New rules requiring

25-foot buffers surrounding timber harvesting operations in Fayette are

on their way to the County Commission, but the board won't discuss the

new rules until next month.

The county

Planning Commission earlier this month voted unanimously to recommend

the changes, but rather than put the item on the agenda for this Thursday,

as is normally the practice, county officials tabled discussion until

July 26, when a full five-member board will be available to consider the

controversial matter.

Land owners

and representatives of the timbering industry have argued against the

idea of buffers, saying not being able to harvest what could amount to

numerous acres of timber constitutes a taking of property, but the Planning

Commission decided that the impact on surrounding property owners must

be considered as well, and voted to recommend the buffers to the County

Commission.

"Clearly,

a treed community improves the property values in that area," former

P&Z Chairman Fred Bowen said during recent work session discussions.

"Whether it's 50 feet or 25 feet, I feel we have to provide some

protection from what clearly is an eyesore. Fayette County is not a farming

county, so I think we have to balance all this."

There are currently

only four sitting members on the County Commission, following the resignation

of Harold Bost due to personal concerns. A runoff election is slated for

July 10 between Peter Pfeifer and Scott Gilbert, survivors of a five-person

special election last week.

Commissioners

this Thursday will consider several other changes to county ordinances

recommended by the Planning Commission.

Among items

that will be on the agenda are:

A new limit

on the portion of a commercial or office development site that can be

covered by pavement and buildings. Under the proposed rule, such impervious

surfaces would be limited to 60 percent of the total site.

Resident Julie

Matulia argued against the new rule, saying it's not stringent enough.

"Urban and suburban development accounts for 20 percent of all wetland

loss," she said, arguing that the environment will be damaged by

paving more than 30 percent of a site.

She urged the

group to delay acting on the new rule and consider a tougher standard,

but commissioners pointed out that currently there's no limit at all.

"Sixty percent is 40 percent better than what's on the books today,"

said commissioner Al Gilbert. "We can always go back and look at

it again," said commissioner Jim Graw.

A new rule

making self-storage facilities a conditional use in the C-H (commercial-highway)

zoning district. Currently, the facilities are allowed without special

conditions.

Again, Matulia

argued that the rule would be too lenient. "What about eliminating

it" from the commercial category altogether, she wanted to know.

Again, commissioners said the proposed rule is more stringent that current

ones, and said they could always consider Matulia's suggestion later.

The point is a sore one with Matulia, who recently attended commission

meetings to oppose unsuccessfully plans for a self-storage facility on

Ga. Highway 85 south of Fayetteville.

A waiver of

the requirement for site plans if a development meets several criteria.

Developers shouldn't have to submit, and staff shouldn't have to deal

with, site plans if the proposed use is similar to or less intensive than

the current one, if the use of water is similar or less and if a number

of other criteria are met, said zoning director Kathy Zeitler.

Commission

member Bob Harbison praised Zeitler's proposal. "All of our ordinances

need to be looked at with an eye to removing any requirement that is not

absolutely necessary," he said.

The County

Commission meets Thursday at 7 p.m. at the County Administrative Complex.

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