[I. OPENING]
[00:00:08]
JANUARY 6TH, 2026 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING. WE THANK ALL OF YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING WITH US. WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE PASTOR TOM, FAR FROM FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH ON THE SQUARE, WHO HAS COME BEFORE. AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING TONIGHT TO GIVE OUR INVOCATION. AND AFTER THAT, WE'LL HAVE THE PLEDGE TO THE FLAG. AND I'LL ASK COMMISSIONER THRAILKILL TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE IF EVERYONE WOULD PLEASE RISE. LET'S PRAY TOGETHER.
FATHER. WHAT AN AMAZING TIME THAT WE HAVE JUST EXPERIENCED. EXPERIENCING THE JOY THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN TO US. AND NOW WE RETURN A PAGE IN OUR CALENDAR BOOKS AND OUR APPS. WE LOOK FOR YOU. WE LOOK TO YOU FOR WISDOM. WE LOOK TO YOU FOR GUIDANCE. WE GIVE YOU THANKS FOR THOSE THAT YOU HAVE CALLED AND THOSE WHO HAVE RESPONDED TO YOU TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND OUR COUNTY.
LORD. HELP THEM TO BE FAITHFUL SERVANTS NOT ONLY TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT TO YOU AS WELL.
LORD, BLESS THIS TIME. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU, REVEREND, FOR.
[III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA/MINUTES]
OKAY, THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF THE FINAL AGENDA. I'LL SEEK A MOTION TO APPROVE. SO MOVED. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT.THANK YOU. MOTION IS CARRIED. NEXT IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM TROUP COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION, WHICH WAS HELD ON DECEMBER THE 16TH, 2025. DO I HAVE A MOTION? MAKE A MOTION. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.
MOTION IS CARRIED. AND FINALLY, IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE TROUP COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS. BOARD. EXCUSE ME TO CALL MEETING. I'M SORRY. TROUP COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CALL MEETING, WHICH WAS HELD ON DECEMBER THE 23RD, 2025. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO BE APPROVED? SO MOVED. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RIGHT. THANK YOU. MOTION IS CARRIED. AND FINALLY, THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM TROUP COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOARD MEETING, WHICH WAS HELD ON DECEMBER THE 16TH, 2025. DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? THANK YOU. MOTION IS
[IV. Special Business]
CARRIED. ALRIGHT. NEXT IS SPECIAL BUSINESS. I GUESS. PROBABLY FOR ME, IT'S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR WHEN THE CALENDAR ROLLS OVER THAT WE SELECT A VICE CHAIRMAN FOR THIS COMING YEAR. SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION AND A RECOMMENDATION. MR. CHAIRMAN, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE SELECT COMMISSIONER THREADGILL FOR VICE CHAIR. ALL RIGHT. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. IF YOU CAN'T, PROBABLY CAN'T VOTE FOR HIMSELF, CAN HE? IT'S NOT SHOWING UP ON MY SCREEN. OH, I KNOW THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.IT DIDN'T. ALRIGHT, I KNOW, THAT'S WHY I SAID THAT. WE'LL DO IT ANYWAY. I'LL BE HAPPY TO VOTE FOR YOU. YEAH. MESSING UP THE SHOW. WHY NOT GO AHEAD AND VOTE. MOVING ON. OKAY. GO AHEAD.
SO YOU WANT US TO GO BACK THROUGH IT? OKAY. IF Y'ALL DON'T MIND. I'LL MAKE A MOTION FOR COMMISSIONER THREADGILL TO BE VICE CHAIR. ALL RIGHT. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, MR. MOSLEY. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU. COMMISSIONERS, FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE CONSIDERATION OF LAGRANGE MEMORIAL LIBRARY'S FUNDING REQUEST. MISS KELLY AINSLIE IS HERE FROM THE LIBRARY. BASED ON THIS MORNING'S MEETING, HER REQUEST IS TO FUND A $70,000 MID-YEAR REQUEST. SHE AND I HAD SOME CONVERSATION THIS AFTERNOON, AND THAT WOULD BE $35,000 REQUEST THROUGH THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, AND THEN THE FULL 70 WOULD TAKE EFFECT IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR BUDGET, WHICH WOULD WOULD BEGIN ON JULY 1ST. ALL RIGHT. AND NOW NOW, I THINK YOU'VE GOT QUITE A FEW FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY WITH YOU TONIGHT. I DO, AND ALSO SOME OF
[00:05:05]
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBERS ARE HERE AS WELL. AND I APPRECIATE THE SHOW OF SUPPORT.I ALSO HAVE THREE STAFF MEMBERS FROM LAGRANGE MEMORIAL LIBRARY HERE, TOO. ALL OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO MAKES EVERYTHING THAT WE DO POSSIBLE. IT REALLY IS A COMMUNITY EFFORT AND TAKES EVERYBODY. IF WE'RE GOING TO IMPROVE LITERACY HERE IN TROUP COUNTY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.
SO OF THAT $70,000, 35,000 WOULD BE REQUESTING FOR THIS BUDGET. YES, SIR. AN ADDITIONAL 35 FOR NEXT. OKAY. THAT WASN'T CLEAR THIS MORNING. YEAH I KNOW I APOLOGIZE, ALTHOUGH I MEAN, IF Y'ALL WILL DO 140, I'M SLOW. YOU'RE GOOD. IS THIS HAVE TO BE THE BUDGET HAS TO BE AMENDED FOR THIS. YES, SIR. THERE WILL BE A BUDGET AMENDMENT. IT WOULD IT WOULD END UP COMING AND TALK TO SONYA. IT WOULD COME FROM THE FUND. BALANCE IS WHERE IT WOULD COME FROM. I SENT THE COMMISSIONERS EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON, BASICALLY A BREAKDOWN OF THE BUDGETS FROM THE LIBRARY OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, AND TO SHOW THEIR INCREASES. SIGNING CAN CERTAINLY ELABORATE ON THAT AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? WHAT THE PROJECTION WOULD BE. OKAY, SO THEY STAYED FLAT FROM 19 TO 24 AT 418, 625 FOR THE LAGRANGE MEMORIAL IN 25 THEY GOT THEY ASKED FOR 60,000 AND THEY GOT ROUGHLY 26,000 LAST YEAR. THIS YEAR, THEIR INTERIM REQUESTED 51 736. BUT WE DIDN'T GIVE THAT INCREASE BECAUSE WE WERE WAITING ON. WE KNEW THAT WAS JUST AN INTERIM, AND WE WERE WAITING ON THEIR DIRECTOR TO BE APPOINTED. AND FOR HOGANSVILLE, IT WAS VERY MUCH THE SAME. THEY HAD ASKED FOR 14,000 FOR THE 26 BUDGET, BUT WE LEFT IT FLAT AND THEY HAD STAYED FLAT THE SAME WAY UP TILL 24. BUT I THINK THE REASON IT WAS FLAT WAS BECAUSE THE BUILDING WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING BUILT OR RECONSTRUCTION OR. WELL. FOR MANY YEARS, AND I DIDN'T GO BACK AND NOTE MANY YEARS. THEY DID ASK FOR INCREASES AND THEY DIDN'T GET THEM, BUT IN 25 THEY DID GET THAT WAS THE FIRST YEAR THEY GOT AN INCREASE AND IT WAS THE BUILDING WAS CONSIDERED THEN AND THE STATE'S INCREASE IN THEIR EMPLOYEE RATE, WHICH THEY'RE ALL STATE EMPLOYEES. SO. AND THAT'S AS FAR BACK IN MY NOTES AS I WENT. SO 25 WAS THE FIRST YEAR IN A LONG TIME THAT THEY GOT AN INCREASE. SO IF WE APPROVE THE 35,000 TONIGHT, THEN WE'LL LOOK WHEN WE LOOK AT THE 2627 BUDGET YEAR, WE'LL LOOK AT THE OTHER 35,000. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. WAS IT 35 OR 70 IN JANUARY. SO COME JULY 1ST IT'LL BE 70. BUT AGAIN, THAT'LL COVER THE FULL 12 FULL YEAR BUDGET IN THE TWO, TWO, TWO CATEGORIES. YEAH. NO WE WEREN'T CLEAR. THAT'S THAT'S FINE. SO SO YOU'RE GETTING 35 I'M I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WE'RE GIVING 35 TODAY. 35 TODAY TO TO FINISH OUT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. AND THEN COME JULY 1ST, THEIR, THEIR, THEIR, THEIR FULL ALLOCATION WOULD BE 70, WHICH WOULD BE A FULL 12 MONTHS. RIGHT. SO THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING 35 NOW. BUT IT'S GOING TO BE 70 IN IN JULY. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'LL BE THE FULL 12 MONTHS. YEAH. SO MINUS SIX MONTHS FOR 26. YEAH. WE'RE WE'RE JUST FINISHING OUT THE REMAINING SIX MONTHS WITH $35,000 WHICH IS HALF, HALF OF THE TOTAL. SO THEN WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET TO DETERMINE BEFORE WE EVER APPROVE THE 70. WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET THEN. THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. IF IF NOT, THEN I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. MR. CHAIRMAN, I'LL MAKE A MOTION ON THE $35,000 FOR THE LIBRARY. SECOND. OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? WENT AWAY. HOLD ON. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MOTION IS CARRIED. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT, NEXT UP, I'LL INVITE JAY AND ZACK TO DISCUSS THE THIRD APPARATUS.
BAY FOR FIRE STATION NUMBER 14. GOOD EVENING. CHAIRMAN. COMMISSIONERS, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS THIS MORNING, SO I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH YOU WANT ME TO GO INTO THIS EVENING, BUT A QUICK SYNOPSIS, SINCE WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A CROWD HERE, IS THAT BACK IN THE 1ST OF DECEMBER, THE BOARD APPROVED THE CONTRACT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FIRE STATION 14 OUT OF ROANOKE ROAD. AND DURING OUR CONSTRUCTION MEETINGS WITH PRINCIPAL, OUR PRE-CONSTRUCTION
[00:10:03]
MEETINGS, WE WENT OVER SOME VALUE ENGINEERING COST SAVINGS AND SCHEDULES AND SEMANTICS OF WHAT CAN BE DONE. AND ANYWAY, STAFF RECOMMENDATION NOW IS TO GO AHEAD DURING CONSTRUCTION AND ADD THE THIRD BAY, WHICH IS $329,000. AND TO GO AHEAD AND DO THAT WHILE WE'RE BUILDING UPFRONT INSTEAD OF WAITING TO A LATER DATE. AND THEN IT'S MUCH HARDER AND MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE TO ADD IT ON LATER. SO WE THINK IT'S A WISE MOVE TO GO AHEAD AND PULL THAT TRIGGER NOW AND GET IT DONE. SINCE WE'RE ABOUT TO BREAK GROUND. ALL RIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS? IT WASN'T DELAY CONSTRUCTION ANY. WILL IT GO NOW? IT WON'T DELAY CONSTRUCTION. YES, SIR. THAT'S WHY WE WERE TRYING TO GET IT IN SO THAT IT WOULDN'T. IS IT READY? I MEAN, LAST TIME I THINK THERE WAS ONE THING AS FAR AS DEED WISE OR. NO, IT'S. EVERYTHING IS DONE. THE DEED HAS BEEN RECORDED, I BELIEVE. ACTUALLY, RAY MCKENZIE BROUGHT IT OVER AND RECORDED IT BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. AND SO WE'RE ROCKING AND ROLLING ON ALL THREE BAYS WILL BE THE SAME SIZE. YES, SIR. I UNDERSTAND POTENTIALLY THIS WEEK THEY'RE GOING TO MOVING SOME STUFF IN THE CLEARING AND GRADING. GUY SHOULD BE DROPPING DROPPING EQUIPMENT THIS WEEK AT LEAST. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'LL GET STARTED. BUT THEY SAID THAT PROBABLY BY THURSDAY OR FRIDAY THEY'D AT LEAST BE DROPPING THE EQUIPMENT. THE OTHER PIECE I THINK, WAS TALKED A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE BUS, THE BUS PARKING AS WELL. DURING THE INTERIM, JAY HAS WORKED WITH LANCE AND WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND WE'RE RELOCATING THE BUS PARKING OUT TO PONDER PARK. AND SO THEY'RE UTILIZING THAT SPACE FOR BUS PARKING FOR THE TEN MONTH BUILD, AND THEN THEY'LL RELOCATE BACK TO THAT NEW PAD BEHIND THE BUILDING. SCHOOL STARTED TODAY. I THINK THEY MOVED ALL THE BUSSES OVER THE WEEKEND OUT THERE TO PINE ROAD PARK, BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT WE WERE POTENTIALLY GETTING EQUIPMENT THERE THIS WEEK. AND THEN TODAY WAS THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. AND SO THEN REALLY STARTING TODAY, THEY'D ALL BE COMING AND GOING FROM PINE ROAD, PARK PLACE, USING THE BOAT RAMP, PARKING LOT OR AND THE OUTER FURTHEST OUT OF BAND OF PARKING FOR OKFUSKEE. OH, WE HAVE SOME BIG FISHING TOURNAMENTS COMING UP IN. IT'S OUT THERE. SIR. I WAS FIXING TO SAY YOU HAD A YOU HAD A TOURNAMENT COMING UP OUT THERE, AND I JUST WONDER WHERE THE BUSSES WERE GOING TO BE DURING THAT TOURNAMENT. THE TRANSPORTATION MANAGER FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, KEVIN WEGIENKA, HE AND I TALKED THIS MORNING, ACTUALLY, ABOUT PUTTING THEM MORE IN THAT OUTER BAND OF OKFUSKEE SO THAT IT FREES UP THE, THE, THE BOAT PARKING AREA.WE TALKED ABOUT IT THIS MORNING. EITHER TEN MONTHS, THEY WON'T. WILL THEY LEAVE IT OUT THERE DURING THE SUMMERTIME? YES, SIR. OKAY. ONLY FOR THIS SEMESTER. AND AS SOON AS SCHOOL STARTS, ALL THE BUSSES WOULD BE GOING BACK TO THEIR MAINTENANCE, BUILDING THEIR BUS BARN TO GET SERVICED, WASHED AND SO FORTH. PLUS WE HAVE CAMERAS ON OKFUSKEE, AS YOU'RE WELL AWARE, AND THEY LIKE THE IDEA OF BEING A LITTLE CLOSER TO OKFUSKEE, WHERE THE CAMERAS WERE A LITTLE BIT MORE IN PLAY, JUST IN CASE OF. YEAH, YAHOOS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. HEARING NONE, THEN I WILL SEEK A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSTRUCTION IN THE EXTRA MONEY IS GOING TO BE SPLIT TO AS FAR AS PAYMENT. THAT IS YOUR DECISION TO BE MADE. BUT YES, WE DID TALK ABOUT HOW THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT WAS 5050 FROM SPLOST AND CAPITAL. YES, IT WOULD BE MY PREFERENCE BECAUSE THIS IS JUST GOING TO BE A CHANGE ORDER ON THAT ORIGINAL PO, SO IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO SPLIT IT. WE DID. YEAH. SO IT'LL BE FUNDED THE SAME WAY OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. IF NOT THEN I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE THIRD APPARATUS BAY FOR FIRE STATION NUMBER 14. MAKE A MOTION. I HAVE A SECOND. OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIES. AND WE HAVE FIVE OTHER ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. SO I THINK I'M JUST GOING TO STAY UP HERE AND HANDLE THE
[V. Public Hearings]
REST OF THEM. OKAY. WELL, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT WE COME OUT OF THE REGULAR MEETING AND GO INTO PUBLIC HEARING. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT.THANK YOU. MOTION IS CARRIED. NOW YOU CAN THANK YOU. I FORGOT ABOUT THAT IN THE PUBLIC HEARING. THE FIRST ITEM IN THE PUBLIC HEARING IS A REZONING APPLICATION. THIS APPLICATION WAS SUBMITTED BY MR. CARL NEELY, WHO IS THE EXECUTOR OF THE CHARLES NEELY ESTATE. MR. CHARLES NEELY OWNED THIS PROPERTY, AND HE PASSED AWAY RECENTLY. AND THEREFORE THEY'RE TRYING TO SETTLE OUT THE ESTATE. SO THE APPLICATION WAS FILED BY THE SON, CARL NEELY, WHO IS THE EXECUTOR OF THE ESTATE. SO THE ADDRESS IS 2734 ROANOKE ROAD. IT'S APPROXIMATELY THREE ACRES.
YOU SEE IT UP ON THE SCREEN. IT IS ON ROANOKE ROAD, VERY CLOSE TO THE INTERSECTION OF FLING
[00:15:06]
ROAD AND WHITAKER ROAD. IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT AREA, IT IS CURRENTLY ZONED SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO REZONE IT TO COMMERCIAL AND MORE PARTICULARLY TO LIMITED COMMERCIAL. A LITTLE HISTORY ON IT. IT WAS ZONED COMMERCIAL IN THE PAST, BUT YOU NEVER COULD TELL BY LOOKING AT IT. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN USED RESIDENTIALLY, AND IF YOU LOOKED AT IT ON THE GOOGLE, GOOGLE MAPS, THERE'S A HOUSE THERE, AN OLD HOUSE, AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN USED RESIDENTIALLY. SO JUST LOOKING AT IT, YOU WOULDN'T KNOW, BUT IT HAD BEEN ZONED COMMERCIAL.IT WAS ACCIDENTALLY ZONED TO A RESIDENTIAL ZONING WHEN WE REDID THE ZONING MAPS IN THE UDO. AND THAT WAS CAUGHT WHEN THE FAMILY IS TRYING TO NOW SELL THE PROPERTY, AND THEY KNEW IT HAD BEEN COMMERCIAL, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN REALIZED, WHOA, NOW IT'S RESIDENTIAL. SO THEY CALLED OUR OFFICE AND WE DID FIND THAT, YES, THAT WAS AN ERROR. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMMERCIAL, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE THE REZONING PROCESS. THE STAFF DID NOT CHARGE THEM FOR THE APPLICATION OR CHARGE THEM FOR THE PROCESS FREE OF CHARGE, SINCE IT WAS ALL ALL OUR FAULT. BUT THEY STILL HAVE TO GO BY LAW THROUGH THE REZONING PROCESS. SO AGAIN, IT IS TO GO FROM A SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL BACK TO A LIMITED COMMERCIAL, WHICH IS THE SURROUNDING AREA. IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. RIGHT NEXT DOOR IS A CONVENIENCE STORE ON THE CORNER RIGHT THERE, THE MARATHON. AND THEN RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET IS THE PICNIC BASKET, WHICH HAS BEEN THERE FOR MANY YEARS. AND THEN BEHIND THE PICNIC BASKET IS DON'S BOAT STORAGE, I BELIEVE AN RV STORAGE. SO THERE'S QUITE A FEW COMMERCIAL ENTITIES THERE. AND ACTUALLY BEHIND THE PROPERTY OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS ALSO A HEATING AND AIR THAT ADJOINS THERE. SO THERE'S A LOT OF COMMERCIAL THERE. AND THAT'S WHY IT WAS COMMERCIAL ORIGINALLY. HAD IT BEEN COMMERCIAL BEFORE, I DIDN'T LOOK BACK AT THE LENGTH OF IT. BEEN THAT WAY FOR YEARS THOUGH, I BELIEVE. SO, YEAH. ZONING.
AND WHENEVER WE HAVE A REZONING WE ALWAYS LOOK AT OUR STANDARDS OF, OF A REZONING. AND SO NUMBER ONE, YOU KNOW, DOES THIS ADVERSELY AFFECT THE ADJOINING PROPERTIES ANYWAY? THE STAFF DOES NOT BELIEVE. SO WHETHER THE PROPOSED REZONING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE ADJACENT PROPERTIES OR OVERBURDEN TRAFFIC, UTILITIES, FACILITIES. AND WE DO NOT. IT'S IT'S ONLY THREE ACRES. IT'S NOT A HUGE PARCEL. IT'S ON A STATE HIGHWAY. SO IT'S NOT OVERBURDENING TRAFFIC. WE DID NOT SEE ANY ANY NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF OVERBURDENING OUR ROADS OR STREETS, OUR SCHOOLS, OUR UTILITIES. IT IS CONSISTENT WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WOULD SHOW AN INTERSECTION LIKE THAT AS A COMMERCIAL NODE. SO SO REZONING THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND OUR FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
SUBJECTS AROUND IT, AS WE DISCUSSED, ARE ALREADY COMMERCIAL WITH THE GAS STATION, THE PICNIC BASKET, THE BOAT STORAGE, THE AC HEATING AND AIR. WE ALREADY HAVE COMMERCIAL IN THE AREA. WE WE SAW NO NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS BY THIS REZONING AND NO OTHER NEGATIVE FACTORS. STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO GO BACK TO THE COMMERCIAL. THE BOARD OF ZONING APPROVED THIS SIX TO NOTHING UNANIMOUSLY, SIX TO NOTHING AT THE LAST BOARD OF ZONING MEETING. ANY QUESTIONS? PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. ALL RIGHT. IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING. AND WE ALLOW PEOPLE TO COME THAT MIGHT WANT TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OR IN OPPOSITION TO THIS REZONING. SO I'LL OPEN IT UP FIRST. IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME FORWARD. ALRIGHT. HEARING NONE, THEN I'LL GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYBODY LIKE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THIS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO. YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME FORWARD. ALRIGHT. HEARING NONE. I KNOW THIS IS THE FIRST READING, BUT IT IS VOTE ELIGIBLE TONIGHT, SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE REZONING FOR MISTER NEELY'S PROPERTY AT 2734 ROANOKE ROAD. YAY! YOU DID A VERY GOOD JOB EXPLAINING THIS SITUATION THE WAY THIS IS TAKING PLACE. THANK YOU. I'LL MAKE A MOTION. ALL RIGHT. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? OKAY, I'LL. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MOTION IS CARRIED. NEXT ITEM ON THE PUBLIC HEARINGS IS A FINAL SUBDIVISION PLAT BEING SUBMITTED. THIS IS A, AS I SAID, A FINAL PLAT REVIEW FOR A TATE ESTATES IS GOING TO BE THE NAME OF IT BY LIBERTY LAND LLC. IT IS ON HIGHWAY 18. AND MORE PARTICULARLY IT IS BETWEEN DRUMMOND ROAD AND WEST DRUMMOND ROAD, RIGHT ON HIGHWAY 18. IT'S A 71.5 ACRE TRACT OF LAND, APPROXIMATELY. IT'S ALL GOING TO BE DONE IN ONE PHASE, WHICH
[00:20:01]
IS JUST NINE LOTS AND NINE LOTS. DOES MAKE IT A IN OUR ORDINANCE, A MAJOR SUBDIVISION PER SE, WHICH IS WHY THE WHOLE PROCESS THIS WAS BEFORE YOU PREVIOUSLY FOR INFORMATION AND COMMENT AND THERE WAS NONE. AND IT WAS THE THE PRELIMINARY PLAT WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF ZONING AT THEIR LAST MEETING UNANIMOUSLY, SIX TO NOTHING. SO THE BOARD OF ZONING HAS ALSO APPROVED THIS. AND SINCE THE BOARD OF ZONING APPROVED THE PRELIMINARY PLAT IN OUR ORDINANCE, IT COMES BACK TO YOU, THE COMMISSIONERS, AS FINAL PLAT APPROVAL, AND IT IS READY FOR THAT. IT'S BEEN REVIEWED BY THE STAFF WITH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. IT'S BY BY ROADS AND ENGINEERING, BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHICH ALWAYS REVIEWS SUBDIVISIONS, FIRE MARSHAL, PROPERTY APPRAISER'S. EVERYBODY'S REVIEWED IT. IT COMPLIES WITH ALL OF OUR RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR A MAJOR SUBDIVISION THAT IS AG RESIDENTIAL, WHICH IS ZONING.SO THIS COMPLIES WITH ALL OF OUR ORDINANCES FOR AG RESIDENTIAL. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS? NINE LOTS THAT ALL GO FROM 2 TO 3 ACRES UP TO A 15 ACRE. SO THEY ALL COMPLY WITH THE LOT SIZE FOR RESIDENTIAL. AND ALL THE DRIVEWAYS I BELIEVE ARE ON EITHER HIGHWAY 18 OR WEST DRUMMOND ROAD. THERE'S THE LAYOUT UP ON THE SCREEN SHOWING THE NINE LOTS. ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION. AGAIN, I'LL GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ANYBODY THAT MIGHT LIKE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THIS, THAT YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME FORTH. OKAY. HEARING NONE THEN ANYONE THAT LIKE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME FORTH. ALRIGHT. HEARING NONE. THEN WE CAN TAKE A VOTE. THIS FIRST READING IS A VOTE ELIGIBLE THIS EVENING. YEP. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. JAMES, THIS IS COUNT HERE. SHARED DRIVEWAYS. BUT IT'S NOT REALLY A SHARED DRIVEWAY, IS IT? THAT'S CORRECT.
OKAY. CAN WE PULL THAT BACK UP? I CAN EXPLAIN SEPARATIONS ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE RIGHT OF WAY.
THE WAY THE DRIVEWAYS ARE PROPOSED. EACH ONE IS WELL UNDERSTOOD. IT SAYS UNDER TRACT 78 IT SAYS SHARED DRIVEWAY. YEAH. SORRY IT GOT AWAY. THAT'S THE TERMINOLOGY THEY USE FOR IT.
BUT I THINK TO THE WAY, THE WAY, THE WAY THE COUNTY'S BEEN APPROVING THEM LATELY. IS THAT JUST KIND OF TOUCH RIGHT AT THE EDGE OF THE ASPHALT. AND SO IT'S INSTEAD OF A SHARED DRIVEWAY, IT'S MORE OF A SHARED ACCESS. RIGHT. YEAH. YEAH. I THINK IS THAT THE RIGHT WAY TO IT IS A SHARED DRIVEWAY LOCATION BECAUSE THE TWO DRIVEWAYS MIGHT BE RIGHT NEXT TO ONE ANOTHER FROM A LOCATION STANDPOINT. SO IF YOU IF YOU SEE LIKE THIS FIRST DRIVEWAY FOR TRACK ONE IS AN INDIVIDUAL DRIVEWAY ON THE STATE ROUTE 18. SAME FOR TRACK TWO, TRACK THREE, TRACK FOUR. RIGHT DOWN ON WEST DRUMMOND ROAD. WE'VE GOT A SINGLE DRIVEWAY, ANOTHER SINGLE DRIVEWAY FOR TRACK SIX. OKAY, WHEN YOU GET TO TRACK SEVEN, YOU'VE GOT AN INDIVIDUAL DRIVEWAY FOR TRACK SEVEN AND ANOTHER DRIVEWAY FOR TRACK EIGHT. AND THOSE TWO DRIVEWAYS BOTH COME OUT RIGHT NEXT TO ONE ANOTHER. IF WE ZOOM IN, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE ACTUAL PROPERTY CORNER IS IN BETWEEN THE TWO DRIVEWAYS. AND SO. THE TWO DRIVEWAYS ADJOIN ONE ANOTHER AT THE EDGE OF PAVEMENT OF THE ROAD. BUT WHERE THEY LEAVE THE ROAD RIGHT OF WAY ONTO THE PRIVATE PROPERTY, THEY THERE'S NO NEED FOR ANY KIND OF A SHARED AGREEMENT ANYTIME, ANY KIND OF AN ACCESS EASEMENT BETWEEN FROM ONE PROPERTY OWNER TO ANOTHER. EACH PROPERTY OWNER OWNS AND MAINTAINS THEIR OWN DRIVEWAY. AND THERE'S THERE'S NO NEED FOR AN ACCESS EASEMENT.
WE. HAVE SEEN THIS SAME KIND OF, YOU MIGHT SAY, A COMPROMISE TO THE STANDARD SEVERAL TIMES ON OTHER SUBDIVISIONS WHERE THE SPACING OF THE DRIVEWAYS COMPLIES WITH THE SPACING
[00:25:07]
STANDARD BASED UPON THE SPEED LIMIT. IF YOU CONSIDER THOSE TWO DRIVEWAYS AS ONE. BUT IT DOES NOT REQUIRE AN ACCESS EASEMENT LIKE IT WOULD IF THEY WERE ACTUALLY ONE DRIVEWAY THAT THEN SPLIT AFTER IT ENTERED THE PRIVATE PROPERTY. AND SO WE'VE WE'VE SEEN SEVERAL OF THESE THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED IN THE COUNTY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND THEY SEEM TO BE WORKING OKAY. AND I BELIEVE THERE'S ONLY ONE OF THOSE ON THIS NINE LOT SUBDIVISION. THE OTHERS ARE ARE JUST STANDARD INDIVIDUAL DRIVEWAYS. SO WE'VE HAD THE PUBLIC HEARING PART.I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE FINAL PLAT FOR TATE ESTATES. YOU READY FOR A MOTION? YES, SIR. SO MOVED. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.
MOTION IS CARRIED. NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS A BEER AND WINE APPLICATION THAT WAS SUBMITTED BY AKASH TEWARI. I APOLOGIZE IF I MISPRONOUNCED IT FOR 18 NEW AIRPORT ROAD. THE APPLICATION IS SUBMITTED ON BEHALF OF TFME 18, A LLC DOING BUSINESS AS MARKET STREET FOOD MART. IT IS REQUESTING AN APPLICATION FOR A RETAIL PACKAGE LICENSE FOR THE SALE OF BEER AND WINE AT THE STORE UNDER A NEW BUSINESS NAME, TFM 18 A LLC DBA MARKET STREET FOOD MART. IT'S. THIS LOCATION HAS HAD SEVERAL BEER AND WINE LICENSE, SEVERAL BUSINESS LICENSES. IT'S RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM APPLEBEE'S NURSERY. THEY'RE ON NEW AIRPORT ROAD, SO AS MANY LICENSES THERE OVER THE YEARS. SO THIS IS JUST A RELICENSING OF A SPOT THAT'S BEEN THERE FOR QUITE A WHILE.
IT IS LIMITED COMMERCIAL ZONING AND EVERYTHING COMPLIES WITH OUR ORDINANCE. ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT. IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION. IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THIS, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME FORTH. ALRIGHT.
HEARING NONE. IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THIS, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME FORTH. ALRIGHT. HEARING NONE, THEN I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE BEER AND WINE LICENSE FOR MISTER TIARA. HOPE I SAID THAT RIGHT AT 18 AIRPORT ROAD. IT IS THE FIRST READING AND IT IS VOTE ELIGIBLE. DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MOTION IS CARRIED.
THANK YOU SIR. NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS ALSO A BEER AND WINE LICENSE THAT WAS ADDED SINCE THIS MORNING. SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO JUST KIND OF READ FROM HERE. THIS ONE I'M WINGING IT A LITTLE BIT, ALTHOUGH I DO KNOW THE LOCATION THIS WAS. APPLICATION WAS SUBMITTED BY.
CIGAR AND IT IS FOR. I DON'T THINK THAT. THAT ADDRESS IS NOT RIGHT THERE. THIS IS 1231 BARTLEY ROAD, 13 JAKE IS 1310 NEW FRANKLIN ROAD. I THINK SHE'S BEHIND YOU. SO THE EXCELLENT. OKAY. EXCELLENT. I THINK THAT'S NOT WHAT'S ON THE COVER OF THE AGENDA. SO I THINK WE HAD A TYPO. SO IT IS THIS ONE ON BARTLEY ROAD, 1231 BARTLEY ROAD. OKAY. THIS ONE ALSO HAS HAD BEER AND WINE LICENSE MANY, MANY YEARS AND BUSINESS LICENSE MANY, MANY YEARS RIGHT ON THE CORNER OF BARTLEY AND WHITESVILLE ROAD. I BELIEVE IT IS. IT'S THE WRONG MAP. YEAH. INFORMATION, DON'T WE? YEAH, YEAH. THIS WOULD BE THE CORRECT LOCATION. IS.
[00:30:06]
THAT'S RIGHT. THE STORE RIGHT HERE ON BARTLEY ROAD AT WHITESVILLE ROAD. THIS IS FOR BARTLEY ROAD, CORRECT? GO AHEAD. COME UP HERE. OKAY. AND THIS IS. FOR THAT. YEAH. THAT'S MY OTHER.ADDRESSES. THE THE BEER AND WINE LICENSE THAT I ALREADY DID FOR NEW AIRPORT ROAD. IS THAT EITHER ONE OF Y'ALL? OKAY. SO THAT'S YOU. OKAY. SO YOURS IS DONE AND GOOD. YOURS IS DONE AND GOOD. OKAY. SO THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT ONES HERE. AND I ONLY KNOW OF TWO OF THEM LLC.
IT WILL BE EXCELLENT. BARTLEY LLC AND THEIRS ARE UP THERE WITH OUR ADDRESS. OKAY. SO THERE'S TWO APPLICATIONS THAT ARE GETTING CONFUSED HERE AND I WAS NOT AWARE OF THAT. SO 1310 IS THE NEWEST STORE RIGHT. THE ONE I WAS AWARE WAS THE AWARE OF WAS 1310 NEW FRANKLIN ROAD, WHICH IS THE BRAND NEW STORE UP ON THE CORNER OF NEW FRANKLIN AND NORTH DAVIS. RIGHT. THAT WAS THE ONE THAT I WAS AWARE OF THAT IT'S BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION. IT IS DONE. IT'S RECEIVED ITS CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY. I KNOW THAT THE ONE ON FRANKLIN ROAD, THAT IS. AND THEY ARE READY TO OPEN BUSINESS AT NEW FRANKLIN ROAD. AND SO THEY HAD APPLIED FOR THEIR BEER, WINE IN ORDER TO OPEN UP AND OBVIOUSLY BE ABLE TO SELL BEER AND WINE. AND THAT IS ALL APPROVED APPLICATIONS IN BUILDING PERMITS DONE. CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY DONE.
THEY'RE READY TO ROLL. AND THEIR APPLICATION FOR BEER AND WINE WAS REVIEWED AND COMPLIES.
SO THE ONE ON NEW FRANKLIN ROAD IS IS Y'ALL OKAY? AND YOUR NAME IS. THAT'S THE NAME I HAD. AND THAT'S THE ADDRESS I HAD. BUT THEN IN THE PACKET THERE'S CONFUSION IN THE PACKET BETWEEN THE TWO APPLICATIONS. SO THAT'S THE ONLY ONE WE'RE LOOKING AT TONIGHT. YEP. IT'S ONLY ONE AGENDA OKAY. THAT IS CORRECT. YOU GOT IT RIGHT. ALRIGHT. THE OTHER ONE WILL HAVE TO COME BACK NEXT MEETING FOR THE ONE ITEM BARTLEY ROAD. OKAY OKAY OKAY. BUT THIS ONE'S ALREADY READY. YES IT'S. YES OKAY. THAT'S THE ONE I KNEW OF. THE ONE ON NEW FRANKLIN ROAD FOR THE NEW GAS STATION? YES. THIS IS THE ONE THAT WAS POSTED AND EVERYTHING. YES. ALRIGHT, SO IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION. SO I'LL GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION THIS BEER AND WINE APPLICATION AT 1310 NEW FRANKLIN ROAD NORTH. YOU'RE WELCOME TO. ALRIGHT HEARING NONE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME AND SPEAK IN SUPPORT FOR THIS BEER AND WINE APPLICATION, 1310 NEW FRANKLIN ROAD. YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME FORTH. ALRIGHT. HEARING NONE, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE BEER AND WINE LICENSE FOR MISTER SIX GA. HOPEFULLY RIGHT AT 1310 NEW FRANKLIN ROAD. SO MOVED. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU. MOTION IS CARRIED, Y'ALL. Y'ALL DO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL STORE. VERY PRETTY.
GOOD. THE LAST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS A SPECIAL USE APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY MR. RALPH HOWARD. IN THIS SPECIAL USE APPLICATION IS FOR 30 3570 MOODY BRIDGE ROAD. IT IS AN APPLICATION FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL NINE, APPROXIMATELY 9.9 ACRES TO AN EXISTING SPECIAL USE PERMIT THAT WAS APPROVED IN IN 2024 AND ALSO 2019. I'LL EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE FURTHER HERE IN JUST A MINUTE, BECAUSE THIS ONE CAN GET A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING. BUT AGAIN, IT IS A SPECIAL USE APPLICATION FOR FOR A CEMETERY THAT IS OUT ON MOODY BRIDGE ROAD. MR. RALPH HOWARD, THE ACTUAL ADDRESS, 3570 MOODY BRIDGE ROAD. HE IS APPLYING TO ADD ANOTHER 9.9 ACRES TO HIS CURRENT APPROVALS THAT HE ALREADY HAS, WHICH WE'LL GET INTO IN JUST A SECOND, IS ZONED LAKESIDE RESIDENTIAL. BUT IN OUR ORDINANCE TO RUN A CEMETERY, IT'S JUST A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. BUT THAT AREA IS ZONED RESIDENTIAL, WHICH THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT ALLOWS THAT IT IS THE CURRENT USE ON THAT PROPERTY OR RIGHT ADJACENT IS
[00:35:06]
ALREADY A CEMETERY, AND HE IS TRYING TO ADD MORE TO THAT CEMETERY WHERE IT'S ALL EXPLAINED HERE IN JUST A MINUTE. IT'S THIS SPECIAL USE APPLICATION HAS BEEN PROPERLY POSTED ON THE PROPERTY. IT ALSO HAS HAD THE AD IN THE NEWSPAPER. WE'VE RECEIVED NO PHONE CALLS ON THIS AT ANY TIME. NO OPPOSITION, NO EMAILS, NO LETTERS, NO PHONE CALLS SO FAR TO GIVE THE FULL HISTORY OF IT. THAT BACK IN APRIL OF 2019. SO APRIL OF 2019, THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS APPROVED A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR A 20 ACRE CEMETERY AT THIS LOCATION.AND IN 2019, THE APPROVAL GAVE MR. HOWARD 20 ACRES FOR A CEMETERY, AND HE DID TURN IN AND SUBMIT A PLAT WHERE HE SURVEYED OFF 20 ACRES AND THAT WAS RECORDED AS ITS OWN PARCEL.
IT SHOWS UP IN PUBLIC AS ITS OWN PARCEL AND AS AS A CEMETERY. JAMES, THERE IT IS. IF JAMES CLICKS ON THAT, THAT PARCEL IS 20 ACRES AND IT IS A CEMETERY OUT OF MOODY BRIDGE ROAD THAT GOT APPROVED IN 2019. SO THAT CEMETERY IS THERE. IT'S OPERATING. IT'S DONE A YEAR AGO IN 2024, MR. RALPH CAME BACK TO THIS BOARD AND ASKED TO ADD ANOTHER 20 ACRES TO IT LAST YEAR. AND THE BOARD APPROVED THAT. AND AT THAT TIME HE SHOWED JAMES HAS IT UP. THANK YOU JAMES. HE HE SHOWED A PROPOSED YOU CAN SEE EVEN THE WORDS THERE WHERE IT SAYS PROPOSED PROPERTY LINES AND PROPOSED ACREAGE. HE WAS WANTING TO ADD ANOTHER 20 ACRES TO HIS CURRENT 20 ACRES. IT WOULD HAVE MADE IT A 40 ACRE CEMETERY. AND SO AT THAT TIME, THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS A YEAR AGO APPROVED THAT THAT 20 ACRES TO BE ADDED. AND BASICALLY WHAT THE APPROVAL GAVE HIM WAS IN THE WORDING THAT YOU ARE NOW APPROVED FOR 40 ACRES, PLEASE SUBMIT A PLAT THAT SHOWS 40 ACRES. IT DIDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE THOSE EXACT LINES OR THAT EXACT PROPOSAL, BUT HE WAS APPROVED FOR ANOTHER 20 TO GIVE HIM 40 TOTAL ACRES OF CEMETERY. MR. RALPH TO DATE HAS NEVER REALLY FINISHED THAT PROCESS TO WHERE HE NEVER REALLY BROUGHT BACK IN A FULL PLAT, HAD IT RECORDED, HAD IT PUT IN PUBLIC, AND ALSO, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, NEVER RECORDED IT WITH THE STATE. BECAUSE YOU DO HAVE TO RECORD CEMETERIES WITH THE STATE OF GEORGIA. AND SO, SO THE FULL PROCESS OF PUTTING IN THAT 20 ACRES LAST YEAR WAS NEVER REALLY DONE. HE HAS THE APPROVAL FOR IT, BUT THE PROPERTY WAS NEVER SURVEYED OFF, ADDED LEGALLY OR I THINK RECORDED WITH THE STATE LEGALLY.
SO AT THIS POINT, THE CURRENT APPLICATION IN FRONT OF US IS THAT MR. RALPH WOULD LIKE TO ADD ANOTHER 9.9 ACRES APPROXIMATELY, WHICH WOULD GIVE HIM VIRTUALLY, SAY, 50 ACRES TOTAL TO ADD TO AT THE END. SO HE IS ASKING TO ADD ANOTHER 9.9 ACRES TO HIS ALREADY EXISTING 40 ACRE APPROVAL. IF YOU FOLLOW ME SO FAR. AND SO WE ALWAYS LOOK AT OUR OUR STANDARDS FOR A SPECIAL USE APPLICATION ON ANY SPECIAL USE APPLICATION THAT WE HAVE IN OUR ORDINANCE. AND TO LOOK AT THOSE REAL QUICK, THE REQUEST DOES NOT GENERATE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN TRAFFIC THAT WOULD OVERBURDEN MOODY BRIDGE ROAD. NO, STAFF DOES NOT BELIEVE SO. CEMETERIES REALLY DON'T CREATE THAT MUCH TRAFFIC. THE NEXT WOULD BE THE EXISTING UTILITIES. FACILITIES AND SERVICES ARE CURRENTLY ADEQUATE TO ACCOMMODATE THIS USE. YES, THERE'S ENOUGH UTILITIES AND SERVICES AND EVERYTHING ELSE TO ACCOMMODATE TEN MORE ACRES OF A CEMETERY. THE THIRD ONE THIS USE OR THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL NOT GENERATE OR CAUSE CONDITIONS SUCH AS NOISE, LIGHT, GLARE, ODOR OR OTHER OBJECTIONABLE FEATURES THAT WOULD REDUCE THE VALUE OR THE USABILITY OF SURROUNDING PROPERTIES. SO ADDING TEN ACRES TO HIS CEMETERY WOULD NOT, YOU KNOW, NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THE PROPERTY WOULD NOT HAVE ANY DETRIMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. STAFF DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT AND THAT THE STAFF ALSO ON THE FIFTH ONE DOES. THE STAFF DOES NOT THINK THAT THE PROPOSED USE WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT ANY HEALTH, SAFETY OR GENERAL WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY. SO THE STAFF DID NOT SEE ANY NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF HIS APPLICATION, IF YOU WILL. THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT IF IF THE BOARD APPROVES THIS, ADDING 9.9 ACRES TO IT, THAT IF IT'S APPROVED THAT IT WILL BE REGISTERED AND KEPT AND REMAINED AS A CEMETERY ONLY THAT TWO ANY PROPOSED DEVIATIONS FROM THIS APPLICATION WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
THREE HE HAS TO PROVIDE A 30 FOOT VEGETATIVE BUFFER ALONG ALL PROPERTY LINES, WHICH HE'S ALWAYS DONE SO FAR. BASICALLY 30 FOOT BUFFER FROM THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES THAT HE
[00:40:06]
SHALL PROVIDE 100 FOOT SETBACK FROM ALL GRAVES TO ANY ADJOINING PROPERTY OWNERS OR WELLS. SO NOT ONLY DOES HE HAVE A 30 FOOT BUFFER TO THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES, BUT HE CAN'T HAVE ANY GRAVES 100FT FROM THE OTHER PROPERTIES. HE SHALL PROVIDE A 50 FOOT SETBACK REQUIREMENT FROM ANY GRAVES TO CREEK, STREAMS, PONDS OR WATERS. HE'S GOT TO KEEP ANY OF THE GRAVESITES AT LEAST 50FT AWAY FROM WATER AREAS. AND THAT'S A THAT'S A MORE OF AN EPD REQUIREMENT THERE. SIX SHALL NOT PROVIDE GRAVESITES WITHIN ANY FLOODPLAINS, FEMA, FLOODPLAIN OR FLOODPLAIN MAPS. AND THAT'S A STATE FEMA LAW. YOU CANNOT HAVE A GRAVESITE IN A IN A FLOODPLAIN. SEVEN SHALL OBTAIN THE REQUIRED GEORGIA STATE REGISTRATION FOR CEMETERY THAT HE HE GETS THE PROPER LICENSING WITH THE STATE, WHICH HE ALWAYS HAS BEFORE, AND THAT THE APPROVAL SHALL BE LIMITED. IF IT'S APPROVED, HE THEN WOULD BE LIMITED TO 49.947 ACRES OF A TOTAL CEMETERY, OF WHICH HE WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK, SHOW US A NEW PLAT THAT THAT SHOWS IT'S 49.947 ACRES IN THAT. THEN THE STAFF WOULD SIGN OFF ON THAT NEW PLAT. AND SO THAT IS IF THE STAFF APPROVES HIS ADDITIONAL NINE ACRES, THOSE WOULD BE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OR CONDITIONS THAT WE THINK SHOULD BE PLACED ON IT. ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME AT THIS TIME? THE QUESTION I HAVE ON YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS IS THAT SAME THING AS A CONDITION THAT YOU'RE PUTTING. ALL RIGHT. THIS LIST IS THE SAME. SORRY, THIS LIST IS THE SAME FROM THE FIRST APPROVAL OF LIKE 2019 AND THE ONE LAST YEAR IN 20. SO THE CONDITIONS ARE THE SAME ON ALL OF THEM. WELL, IF HE IF MR. HOWARD PUT A PLAT ON THE FIRST 20 ACRES, AND YOU'RE SAYING HE DIDN'T HAVE A PLAT ON THE SECOND 20 ACRES THAT WAS APPROVED, WHY WASN'T THAT PUT IN AS A CONDITION THAT HE HAD TO HAVE A PLAT TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATE OF GEORGIA? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ON THE PLAT FOR THE CEMETERY? IT HAS TO BE IN THROUGH THE STATE OF GEORGIA TO BE IN COMPLIANCE. HE JUST A YEAR AGO, HE GOT APPROVED FOR ANOTHER 20 ACRES. YES. BUT HE DIDN'T HAVE A PLAT. HE DIDN'T HE DIDN'T HE DIDN'T SURVEY IT ALL. FINISH THE PLAT IS WHAT HE GOT APPROVED FOR IT. AND THEN. AND WHAT THE APPROVAL SAID IS, OKAY, YOU'RE APPROVED FOR IT. AND NOW THAT YOU'RE APPROVED FOR IT, FINISH A PLAT, BRING IT BACK, LET US APPROVE THE PLAT AND THEN GET IT REGISTERED. AND HE HE NEVER FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH THE FULL PROCESS. SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS IF HE'S GOT 20 ACRES THAT'S GOT A PLAT AND THEN HE'S GOT 20 ACRES THAT'S AIN'T GOT A PLAT, AND THEN HE'S GOING TO HAVE 9.947 ACRES WITHOUT A PLAT. THAT'S WHAT HE'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. HE'S GOING TO HAVE A WHOLE PLAT PUT IN WITH THE WHOLE 49.947 ACRES. THAT'S GOING TO BE ONE WHOLE PLAT FOR THE CEMETERY, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. WELL, SHOULDN'T THAT BE A RECOMMENDATION OR A CONDITION PUT IN THE MOTION IF THIS IS APPROVED, TO HAVE THAT DONE TO SHOW IT. I THINK THAT IS THE EIGHTH CONDITION IF I'M FOLLOWING YOU. OKAY. SO THAT'S THAT'S GOING TO BE THE EIGHTH CONDITION. YES. OKAY. YES SIR. BEFORE BEFORE THE FINAL APPROVAL COMES IN, HE HAS TO HAVE THE PLAT SURVEY PLAT COMPLETED. SORRY, I WASN'T FOLLOWING YOU. THAT'S CORRECT.OKAY. THAT'S WHERE I'M AT. AND IN THE APPROVAL LAST YEAR THAT SAME SENTENCE WAS THERE, BUT JUST SAID 40 ACRES BECAUSE HE HAD THE 20 AND THE NEW 20, BUT HE NEVER ACTUALLY FINISHED THE PROCESS. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I JUST WANTED TO CLEAR THAT UP. IF IF WE'RE APPROVING ACREAGE FOR A CEMETERY, IT SHOULD BE SURVEYED OUT ON A MAP, NOT ONLY FOR THE CEMETERY, BUT FOR THE STATE OF GEORGIA TO RECOGNIZE IT AS A CEMETERY, BECAUSE WE GO BACK YEARS AGO WHEN THE COUNTY STARTED MAKING CEMETERIES. HAVE TO HAVE A PLAT. YES. OKAY. SO RIGHT NOW THE ONLY WAS BEING USED, NOW IS ONLY THE ORIGINAL 20. THERE'S NO OTHER OUTSIDE THAT. CORRECT. SO THE THE OTHER 20 JUST THERE'S IT'S JUST AN APPROVAL. IT'S JUST NOTHING'S BEEN USED OUTSIDE THAT ORIGINAL CORRECT BARRIER. SO MR. THE LAST 20 ACRES HAS NOT BEEN USED. SO IT'S NOT FULL. SO WHY DOES IT NEED ANOTHER TEN? APPLICANT CAN SPEAK TO THAT BETTER THAN I CAN. SORRY, I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT. I GUESS MY MY QUESTION IS SIMILAR TO COMMISSIONER MORRIS. IF HE HAS NOT BEEN IN COMPLIANCE WITH GETTING YOU THE PLAT FROM THE PREVIOUS 20 THAT WAS ADDED, HOW WOULD HE BE ELIGIBLE TO. HE'S NOT REALLY OUT OF COMPLIANCE. HE JUST NEVER FINISHED THE PROCESS. HE GOT THE APPROVAL. HE GOT THE APPROVAL FROM THE COMMISSIONERS FROM THIS BOARD, WHICH HE NEEDED. HE GOT THAT APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD. BUT HE HE NEVER HE NEVER WENT ANY FURTHER TO FINISH THE FULL PROCESS. AND I THINK WHAT HE EXPLAINS AND HE CAN EXPLAIN IT
[00:45:05]
PROBABLY BETTER. THAT'S THE APPLICANT THAT I SAY HE THE APPLICANT THAT HE HE STARTED TO DO THAT AND THEN REALIZED THAT HE WANTED TEN ACRES OVER HERE. THAT, AS HE PUTS IT, I THINK IS BETTER, MORE SUITABLE FOR GRAVESITES. AND SO HE WANTS TO PULL THAT TEN ACRES IN OR 9.9 ACRES. SO IN OTHER WORDS, THERE'S PART OF THIS THAT HE DOESN'T WANT TO USE THIS. HE'S WANTING THIS OTHER TEN. IS THAT THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. SO IS THIS LIKE A SWAP? COULD THAT BE DONE? WHAT HE'S ASKING FOR. HE'S ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL 9.9. SO HE'S GOT FOR THE LAST 20 THAT'S UNUSABLE. THAT'S THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. SO HE COULD TAKE THE TEN THAT IS USABLE AT THIS TEN. HE WOULDN'T HAVE TO EVEN BE HERE, WOULD HE? IF I FOLLOW YOU THAT. YES.THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. BECAUSE HE WROTE A PLAQUE ON THE 20 I GUESS. BECAUSE BACK TO WHAT I WAS EXPLAINING. CAN YOU PULL THAT ONE PLAT UP THE THE ONE FROM A YEAR AGO? JAMES, CAN YOU PULL THE ONE UP FROM A YEAR AGO? THERE YOU GO. THIS IS THE PROPOSED THAT HE HAD A YEAR AGO.
AND YOU CAN EVEN SAY IT SAYS PROPOSED PROPERTY LINE PROPOSED 20 ACRES. THIS IS THE ONE HE SHOWED A YEAR AGO WHERE HE ASKED FOR ANOTHER 20. AND SO THAT APPROVAL THAT THAT THIS BOARD GAVE WAS OKAY, YOU'RE YOU'RE APPROVED TO DO THAT NOW. NOW TO FINISH THE DEAL, GET IT SURVEYED OFF, COME BACK, LET THE COUNTY LET OUR STAFF SIGN OFF ON THE THE NEW THE NEW PARCEL. THEN TAKE THAT AND GET IT REGISTERED FROM THE STATE. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT DURING THAT PROCESS OF TRYING TO SURVEY THAT OFF AND REALLY FINISH, HE DETERMINED THAT SOME OF THAT AREA WAS NO GOOD. BUT SINCE THERE'S NOTHING THERE ALREADY A PLAT, YOU COULD TAKE THE NINE. HE WON'T. AND WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO VOTE ON ANYTHING DIFFERENT. CORRECT.
HAVE HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH WITH THE APPLICANT THAT THAT BECAUSE HE HAS A 40 ACRE APPROVAL SITTING THERE IN HIS HAND, HE COULD JUST CHANGE HIS PROPOSAL AND RESURVEY IT AND TO, I GUESS, REDRAW THE LINES SINCE THIS WAS JUST PROPOSED AND EVEN SAID PROPOSED ON IT, HE COULD REDRAW IT AND I GUESS GET OUT THE BAD ACREAGES, PULL IN THE GOOD ACREAGES, AND MAYBE STILL BE THE 40 ACRES WOULD BE ENOUGH THAT HE MAY NOT ACTUALLY HAVE TO ASK FOR THE ADDITIONAL NINE IF HE JUST READ. DOES HIS PROPOSAL RIGHT? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES. OKAY. BUT THE APPLICANT CAN SPEAK TO IT WAY BETTER THAN I CAN. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DO WE WANT TO GET MR. ROFF TO COME UP AND EXPLAIN THAT TO US? WHEN I ORIGINALLY APPLIED TO FOR STARTING GREEN CEMETERY, THIS IS NOT A NATURAL CEMETERY. THIS IS A NATURAL CEMETERY. SO ANYWAY, THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM ANY CEMETERY THAT ANYBODY AROUND HERE WAS FAMILIAR WITH. ANYBODY EVEN IN THIS REGION. SO I APPLIED. ORIGINALLY I ASKED, I WAS ASKING FOR A RATHER LARGE PIECE OF PROPERTY, BUT THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, GEE, THAT'S THAT'S A LOT OF PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, AND THEY IMAGINE, I'M SURE, AS EVERYONE DID, A CEMETERY, THE BODIES ARE JUST LINED UP LIKE THIS. AND IN AN ACRE YOU CAN PUT A GREAT NUMBER.
SO ANYWAY, THEY DECIDED THAT I WAS GOING TO ASK FOR TOO MUCH, AND SO THEY AGREED TO GIVE ME 20 ACRES. WELL, THE 20 ACRES IF ON THIS DRAWING HERE. IS THAT THE DRAWING? YEAH, I WISH I HAD A POINTER, BUT I COULD POINT. BUT ANYWAY, IF YOU NOTICE, IF YOU CAN, I. CAN I STEP OVER HERE? YEAH, SURE. THE THE 28 IS ACTUALLY STARTS AT THE HIGHWAY HERE. IT STARTS AT THE HIGHWAY.
SEE HOW NARROW IT IS. AND IT GOES BACK ALONG THERE AND THEN IT COMES. NOW TAKE A LEFT THERE OKAY. NOW THIS THIS IS THE 20 ACRES HERE. BUT NOTICE RIGHT UP THERE AT THE TOP THAT, THAT THAT RIGHT THERE WAS CUT OUT. SO WHENEVER ANYBODY WENT INTO THE CEMETERY, THEY DROVE INTO THE CEMETERY AND THEY WOULD LOOK HERE AND THEY WOULD MAYBE BE INTERESTED IN SOMETHING OVER THERE. SO THAT'S NOT THE CEMETERY, BUT IT BECAME IT BECAME A BIG SORT OF QUESTION ABOUT WHAT IS THE CEMETERY AND WHAT IS THE CEMETERY? WHERE IS IT? WHERE IS IT NOT? SO ANYWAY, I, I WAS PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT NOTCH UP THERE. THAT'S ABOUT FIVE ACRES IN THERE. AND SO I WANTED TO TO GET IT TO WHERE WHENEVER PEOPLE CAME IN AND GAVE THEIR WHEREVER THEY LOOK, IT WOULD BE CEMETERY. SO I THOUGHT INCORRECTLY SOMEHOW, THAT THE BOARD HAD
[00:50:02]
DECIDED THAT 20 ACRES WAS SOME SORT OF A MAGIC NUMBER. SO I APPLIED FOR 20 ACRES IN MY MIND.IN MY MIND, THE 20 ACRES WOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED AS A BRANCH. THIS BRANCH OVER HERE, RIGHT UP THERE, THE SMALL BRANCH THAT RUNS DOWN THROUGH THERE. I FIGURED THAT BRANCH WOULD BE THE 20 ACRES. SO I, I WENT ON, WENT ABOUT MY BUSINESS, AND THEN THE CAMP AND ASSOCIATES SURVEYED, SURVEYED IT. AND THEN WHEN I WENT OUT THERE AND LOOKED AT IT WHERE THE SURVEY LINE WAS, YOU SEE THAT JAGGED SURVEY LINE WHERE THEY APPROVED WHERE YOU WHERE YOU APPROVED. I APPRECIATED YOU APPROVING IT, BY THE WAY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, YOU COULDN'T EVEN FROM THE ROAD, YOU COULDN'T EVEN SEE IT. IN OTHER WORDS, THERE WAS THERE WAS YOU WERE STILL LIMITED. YOU WERE LIMITED, IF YOU WILL, TO THIS MAIN ROAD THAT JUST COMES IN AND OUT. BUT THERE'S ANOTHER ROAD OVER HERE. THERE'S ANOTHER ROAD OVER THERE THAT YOU COULD RIDE AROUND THAT ROAD OVER THERE. IF YOU COULD RIDE AROUND THAT ROAD, THEN THAT, THEN THAT WOULD BE CEMETERY EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING LOOKING, LOOKING WEST OF THE ROAD WOULD BE CEMETERY. SO THAT'S THE EASY TO EXPLAIN. SO YOU COULD ACTUALLY RIDE ALL THE WAY AROUND THE CEMETERY, WHICH WOULD MAKE IT MORE EASY TO EXPLAIN. AND PEOPLE WOULDN'T WONDER WHAT WAS GOING ON. THERE WAS ACTUALLY THERE WAS ACTUALLY THAT THAT ADDITIONAL NINE ACRES, IT INCLUDES THE ROAD, IT DIVIDED, THE ROAD DIVIDES. AND SO THE NINE ACRES IS A RELATIVELY SMALL ADDITION, I HOPE, I HOPE THAT YOU CONSIDER THE SMALL ADDITION, AND I DO HOPE YOU'LL APPROVE IT, BECAUSE I REALLY WHEREAS I BELIEVE THE POINT WAS MADE, WE COULD SWAP OUT, WE COULD SWAP OUT SOME NINE ACRES I COULD DIG, I COULD CUT NINE ACRES OUT OF THE EXISTING PROPERTY AND ADD THE NINE ACRES.
BUT I ASKED, I ASKED MISS MICHELLE IN THE IN THE PROPERTY APPRAISAL OFFICE. I SAID, WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS THE VALUE OF THE VALUE IN TERMS OF TAXES? AND SHE SAID, WELL, THEY INVESTIGATED AND THAT YOU'RE ALREADY YOU'RE ALREADY IN A CONSERVATION AREA. ALL OF THE FAMILY PROPERTIES IN THE CONSERVATION AREA EXCEPT THE HOUSES. SO THERE'S NINE ACRES AMOUNTS TO LIKE ABOUT A $56 TAX DIFFERENCE PER YEAR, RELATIVELY SMALL, I HOPE, COMPARED TO THE THE DIFFICULTY THAT I WOULD FACE TO TRY TO CUT TO TRY TO CUT FOUR AND A HALF ACRES OUT OVER HERE IN FOUR AND A HALF ACRES OUT OVER THERE. SO I'M ASKING THE BOARD TO CONSIDER THIS AS A MARKETING SITUATION. THIS THIS CEMETERY, THIS CEMETERY IS QUITE UNIQUE IN IN GEORGIA. IT'S ALMOST UNIQUE IN AMERICA. BUT IT IS A STRONG TREND. AND I COULD I COULD GO INTO I COULD GO INTO SOME SOME DETAIL, BUT I I'VE GOT A BOOK HERE UNEARTHING THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF AMERICAN CEMETERIES. AND IT HAD A LINE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO QUOTE TO YOU. IT SAYS CEMETERIES HAVE SERVED AS AMERICA'S FIRST PUBLIC ART MUSEUMS AND PARKS. THEY ACTED AS A FIRST FORM OF FREE, OPEN RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION IN AMERICA. THEY MOVED OUR GREATEST POETS AND AUTHORS AND NOT JUST THEIR WRITTEN WORDS. RALPH WALDO EMERSON AND HENRY DAVID THOREAU UNDERTOOK THE COUNTRY'S FIRST CONSERVATION PROJECT BY ESTABLISHING A CEMETERY IN CONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS, TO PROVIDE A NATURAL AREA NEAR THEIR HOMES. NOW, THAT'S WHAT MY SISTER AND I HAVE DONE. WE ARE OUT THERE. WE WERE OUT THERE IN THE COUNTRY LOVING IT AND THEN AND THE CITY, THE CITY IS NOW ENVELOPING OUT THERE AND WE'RE WONDERING WHAT WE CAN DO.
WELL, WE KNEW ONE THING WE COULD DO BECAUSE THE PHONE RANG VERY OFTEN. CAN WE BUY YOUR PROPERTY? CAN WE BUY YOUR PROPERTY? WE DIDN'T WANT TO SELL THE PROPERTY. WE WANTED TO KEEP THE PROPERTY THE WAY IT WAS. MAYBE IT'S AN ADOLESCENT DREAM, BUT ANYWAY, WE LIKE THE WAY IT WAS. WE WANTED TO KEEP IT THE WAY IT WAS. AND SO IN 2018, I READ ABOUT GREEN CEMETERIES. I'D NEVER EVEN HEARD OF A GREEN CEMETERY. SO MY SISTER AND I TALKED ABOUT IT AND WE DECIDED, LET'S INVESTIGATE IT. SO I WENT TO SEE MISTER, MISTER, MISTER JEFF HIGGINS AND ASKED HIM. I SAID, JEFF, WHAT IS THIS GREEN CEMETERY? HE SAID, WELL, RALPH, IT'S A BIG TREND IN THE UNITED STATES. HE SAID, JUST AS THOUGH 40 YEARS AGO ALMOST EVERYONE HAD A TRADITIONAL EMBALMING AND COFFIN AND A AND A AND A CEMENT VAULT, BUT SAID NOW ABOUT 40% IS CREMATIONS. AND SO IT ACTUALLY ACTUALLY NOW THAT WAS WAY BACK IN 2018. I FIRST BROACHED THE SUBJECT WITH HIM. AND NOW I UNDERSTAND IT'S WELL OVER 50%. SO PEOPLE ARE MOVING.
IT'S A TREND. AND HE SAID THE THE MOVEMENT TOWARD THE GREEN CEMETERIES IS SIMILAR. IT'S A CONSERVATION. IT'S SORT OF A CONSERVATION TYPE THING BECAUSE IT'S A NATURAL GREEN CEMETERY.
I'M NOT I'M NOT LICENSED AS A, AS A AS A CEMETERY, PER SE. I'M LICENSED AS A NATURAL CEMETERY.
IN OTHER WORDS, I CAN'T GO OUT THERE AND PUT COFFINS AND, AND BOMB BODIES AND SO FORTH THAT THIS IS A NATURAL CEMETERY. SO NOW ALSO ALSO, I DON'T EXACTLY KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY OTHER
[00:55:07]
THAN TO ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER TO CONSIDER THIS AS A AS AN ASSET TO THE COMMUNITY. THERE ARE ONLY THREE IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA GREEN CEMETERIES. THIS IS THE ONLY ONE THAT'S ACTUALLY CERTIFIED BY THE GREEN BURIAL COUNCIL. WE HAD A SERVICE OUT THERE TODAY. IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF SERVICE. WE ACTUALLY TAKE ABOUT A 6 OR 8IN OF TOPSOIL AND PUT IT TO ONE SIDE, AND THEN WE DIG THE GRAVE AND PUT IT TO THE OTHER SIDE. THE BODY IS PUT INTO THE GRAVE, AND THEN THE THE DEEP SOIL THAT YOU DUG OUT IS PUT ON TOP, AND THEN THE TOPSOIL IS PUT BACK ON TOP. IT LOOKS VERY NATURAL. AND THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE BEEN OUT THERE KNOW IT DOES LOOK NATURAL.SO IT'S IT'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL TYPE THING. IT'S GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND I THINK I THINK I MAY WANT TO SPEAK LATER, BUT I, I'M GOING TO ASK SOME, SOME OTHER PEOPLE MAYBE TO HELP ME A LITTLE BIT. I'M GETTING A LITTLE DRY. DRY. IS ANYBODY ELSE. CAN ANYBODY ELSE. SHIRLEY HOW ABOUT YOU. YOU TAKE PEOPLE AROUND OR JEFFREY. JEFFREY, CAN YOU GIVE ME A LITTLE BIT HERE? ALRIGHT. YEAH. I'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE A WORD ON BEHALF THE CEMETERY IF YOU GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD. ALRIGHT. MY NAME IS JEFFREY HIGGINS. I LIVE AT 111 CAMERON POINTE DRIVE HERE IN LAGRANGE. GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS. GOOD TO SEE YOU, EVERYBODY. SO I'VE BEEN ON RALPH'S ADVISORY BOARD SINCE HE GOT STARTED. HE ASKED MY DAD FIRST AND MY DAD PASSED IT ON TO ME, SO I'VE BEEN A PART OF IT EVER SINCE THEN. BUT OF COURSE, WHEN WE FIRST GOT STARTED WITH THIS, IT WAS VERY ALIEN ALSO TO US. SO I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT IT. AND HERE IN THE PAST 4 OR 5 YEARS, I'VE DONE MORE GREEN BURIALS THAN ANY OTHER FUNERAL DIRECTOR IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA, PURELY DUE TO RALPH HOWARD AND HIS CEMETERY. IT'S A IT'S BEEN MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN WE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN. OF COURSE, IT'S NOT HUGE NUMBERS. IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE. BUT IN THE FUNERAL BUSINESS IT TAKES SLOW GROWTH. AND EVERY SINGLE FAMILY THAT WE'VE TAKEN OUT THERE HAS BEEN EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY PLEASED. BUT I WILL SAY TO RALPH'S POINT, THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT TYPE OF CEMETERY. PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR THIS TYPE OF SERVICE ARE ALSO MAYBE LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF TERRAIN. SOME OF THEM MIGHT WANT A BIG OPEN FIELD, SOME OF THEM MIGHT WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE WATER. SOME OF THEM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM ARE VERY, VERY CONSCIOUS ABOUT THE THEIR SURROUNDINGS AND THE OUTDOORS AND WHAT THEY CONNECT WITH. AND SO THIS GROWTH OF CEMETERY DOES GIVE MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR HIM TO OFFER DIFFERENT TYPES OF LANDSCAPES BECAUSE IT'S REALLY, REALLY BEAUTIFUL. IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GO OUT THERE. BUT ONE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS THAT OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE'VE TAKEN OUT THERE, 50% OF THEM WERE NOT TROUP COUNTY RESIDENTS. THEY WERE JUST PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN EITHER COLUMBUS, SOUTH ATLANTA, SOME IN ALABAMA. THESE PEOPLE THAT OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE NEVER COME UNDERNEATH OUR CARE AND HAVE NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN BURIED IN TROUP COUNTY. AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S A PRETTY COOL THING THAT, YOU KNOW, OF THE THREE GREEN BURIALS CEMETERIES IN GEORGIA, THAT WE HAVE ONE OF THEM, I BELIEVE IT'S THE PRETTIEST OF THE ONES THAT EVERYBODY HAS. I'VE MET WITH MANY FAMILIES THAT HAVE GONE UP TO MILTON FIELDS UP THERE TOWARD IT, THEN COME DOWN HERE AND TOURED WHISPERING HILLS AND CHOSE WHISPERING HILLS, EVEN IF THEY WERE GEOGRAPHICALLY CLOSER TO US. THE OTHER OPTIONS AT MILTON FIELDS OR SOME OTHER. SO I JUST WANTED TO COME VOICE MY. WHATEVER YOU'D LIKE TO SAY, VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR THE CEMETERY, AND ALSO JUST TO TALK ABOUT HOW GOOD OUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN OUT THERE TAKING CARE OF FAMILIES. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SIR. RIGHT. SO I'LL JUST MAKE THIS THE PUBLIC SPEAKING PART. SO IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT AND I IF YOU'LL GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, SHIRLEY HUBBARD AND I LIVE AT 3700 MURRAY BRIDGE ROAD, AND I LIVE RIGHT THERE NEXT TO THE CEMETERY. MY LAND IS ON THE END OF MR. CLAFLIN. SO I'VE BEEN WITH MR. RALPH EVER SINCE CEMETERY STARTED, AND ONE OF THE REASON THAT WE WANT THIS EXTRA LAND IS BECAUSE THE TERRAIN OUT THERE, THERE'S TERRAIN THAT IS LIKE STRAIGHT DOWN GULLIES. AND WE CAN'T USE THAT OTHER THAN MAYBE SCATTERING OR MAYBE DIGGING FOR ASHES. BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE NOW GOING BACK TO FULL BODY AND THEY WE NEED THIS EXTRA LAND TO HAVE LAND THAT WE CAN PUT THE FULL BODY. BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. AND THAT'S ALL. I THINK WE'VE GOT STONES OUT THERE THAT WE CANNOT DIG IN, BECAUSE IT'S A GRANITE OUTCROP ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE PROPERTY.
[01:00:03]
BUT WE WE LOVE THIS PLACE AND WE WANT TO SEE IT. KEEP GOING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. MA'AM. ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT? YOU? YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY? I'M MARY ANN KECK AND I LIVE AT 36 COURTNEY DRIVE. TWO YEARS AGO, I BECAME VERY WELL ACQUAINTED WITH THIS LOVELY CEMETERY. IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL, PEACEFUL PLACE TO BE. I BURIED MY HUSBAND IN JANUARY 2024, AND THEN IN JUNE 2024, MY SON DIED UNEXPECTEDLY. SO HE WAS THERE.AND THEN WHEN I DIE, I'LL BE RIGHT IN BETWEEN HIM SO I CAN BOSS THEM EVEN AFTER DEATH. BUT IT'S IT'S SUCH. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I WAS JUST IN A PANIC IN BETWEEN. BLANK. HEY AGAIN. JESS, BLESS HIS HEART. HE PUTS UP WITH ME ALL THE TIME. BETWEEN HIGGINS AND I DID. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. AND THEN ANOTHER FRIEND OF MINE HAD ALREADY GOTTEN A PLACE OUT WITH RALPH AND I. WE WENT OUT THERE AND LOOKED, AND IT JUST WAS SO PEACEFUL AND SO QUIET, AND I FELT LIKE IT WAS SOMETHING THAT MY FAMILY CAN ENJOY FOR YEARS. THEY CAN COME MY MY KIDS, MY GRANDKIDS CAN COME AND SPEND TIME. AND I KNOW THAT SOUNDS SILLY BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT THERE, BUT I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE AND I REALLY SUPPORT ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP. MISTER, MISTER, IT'S A LOVELY PLACE. IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT THERE, PLEASE GO BECAUSE IT'S NICE.
ALRIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HELLO, I'M JEN LOUTZENHISER. I AM THE ADMINISTRATOR AT WHISPERING HILLS. I JUST WANTED TO ADD I AGAIN MY ADDRESS. YES. 309 WOODFIELD CIRCLE LAGRANGE.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT ALSO WE ARE A NATURE PRESERVE. WE'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL.
IT'S ALMOST IT'S A CEMETERY, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY MORE LIKE A PARK WHERE WE INVITE THE PUBLIC ACTUALLY TO COME AND TAKE A TOUR. AND ONCE THEY TAKE A TOUR AND SIGN A LIABILITY WAIVER, THEY CAN COME BACK ANYTIME AND RIDE. WE WE'RE WORKING ON OUR TRAIL DEVELOPMENT. WE GOT LIKE SMILES AT LEAST OF TRAILS WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME AND RIDE BIKES, TAKE WALKS, WALK THEIR DOG, RIDE THEIR HORSES. SO THAT'S JUST ANOTHER ASSET TO THE THAT WE'D LIKE TO OFFER THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE CEMETERY. THANK YOU. THANK. HI, I'M JOCELYN SCOTT AND I WOULD BE THIRD GENERATION OF THE HOWARD FAMILY INVOLVED WITH THIS PROPERTY. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE COMMISSIONERS FOR LISTENING TO ALL OF US. YOU CAN SEE HOW PASSIONATE WE ARE ABOUT THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY. AND JUST WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT BRIEFLY ABOUT JUST THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, ALSO OF WHAT THIS CEMETERY BRINGS TO OUR COMMUNITY IN AN ECO TOURISM TYPE OF FASHION. AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT, AGAIN, AS STATED EARLIER BY MR. HIGGINS, THAT WE HAVE COMMUNITIES COMING IN FROM ALL OVER THE STATE, ALL OVER THE REGION TO OUR TOWN. THEY'RE STAYING WITH US, THEY'RE EATING IN OUR RESTAURANTS, THEY'RE STAYING IN OUR HOTELS TO HELP THEIR LOVED ONES GO ON TO THE NEXT LIFE THROUGH THE CEMETERY. AND SO THAT THAT WAS ONE POINT I WANTED TO MAKE. THE OTHER IS, AS MISS SHIRLEY WAS SAYING, THAT SOME OF THE TERRAIN THAT WAS IN THIS ORIGINAL 20 ACRE PROPERTY THAT WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR IS, IS IN A TERRAIN THAT'S NOT AS CONDUCIVE FOR FOR A PROPER BURIAL. AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER REASON I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO TO ADD ON TO, TO GIVE THESE PEOPLE MORE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO FIND THAT RESTFUL PLACE THAT THEY NEED. AND JUST ALSO GOING TO WHAT JEN WAS SAYING OF THIS, THIS PROPERTY BEING USED FOR MULTIPLE USES. ONE THING THAT WAS REALLY FASCINATING THIS YEAR IS THAT WE HAD A MULTI SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY MEET THERE, WHERE WE HAD SCHOOLS COMING FROM ALL OVER THE REGION TO RUN CROSS COUNTRY IN THIS PROPERTY. SO AGAIN, IT'S NOT JUST A CEMETERY. THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT'S WONDERFUL ABOUT THIS PROPERTY. AND WE DO HOPE THAT YOU CONSIDER EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE SAID TO HELP US EXPAND ON IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DID I SAY MY ADDRESS? YOU DIDN'T. SO. OH, ONE WAVERLY WAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT? I WOULD LIKE TO SAY ONE LAST THING, AND IT'LL BE VERY BRIEF.
[01:05:06]
I WAS IN THE CARPET BUSINESS AND WALK OFF THAT BUSINESS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. AND WHEN I GOT INTO THIS BUSINESS, HERE I WAS ALL IT WAS ALL NEW TO ME. BUT I HAVE LEARNED A LOT. I HAVE VISITED OTHER GREEN CEMETERIES. I VISITED OTHER CEMETERIES EVEN BEFORE I VISITED. CEMETERIES CAN BE VERY FAMOUS. EVERYBODY'S HEARD OF FOREST LAWN, EVERYBODY'S HEARD OF ARLINGTON. I PREDICT WITH THIS BOARD SUPPORT GIVEN TIME, THIS, THIS, THIS CEMETERY WILL BE FAMOUS. THIS IS GOING TO BE A FAMOUS CEMETERY. THIS IS GOING TO BE A DESTINATION ALREADY A DESTINATION CEMETERY. WE GOT WRITTEN UP IN A NATIONAL MAGAZINE OUT OF NEW YORK, OF ALL PLACES, BECAUSE THEY HAD LOOKED AT ALL THE WEBSITES AND DECIDED THAT THEY DREW. THEY DREW A QUOTATION FROM OUR WEBSITE AND ALSO A PHOTOGRAPH FROM OUR THING HERE. WE WE WE WE GOT SOMETHING STARTED HERE. IT WAS A VERY IT WAS A HIGH RISK THING, YOU MIGHT SAY, MAYBE A HIGH RISK THING, BUT WHATEVER, IT'S GOING TO BE A FAMOUS PLACE AND THE COUNTY WILL BE PROUD OF IT. I THINK THEY ALREADY ARE PROUD OF IT. WE HAD OVER 200 KIDS, AS SOMEBODY MENTIONED, RUNNING ACROSS CROSS COUNTRY TRACK OUT THERE. THIS IS A CEMETERY. IF YOU DRIVE THROUGH THAT CEMETERY, YOU MIGHT SEE SOMEBODY SITTING ON A BENCH JUST SITTING THERE QUIETLY. AND YOU DO SEE THEM SITTING THERE QUIETLY WHEN YOU DRIVE THROUGH, SETTLE ON. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYBODY SITTING THERE QUIETLY? PEOPLE COME IN THERE FOR A BRIEF MOMENT AND THEY'RE GONE. IT'S NOT A RESTFUL PLACE. IT'S A VERY PEACEFUL PLACE OUT THERE. SO I HUMBLY ASK Y'ALL TO JUST LET ME HAVE THOSE NINE ACRES, AND I PROMISE NOT TO COME BACK FOR A LONG TIME. HERE YOU GO. HOLD ON. MAN, WHAT? THE 20 ACRES YOU ALREADY HAVE. WHAT DO YOU PROJECT? THE TIME FOR THAT TO BE FILLED UP. RELATIVELY QUICKLY? BECAUSE AT LEAST WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE 40 ACRES OF THE OF THE LATEST 20. YOU DON'T. YOU ONLY GOT 20 RIGHT NOW YOU'RE USING. RIGHT. YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. FORGETTING THAT 20 THE SECOND 20 THAT I GOT, IT'LL BE FILLED UP RELATIVELY QUICK PROBABLY IN 4 OR 5 YEARS BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO ABOUT 15 OF IT BECAUSE OF THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE LAND. AND ALSO ONE THING I DIDN'T MENTION, YOU PROBABLY WONDER. WELL, WHY DIDN'T HE? WHY DIDN'T HE PUT IT, TAKE IT OUT OF CONSERVATION AND PUT IT IN THE CEMETERY AFTER YOU GOT THE APPROVAL? WELL, SOME OF YOU WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH CAMP AND ASSOCIATES REALIZE THEIR CHIEF SURVEYOR, CLINT, DIED. WELL, WHEN CLINT DIED THEN, THEN KEMP AND ASSOCIATES WENT INTO SORT OF A LIMBO. WHAT HAVE YOU CALLED IT? THEY. NOTHING WAS HAPPENING. THEY DIDN'T HAVE A SURVEYOR. YOU COULDN'T DO ANYTHING. AND IT TOOK THEM A LONG TIME TO SELL IT. SO I WAS JUST SORT OF STUCK. THEY DIDN'T APPLY, THEY DIDN'T APPLY. AND I WAS SATISFIED THAT IT DIDN'T, BECAUSE I KNEW I HAD TO COME BACK AND TALK TO YOU GENTLEMEN AGAIN. SO I'D ANSWER ANY QUESTION YOU ASKED. HOW MANY ACRES DO YOU HAVE THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO USE? BEG YOUR PARDON? HOW MANY ACRES DO YOU HAVE THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO USE? WELL, I'VE NEVER I'VE NEVER SURVEYED IT OFF, TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH. BUT I WOULD SAY, I WOULD SAY OF THE FIRST OF THE FIRST 20 ACRES, I WOULD SAY ABOUT 8 OR 10 OF THEM, 8 OR 10 OF THEM WERE, WERE UNACCESSIBLE OF THE OF THE SECOND 20 ACRES THAT I THAT YOU GENTLEMEN APPROVED, I WOULD SAY 15 OF THEM WERE UNACCESSIBLE.SO QUITE A LOT OF IT IS IN THE CEMETERY, AND IT'S PART OF IT TOO. I'M SO CONCERNED ABOUT DIVIDING IT OUT TO WHERE, WHEN YOU GO THIS CEMETERY AND THIS IS NOT CEMETERY, THIS IS CEMETERY ON NOT CEMETERY OVER HERE. SO I, I'M THINKING THAT I'M THINKING THAT IT IT'S I'M THINKING IT WHEN YOU CAN DRIVE ALL THE WAY AROUND IT AND YOU SAY, JUST LOOK TO YOUR RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO DRIVE YOU AROUND THE CEMETERY. WHEREVER YOU LOOK TO YOUR RIGHT IS ALL CEMETERY.
SO I'M HAPPY TO HAVE THE BED AS WELL AS THE GOOD. I HOPE THE BED IS INCLUDED WITH THE THE FIRST 20 ACRES OR THE THE COUNTY PICK. THE FIRST 20 ACRES. SORRY. DID YOU PICK THE FIRST 20 ACRES OR DID THE COUNTY PICK THE FIRST 20 ACRES? THE COUNTY SELECTED THE NUMBER I WOULD HAVE. I WOULD HAVE WANTED TO GO BETWEEN THE TWO BRANCHES THERE, BUT WE DIDN'T. TWO BRANCHES WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 60 ACRES. MARTIN, DID YOU HAVE IT MARKED OFF? DID THE COUNTY HAVE IT MARKED OFF OR DID YOU HAVE IT MARKED OFF? WELL, I HAD IT MARKED OFF. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I'M GETTING AT. YOU PICKED THE LOCATIONS IS WHAT I'M. BUT I WAS RESTRICTED TO THE 20 ACRES.
THAT'S WHY YOU HAD THAT LITTLE NOTCH UP THERE. BECAUSE 3 OR 4 ACRES WAS A ROAD JUST TO GET TO THE CEMETERY. WE DIDN'T PUT THE CEMETERY RIGHT ON THE ROAD. I HAD ADVICE FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY STARTED THE CEMETERY MOVEMENT IN 20. IN 1998, THEY THE FIRST GREEN CEMETERY, EXCLUSIVELY THE GREEN CEMETERY IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY CAME DOWN AND LOOKED AT THE PROPERTY AND SAID, IT'S IDEAL PROPERTY, RALPH. IT'S IDEAL PROPERTY. AND I SAID, WELL, GOOD, I WANT TO PUT THE CEMETERY HERE. THEY SAID, DON'T PUT IT THERE, PUT IT HERE. THEY TOLD ME WHERE TO
[01:10:02]
PUT IT. THEY WANTED TO PUT IT OVER BY THE BY THE BRANCH. DON'T PUT IT TOO FAR BACK ON THE FAR BACKSIDE AND SO FORTH. SO I HAD ADVICE. OF WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CEMETERY BUSINESS. WELL, ON THE SECOND 20 ACRES, DO YOU SAY THERE'S TEN ACRES THERE, THERE'S THAT YOU CAN'T USE THE. YES. IT CAN'T BE USED FOR BURIALS. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT. SO IF YOU TAKE THE 9 TO 10 ACRES YOU WON'T BE, YOU HAVEN'T GOT IT BLOCKED OFF AND PUT IT WITH THE TEN ACRES YOU CAN USE. THERE'S YOUR 20 ACRES RIGHT THERE. THAT'S RIGHT. IN OTHER WORDS, I COULD CUT A GAP IN THE CEMETERY. I COULD PUT A BIG HOLE IN IT AND SAY, THIS IS NOT CEMETERY HERE. I COULD SURVEY IT AGAIN. I'VE ALREADY GONE TO QUITE A QUITE A LOT OF EXPENSE AND I'M NOT OBJECTING. MAYBE THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO DO, BUT I'M ASKING THAT YOU CONSIDER THIS AS A RELATIVELY SMALL REQUEST TO ADD TO AN ALREADY. WHEN A PIECE OF PROPERTY IS PUT INTO CEMETERY, WHAT DOES THAT DO TO THEIR PROPERTY TAX. YEAH. AMOUNT TO $5,656 LOSS TO THE COUNTY TO APPROVE THESE NINE ACRES. ACCORDING TO THE ACCORDING TO THE THE FOLKS UPSTAIRS BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY IT'S ALREADY AND I PAY A GOOD BIT OF PROPERTY TAX. I HOPE THE $56 DOESN'T PUT THE COUNTY. IF I I'D BE GLAD TO PAY IT OUT OF MY POCKET IF IT MADE ANY DIFFERENCE. BUT OF COURSE THAT CAN'T BE DONE. JUST ASKING THE QUESTION TO YOUR QUESTION. IF PROPERTY THAT'S IN A CEMETERY THAT THEY'RE TAX EXEMPT. SO WHEN IT BECOMES A CEMETERY THEY'RE TAX EXEMPT, RIGHT. ETERNITY WHICH WILL SAVE ME $56 A YEAR. BUT I'M NOT HERE FOR THE $56 A YEAR. IT'S MUCH BIGGER THAN THAT. IT'S GOT TO DO WITH A PLACE LIKE A PARK A YEAR, WOULDN'T YOU? I THINK YOU WOULD BE PAYING MORE THAN $56 A YEAR, RIGHT? I'M SORRY. I THINK YOU WOULD BE PAYING MORE THAN $56 A YEAR IN PROPERTY TAXES. WELL, SEE THE THIS IS COMING OUT OF OUT OF CONSERVATION EASEMENT. THE THE FAMILY PROPERTY IS 140 ACRES. SO ALL OF THIS THIS PROPERTY IS NOT AFFECTING ANYBODY. THIS IS IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR 140 ACRES.IT'S ALREADY CONSERVATION. SO THE DIFFERENCE IN THE CONSERVATION AND THE CEMETERY, APPARENTLY ACCORDING TO TO YOUR OFFICE UP HERE, IS $56 A YEAR FOR THE NINE ACRES. I'VE ALREADY GOT THE 40. AND I COULD SOMEHOW CUT NINE ACRES OUT. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT. I GOT TO GET SURVEYORS OUT THERE AND FIGURE IT OUT. SPARE ME. SPARE ME FOR THE $56. LET ME MAKE A DONATION TO A GOOD CAUSE OR SOMETHING. HAVE I SAID ENOUGH OR TOO MUCH? POSSIBLY TOO MUCH.
ANYWAY, I'LL LEAVE IT. I'LL LEAVE IT IN THE GENTLEMAN'S HANDS. WE'LL JUST. WE'LL UNDERSTAND THAT THE DONATION COMMENT WAS YOU HAVE YOU HAVE SOME OF US UP HERE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE SOME OF US UP HERE IN THIS SEAT, WHEN YOU START TALKING CEMETERIES. YEAH. I DON'T LIKE CEMETERIES, BUT I MEAN, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO FOR CEMETERIES, THAT'S FINE, BUT I JUST. MR. HIGGINS WILL TELL YOU ABOUT THESE JONESES WITH CEMETERIES. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT THERE AND RIDDEN AROUND IN IT? I SURE HAVE. I WENT OUT AND WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED IN APRIL OF 2000, IT WAS A VERY PEACEFUL. IT'S VERY PEACEFUL AND A PLEASANT PLACE. I'VE HAD PEOPLE SAY, WELL, I COULD, I COULD, I COULD HAVE MORE PEOPLE HERE. ONE LADY SAID, THIS IS NOT LIKE A CEMETERY. THIS IS LIKE A PARK. IT IS LIKE A PARK. IT'S A NICE PLACE. IT'S A NICE PLACE. I INHERITED IT, BELIEVE ME, IF I HAD NOT INHERITED IT, IF MY SISTER AND I HAD NOT INHERITED THIS PROPERTY, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO THIS. THERE'S NO WAY ANYBODY COULD BUY A PIECE OF PROPERTY LIKE THIS AND DO WHAT WE'VE DONE. IT'S NOT AN IT'S IT'S A LABOR OF LOVE TO A CERTAIN EXTENT FINANCIALLY. IT'S A LABOR OF LOVE. SO OUT OF THE TRACK OF THE 78.69 ACRES, THAT OUTLINE IS THE ONLY 20 THAT IS BEING USED RIGHT NOW. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT THAT.
WELL, RIGHT THERE YOU MIGHT YOU MIGHT HAVE TO DRIVE THROUGH SOME OF THE. YEAH. SO I KNOW THE SIGNS OUT BY THE ROAD. BUT WHERE IN RELATION IS NOT THE NINE ACRES, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT AREA RIGHT THERE. GET BACK TO THAT MAP. OH OKAY. SHOW ME THAT OTHER MAP. I WISH I HAD A POINT. OKAY, OKAY. THERE'S A STREAM. THERE'S A STREAM. THERE'S A THERE'S AN OLD FARM ROAD. THAT'S WHERE. THAT'S WHERE THE LAND NEEDED TO BE ORIGINALLY. BUT ANYWAY, THERE'S AN OLD FARM ROAD. THAT KIND OF DIDN'T GO OUT THERE. THAT'S THE STREAM. WELL, THE THE THE NEW LINE. THE NEW LINE IS ON THIS SIDE OF THE STREAM. SO THE ROAD OVER HERE WITH THE LITTLE TRIANGLE OVER TO THE RIGHT, THAT ROAD, YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE THE CEMETERY. THE CEMETERY IS ACROSS THE BRANCH. SO BY BY LETTING THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. NOW I HAD IT SURVEYED
[01:15:01]
THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. SO EVERYTHING ON THIS SIDE, INCLUDING THE BRANCH. SO IT'S BETWEEN TWO BRANCHES. CEMETERY, BETWEEN TWO BRANCHES. IT'S A VERY NICE LOCATION. IT'S VERY NICE LOCATION. SO THAT'S WHERE IT IS. IT JUST IT JUST IT JUST IT LET ME INCLUDE THE BRANCH.ALTHOUGH YOU CAN'T VERY CLOSE TO THE BRANCH THERE AGAIN YOU GOT TO BE 50FT BACK. BUT I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE 50FT BACK. I WON'T I WON'T BURY A BODY BRANCH. SO ANYWAY, THAT LITTLE PIECE OF PROPERTY THERE ENABLED YOU TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY AROUND THE WHOLE THING, WHICH IS VERY DESIRABLE WHENEVER PEOPLE LOOK AT IT FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT'S BEEN WORKED. YOU THINK IT'S A BUSINESS? IT'S A BUSINESS. IT'S NOT NOT NOT THE MOST PROFITABLE BUSINESS I'VE EVER BEEN IN. BUT I HAVE FAITH THAT IT'S GOING TO GROW. FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE HAD A A DEFINITE UPTICK. WORD OF MOUTH IS GETTING OUT. WE'VE ADVERTISED WIDELY IN THE 60 MILE RADIUS. AUBURN. AUBURN, ALABAMA AND AND NEWNAN AND DIFFERENT NEWS, REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS MOSTLY TO TRY TO GET THE WORD OUT BECAUSE WHEN I DIDN'T I DON'T THINK I TOLD YOU WHEN I FIRST SPOKE TO MR. HIGGINS, HE SAID, RALPH, YOU GOT TWO PROBLEMS. IT'S A TREND. IT'S A BIG TREND, BUT YOU GOT TWO PROBLEMS. I SAID, OH MY GOD, WHAT ARE MY PROBLEMS? I JUST WONDERED WHAT THEY WERE. HE SAID, WHEN PEOPLE ASK YOU WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE STARTING A GREEN CEMETERY, THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, WHAT'S THAT? AND WHEN YOU EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT IT IS, THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, WELL, I THOUGHT THAT WAS ILLEGAL. WELL, IF YOU GOT A MARKETING PROBLEM AND BUT IT IS A GREAT PROBLEM IF, IF I CAN SOLVE IT, I'VE ALREADY SOLVED IT TO THE TUNE OF 40 ACRES, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT. BUT IF I GET THAT OTHER NINE ACRES, IT'S GOING TO BE BETTER. IT'S GOING TO BE BETTER FOR THE CEMETERY, AND IT'S GOING TO BE BETTER FOR THE COUNTY. IT'S GOING TO BE BETTER FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED. I'M SURE. WELL, ALL I CAN SAY. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? ALRIGHT. HEARING NONE. THIS IS THE FIRST JAY COME BACK TO YOU. THIS IS THE FIRST READING FOR THE SPECIAL USE APPLICATION. BUT WE CAN VOTE ON IT TONIGHT. IT'S VOTE ELIGIBLE OKAY. THAT'S CORRECT.
ALL RIGHT. SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION AS TO THIS REQUEST. WAS IT WAS IT ANY KIND OF CONDITIONS ANYTHING. IT WAS THOSE IF APPROVED, THE STAFF RECOMMENDED THE FOLLOWING EIGHT CONDITIONS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT. AND ONE WOULD BE THAT THEY HAVE TO DO THE SURVEY AND PLAT IT OFF AND SO FORTH. TO FINISH THE DEAL. I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE ACCORDING TO THE EIGHT CONDITIONS THAT WAS SUBMITTED BY THE STAFF, BY THE STAFF. MY SECOND. OKAY. ALRIGHT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIES 3 TO 1. ALRIGHT. I THINK THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF OUR PUBLIC HEARING. SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT WE COME OUT OF PUBLIC HEARING, GO BACK INTO REGULAR MEETING AND ADJOURN. SO MOVED. DO I HAVE ONE OF Y'ALL? CAN BE A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIES. WE'LL GO UP DOWN THERE ON T
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.