cushard tabled her rezoning and variance request twice. This time, she withdrew it; her attorney John Breakfield said efforts to compromise with the neighbors failed.
"Our clients, in the best interest of their best interest of their family and their personal lives, just wish to end it this evening," Breakfield told commissioners. "They feel it would be best for their neighborhood to go ahead and withdraw and end the bitterness that has come as a result of this application."
Opponents feared devalued property values, pointing out that the Ivey Drive, Barker's Bend Drive area was rezoned (R-1), single family residential, in 1986 and did not want it rezoned back to agricultural to allow the center.
Homeowners also expressed environmental concerns the horses might bring to the area, which they intended to be free of pollution and traffic.
The withdrawal means it would be at least 90 days before it could come back before the commission, according to County Attorney Bill Blalock.
The area is in Commissioner Billy Powell's District (2), and he said the withdrawal was the right choice.
"We all learned about the process and how the process works by this zoning matter," Powell said as he made the motion to accept Cushard's withdrawal request.
Johnny Hale did not get any further with his request to start a dog kennel on his 7-acre tract on Blackjack Road. Neighbors cited environmental and noise concerns and said a commercial venture did not belong in a residential area. Commissioner Bobby Banks made the motion to deny, which fellow commissioners approved.
Chang and Kyung Jung lost their rezoning bid to get a house rezoned for office use by Auto Gallery on Florence Drive off Browns Bridge Road after residents of nearby Richmond Town Homes objected and presented a petition claiming commercial encroachment in their neighborhood.
RADIO AGREEMENT
Commissioners approved an intergovernmental agreement that opens the door for north Georgia counties to use the county's state of the art radio broadcast system.
Commissioner Billy Powell said Dawson County has requested a leased space on the county's new 800 megahertz radio system.
"We may be able to help just about all of the North Georgia counties so that they also can participate in the 800 MHz system," Powell said.
Powell added cities and counties could help pay maintenance fees and the system has room for 63,000 radios. The $1.5 million dollar system was purchased under the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.
Red shirt opponents leave meeting room
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/8/212390