Jasper once again extends residential rezoning moratorium
City Council July 13, 2022
PICKENS COUNTY, Ga. — The Jasper City Council once again extended a moratorium on residential rezonings during their July 11 meeting. The moratorium, first adopted in August of 2021, has now been extended three times.
Resolution No. 2022-10, unanimously passed by the council, extends the moratorium on “all rezonings, rezoning applications received after the passage of this moratorium, and the issuance of all building permits that would require or necessitate a residential rezoning within the City of Jasper” until October 15, 2022.
City Manager Sonia Jammes said the additional extension came “as a result of the complexity of drafting a modified zoning ordinance and the current efforts at master planning the utilities system.”
The resolution itself gives a more in-depth reason for the moratorium, reading in part: “to develop and implement a comprehensive approach to controlled residential growth by way of zoning ordinance for the City of Jasper, Georgia, including enacting new zoning regulations pursuant to said approach, to create a balance of development within the City between residential, commercial, and industrial development in order that the City may continue to have a high standard of living, and have appropriate zoning regulations to balance a private property owner’s right to a reasonable use of their property which is balanced against the need to have these uses be within appropriate districts and areas of the City and prevent negative impact to the property surrounding said uses and also make determinations as to the availability of water and sewer service.
The resolution again says that during the moratorium period, the city intends to do a “complete and comprehensive updating of the zoning ordinance as to residential uses and determine capacity and availability of its water and sewer service.”
The council also passed Resolution No. 2022-11 during the same meeting. This resolution, entitled Temporary Residential Annexation Moratorium, places a moratorium on “all residential annexations, and residential annexation applications received after your passage of this moratorium, and applying to all annexations that would require or necessitate a residential zoning within the City of Jasper.”
Similar to Resolution No. 2022-10, this resolution expresses the necessity of the moratorium to combat unchecked growth and provide time for the city to prepare coming expansion. “The City Council of the City of Jasper, Georgia, intends during the time period of the temporary moratorium to start the expansion of the water plant and the waste water plant,” Section Three reads.” The City of Jasper has been working to begin an expansion of its Water Pollution Control Plant and recently received an almost $11 million loan package to do so.
Other Business
City Manager Sonia Jammes discussed a proposal for outsourcing the city’s residential sanitation services. She explained that the city is currently in discussion with Waste Pro USA to bring a “built-in efficiency” to sanitation services with “more defined customer delivery benefits.”
Jammes said outsourcing residential services is the first step of the city’s new service delivery strategy, which also aims to benefit the city’s workforce: “Our number of workforce that we currently have are stretched thin to not only take care of our sanitation services, our streets and parks, and making sure that we have all of our right-of-ways mowed. We are pulling from the same pool of staff for all of these items.”
The council also approved purchases of body cameras, computers, and other equipment for the Police Department as well as the reclassification of some firefighter job positions at the request of Chief John Sherrer.
Jasper City Council extends moratorium on residential rezoning
City Council February 8, 2022
PICKENS, Ga. — The Jasper City Council extended their moratorium on residential rezoning Monday evening. The moratorium, which will expire in June of this year, is the city’s latest move to tackle a growing concern over increased development in rural communities. Like many municipalities in the surrounding area, the City Council is already in the process of reviewing and proposing changes to the city’s zoning ordinances.
Resolution No. 2022-02, entitled Extension to Temporary Moratorium, was passed by the council on Feb. 7. The resolution will extend the temporary moratorium adopted on Aug. 26, 2021 for an additional 90 days.
In part, the resolution reads:
“WHEREAS, The Jasper Water Plant and the Waste Water Treatment Plant are nearing their maximum permitted capacity, and the City Council has approved several extensive developments that will utilize further capacity at said plants;
WHEREAS, the City of Jasper, Georgia is experiencing extremely strong residential growth, and which necessitates review, study, and modification of residential densities and in order to adequately plan for and serve the residents of the City;
WHEREAS, The City Council of the City of Jasper, Georgia, in order to facilitate controlled residential growth within the City and to update the zoning ordinance, adopted on August 26, 2021 a temporary moratorium as to all rezonings, rezoning applications and building permits related to residential rezonings until March 1, 2022 to draft and enact modified residential provisions within the zoning ordinance;
WHEREAS, the complexity of drafting modified residential provisions and the development of a comprehensive plan of regulations necessitates a ninety (90) day extension to the moratorium.”
Speaking on the resolution, City Attorney David Syfan said, “This is just to give the committee additional time to be able to make any informed recommendation to the council for the needed changes.” Syfan also noted that the moratorium and review process should result in amendments to Jasper’s zoning ordinances. The newly extended moratorium will end June 1, 2022.
Other Business
Mayor Steve Lawrence was absent from the Feb. 7 meeting but attended virtually. Mayor Pro Tem Kirk Raffield, who led the meeting in the mayor’s absence, confirmed that Mayor Lawrence had tested positive for COVID-19.
The council also approved a purchase sale agreement between the City of Jasper and Jasper’s Downtown Development Authority. The agreement would transfer Perrow Park back into the city’s ownership. Ownership of the park, as City Manager Sonia Jammes explained, would allow the city “to demolish some of the structures on the property that are unsafe for our citizens.” Jasper’s City Attorney also noted that the city will be obligated to pay off outstanding loans on the park property. A joint meeting between the city and the Jasper DDA will be held on Feb. 15, 2022 to authorize the purchase sale agreement.
New City of Jasper Fire Department and Certificate of Occupancy fee schedules were also approved by the council.
Pickens County Planning Commission Meet
Community, News August 9, 2021
On Tuesday, August 9, 2021, the Board of Planning Commissioners met to discuss five new changes of zoning requests about a dozen people showed up for the meeting.
The meeting was to hear the request of the citizens requesting the changes and to express their recommendations to the county commissioners. The meeting opened at 6:00 pm and first on the agenda was the reading and approval of the previous meeting minutes which were approved by all without discussion and there was no old business. First on new business was Marcelle Bozeman from Four Mile Church Road in Ball Ground to request a change in zoning from Agriculture to Rural Residential for his parcel of four acres. Mr. Bozeman who was present spoke on behalf of his case and explained it was for a potential sale. There was no discussion from the commissioners and all voted for the re-zoning change.
The second request for a change in zoning came from Kevin Coombe from Hamrick Road, Talking Rock to change from Rural Residential to Agriculture. His request was due to having an equestrian farm which would require a costly soil and erosion test that was explained would needed to be done by an engineering firm.
It was also explained that if his 23.287 acres could be changed to rural it would not be required, by a costly engineering firm, and he would also be eligible for conservation status. The board approved unanimously to re-zone. Next on the agenda Susan Bozeman also from Four Mile Church Road in Ball Ground had her request to change the zoning on her parcel of 14.79 acres from Agriculture to Rural Residential and was approved.
The fourth request for change of zoning was from Bruce Johnson of Hwy 53 East, in Marble Hill to change from Agriculture to Rural residential and this was also approved by unanimous vote with no discussion. Final request on agenda came from Affordable Investments of Ludville Road in Jasper to change his parcel from Rural Residential to Suburban Residential. It was also explained that in that particular district of current homes it was currently a Suburban Residential community so he in fact would be complying with the current zoning.
He spoke stating that he had remodeled one of the homes and wanted to tear down the second home to build a new home for a family member. His request was also approved unanimously. It was also reiterated to those attending that these were recommendations only that would still need to be approved at the next County Commissioners meeting on August 19th. There were no further board comments or public comments and the meeting adjourned at 6:40 pm.
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