Habersham residents inquire about proposed zoning changes at open house

Dozens of Habersham residents visited the county’s offices Thursday to learn about prospective changes to the zoning of their own homes or to the county in general.

Habersham County planning staff took questions from residents for more than two hours Thursday morning regarding the county’s ongoing Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to learn how the changes could affect their properties.

This was the first of two open house sessions the planning and zoning department will hold with residents. The second will take place tonight from 6-8 p.m. at the Habersham County Administrative Complex.

Inquiring Habershamians Want to Know

The open houses were planned for morning and evening sessions Thursday, which were slated for two hours each. The morning one ran long, with a crowd still waiting to speak with Planning and Development Director Mike Beecham and his staff at 11 a.m. As a result, he and his staff were unavailable for comment at press time. This article will be updated when Beecham is available.

One couple, whose home abuts Heidelberg Materials’ Habersham Quarry outside Demorest, said they suffer the sound and vibration of having those highly industrial neighbors. They described a nearly constant “thrumming,” beginning as early as 4 a.m., from quarrying equipment, and occasional dynamite blasts later in the day.

The couple, who asked that their names be withheld, said they sought assurance from planning officials “that the quarry could not expand their operations to even closer to our property.” They got some assurance, they said, though they still do not know if there any noise restrictions are possible, whether currently or in the future. They plan to follow up and see what they can do to improve on their circumstances.

The Mountain View Preserved

Juanita Velasco lives on quiet rural land, from which she can see Yonah Mountain to the west, and wants it to remain that way. “I just wanted to make sure that no one can come in and build dense developments or condos,” she said. She left with an assurance that the zoning in her area would retain the peace and quiet she sought when she moved to Habersham from Dekalb County, some 37 years ago.

Kathleen and John Johnson were concerned not about their own property in the Bridgewater neighborhood, but about a bigger issue on the minds of many Georgians: data centers. They said they were concerned about the huge energy costs and water use associated with the centers.

With some 94 of the facilities already operational in the state, the Johnsons are worried that Habersham County might be next on the list.

Data centers, which are especially important for processing the exponentially growing amount of artificial intelligence data, are large facilities that house computer servers, storage, networking equipment, and supporting infrastructure that power AI, websites, and other digital services.

The Data Centers Loom

“They said they can’t prohibit data centers,” Mrs. Johnson said, “but they can make it difficult for them. They have to put them at least 1,000 feet away from any church, school, or residence,” among other regulations.

The couple left feeling the county was at least somewhat protected from the centers, which have stirred controversy in many of the towns and cities where they’ve been established.

County officials had said they intended for attendees to have the opportunity to review their property’s current and proposed zoning designation, learn how the proposed ordinance may affect future development, and discuss concerns one-on-one with members of the Planning Commission.

The open houses came as county leaders continue refining the proposed Unified Development Ordinance, a comprehensive set of land-use and development regulations intended to guide future growth in Habersham County. The proposal has generated significant public interest in recent months, drawing large crowds to multiple town hall meetings.

UDO Still a Work in Progress

During a June 4 town hall, county officials unveiled a revised version of the ordinance that included changes to minimum lot sizes, subdivision requirements and regulations for data centers. Officials said the document remains a work in progress and has been revised in response to public feedback.

Among the revisions discussed were the removal of a proposed derelict vehicle ordinance and requirements that any future data center proposal obtain a special-use permit and receive approval from both the Planning Commission and Board of Commissioners. County leaders also said they are considering additional safeguards and studying impact fees that could require new development to help pay for infrastructure costs associated with growth.

Additional information about the proposed Unified Development Ordinance is available through the Habersham County Planning and Development Department and on the county’s UDO information page.

On his way out the door of the morning meeting, Todd Colwell, a non-profit executive who lives off Cannon Bridge Road near the Soque River in Demorest, wondered if anything else could be built on his property besides his own home, which he said sits on a “long, narrow strip of property.” Answer: It cannot.