A proposal to turn four acres near residential property into a storage facility was rejected at the last Bartow County Planning Commission meeting after nearby residents turned out against the idea.
The issue will be heard at the next Bartow County Commissioner’s meeting planned for June 3 at 10 a.m. in the commissioner’s meeting room at the county courthouse in Cartersville.
Yacoub Husein, represented at the meeting by Leslie Simmons, wanted to put 100 storage units at 236 Fire Tower Road. The request to go from A-1 to C-1 would require a land use map change, a rezoning, and a conditional use permit.
Residents told planning commission members the rezoning request was bad for the community.
“It has to be consistent with what’s happening in our community,” said Dr. David McKalip, one of the citizens who spoke at the meeting.
Others referred to the land use map and said allowing a commercial enterprise would set a trend for other parcels to go commercial around the residential area. Gloria Shinnall stated family owned the land along with that for the fire station beginning in 1939 and this idea wasn’t something any of them would want.
“The property change that goes with it goes against all we stand for,” she said.
Jim Anderson said the request goes against the four basic standards for rezoning in that it doesn’t benefit residents, creates a hazard, promotes crime, and sets the wrong precedent by promoting commercial zoning in a residential area.
The planning commission was unanimous in its decision to deny the request.
In other business:
The commission approved to rezone property at 17 Grassdale Road from to R-3 for J & A Construction & Homebuilders to construct townhomes. The vote was 4-1.
Approved a proposal for a conditional use permit for Asbury Grove Farms LLC to use 60 acres of property at 424 Barnsley Gardens Road to be used as an event center with small cottages. Commissioners questioned if more would be added to the property later but granted the request.
Melody Dareing is a freelance writer for publications in the U.S, Canada, the UK and Germany. She is a former news director of Adelphia Channel 4 and WBHF Radio. She is on Facebook, X, YouTube, content on Substack, and has a podcast on Rumble.