Several public hearings are on the agenda for Thursday’s regular meeting of the Fayette County Board of Commissioners, along with a number of other items.
A request has been made to rezone 4.238 acres fronting on Antioch Road from AR to R-70 to develop a single-family residential lot. But county staff and the Planning Commission have recommended denial.
According to a staff analysis, the request does not conform to the Fayette County Comprehensive Plan. Approval of the request could “provide legal leverage for the rezoning of other properties in the Agricultural-Residential land use area to zoning districts that require less than a five-acre lot size or density.”
The staff report noted that existing conditions and the area’s continuing development as an A-R single-family residential district do not support the petition for rezoning, although the request will not result in a burdensome use of roads, utilities, or schools.
Another rezoning request is for 8.87 acres fronting on Bankstown Road, from R-20 to A-R for a single-family residential lot. Approval was recommended with two conditions involving a variance for encroachment into the side yard setback and a minor revision to the final plat survey combining two lots to meet the five-acre minimum requirement. The survey revision request is listing as a separate public hearing on the board’s agenda.
The board will consider an amendment to the county code regarding conditional use approval, eliminating buffers between specified conditional uses in a residential or A-R zoning district.
The ordinance change was recently requested concerning places of worship, colleges and universities, hospitals, private schools, child care facilities, cemeteries, recreation centers, and similar institutions registered with the Secretary of State and in A-R or residential zoning districts.
The final public hearing is for a staff recommendation to transfer an existing retail alcohol, beer and wine license for Metro Sports Bar at 1950 Hwy. 85 North in Fayetteville.
All requirements have been met and there are no outstanding violations, according to county staff.
There is no old business on the agenda.
Under new business, the board will consider the appointment of Page McDonald to the Fayette County Library Board for a four-year term beginning Jan. 1. She is a 39-year county resident and a member of the Friends of the Library as well as a 28-year member of the Fayette County Book Club. She has also worked with the library’s book sales.
Two other potential appointments involve the Planning Commission. Alvin Gilbert and James Graw have been recommended for three-year terms beginning Jan. 1. Both currently serve on the commission and their terms are scheduled to expire at the end of this month.
The board will consider a resolution from Fayetteville regarding the further development of that city’s tax allocation district (TAD). The city has secured commitment from the Board of Education and seeks the same approval from the Board of Commissioners.
An ordinance pertaining to county-issued purchase cards and credit cards by county elected officials is on the agenda, as well as consideration of staff’s recommendation to transition the county’s defined benefit retirement plan from GEBCorp to MassMutual.
An ordinance is being considered that would provide for the establishment of the Fayette County Transportation Committee.
The purpose of the Transportation committee is to: a) identify traffic problems in the county; b) provide recommendations to the Board of Commissioners for short-and long-term priorities; c) provide input on project alignments and alternatives; d) assist with identification of funding sources, solicitation of federal funds, grants, etc.; e) assist with coordination of projects between the county and municipalities; f) provide appropriate focus on projects to ensure accountability of staff and consultants, g) provide recommendations for long-term goals; h) identify and support safety initiatives; and i) assemble information and facilitate communication of the county’s views and concerns to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC.)
“It is the intent of the Board of Commissioners that the Fayette County Transportation Committee fully explore traffic issues and provide information and recommendations to staff and the elected officials,” according to a staff report.
The board will consider change orders involving work on the Lake Peachtree spillway and the issuance of a final report approving the safety of the structure.
Two discussion items on the board’s agenda involve the county’s ethics ordinance and a request by Commissioner Steve Brown to display “Out of Many, One” as the English translation of the original national motto “E Pluribus Unum” in the commissioners’ meeting chambers.
The consent agenda includes amendments to the procedure for policy changes; a recommendation to reduce to minimal staffing Dec. 23 at 1 p.m. for the Christmas holiday; authorizing the county administrator to close the library Dec. 26 for the holiday; adoption of the 2016 board meeting schedule, which would continue the practice of meeting the second and fourth Thursday of each month; official notification to the state Environmental Protection Division of the county’s involvement in meeting the statewide goal of waste reduction; acceptance of a $68,000 grant from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for the Fayette County Solicitor’s Office; adding Waterlace Pod D, also known as Canoe Club, to the county’s street light program; approval of an $80,000 bid for floating docks at Lake Horton and Lake McIntosh; approval of a $73,500 bid for roofing at the Crosstown Water Treatment Plant; an additional $50,000 in funding for the Metropolitan North Georgia Planning District Toilet Rebate Program; approval of $20,562.50 allocated for easement clearing at the South Fayette Water Treatment Plant; and approval of the Water Committee’s 2016 meeting schedule.
Commissioner David Barlow will receive special recognition at the meeting as a Vietnam War veteran by state Sen. Valencia Seay, who honored a number of other veterans this way at a recent local event which Barlow was not able to attend.
Judge Jason Thompson will recognize several interns who worked during the summer in Fayette County’s State Court. Also noted will be assistant chief financial officer Sheryl Weinmann for earning a new finance officer certification.
