CLARKESVILLE, Ga. — Habersham County commissioners will take a key step Monday night in a months-long effort to overhaul the county’s development rules when they hold the first public hearing on a proposed unified development ordinance.
The Habersham County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Monday, at the Habersham County Courthouse jury assembly room, where the new land-use code will headline the agenda.
County leaders say the proposed ordinance is designed to modernize development regulations while protecting the county’s rural character as growth pressures increase across Northeast Georgia.
Public hearing on unified development ordinance
The first reading and public hearing for the new unified development ordinance will give residents an opportunity to weigh in before commissioners move forward with adopting the code.
County officials began working on the updated development code last year as part of a broader effort to reshape zoning and land-use regulations. The proposal consolidates existing development rules into a single ordinance and introduces new standards intended to guide residential growth, particularly in rural areas.
Habersham leaders have said the overhaul is meant to balance development with preservation of the county’s agricultural and rural landscape. Planning staff and county leaders have emphasized that the new code aims to provide clearer rules for developers while ensuring growth does not outpace infrastructure or alter the county’s character.
The Habersham County Planning Commission reviewed the proposal earlier this month and recommended approval with several revisions before sending it to the Board of Commissioners for consideration.
Moratorium extension also up for hearing
Commissioners will also hold a public hearing Monday on a proposal to extend the county’s temporary housing moratorium.
The moratorium currently pauses the acceptance of applications for preliminary plats for residential subdivisions of five lots or more, along with rezonings tied to several residential land-use categories. County leaders previously approved the moratorium to give planners time to complete the new development code without a surge of applications under the old rules.
Officials have said the pause is intended to prevent large-scale residential projects from moving forward under regulations that may soon change.
Other agenda items
In addition to the two public hearings, commissioners will recognize several individuals and departments during the meeting, including Public Information Officer Ashlyn Brady and the county finance department.
The board will also consider several consent agenda items, including agreements with the City of Demorest related to fire services facilities and equipment, acceptance of a technology grant for the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office, and a salary supplement increase for Tax Commissioner June Black-Warren.
The meeting begins at 6 p.m. Monday at the Habersham County Courthouse, 295 Llewellyn St., in Clarkesville. Residents who wish to speak during the public hearings will be given time to address commissioners during the hearing portion of the agenda.
