THOMASVILLE — The Thomas County Commission chairman described a lengthy Tuesday morning work session as one of the governing panel’s most productive.

The board spent four hours discussing recommendations about zoning categories to be included in the 20-year comprehensive plan being formulated. The state-mandated plan is due in 2008.

Most discussed were residential and agricultural future development areas.

Recommendations commissioners received — and addressed — were made by the comprehensive plan advisory committee made up of local citizens. Commissioners’ recommendations resulting from the Tuesday session will return to the advisory panel.

A public hearing on the proposed plan will be held later this year. A hearing date has not been set.

Among the future development areas discussed were:

• Agricultural, with recommended uses of single-family residential lots of a minimum of two acres, conservation subdivisions consisting of 50 percent green space, farming, livestock, forestry and mining.

Commissioner Mary Jo Beverly expressed concern about taking away people’s property rights in proposed residential rulings in agricultural areas.

“I have a problem with it, because it takes up so much agricultural land,” said commission Chairman Josh Herring, a Boston farmer.

• Conservation/Plantation, with recommended uses of forestry, farming/ranching, livestock, parks/recreation and mining.

Johnny Reichert, county planning and zoning chief, said half of Thomas County land is plantation-owned.

“They’ve got better protection than laws, and we can write laws,” Herring interjected.

• Rural Residential, with recommended uses of single-family residential with one unit per two acres, parks/recreation/open space, trails, small farms, conservation subdivisions, farming, livestock and forestry.

Commissioner Ken Hickey, a farmer, said that if previously cultivated land becomes residential, someone renting the property for agricultural purposes will have to rent elsewhere. The result will be that prices for farmland rental will increase as agricultural land becomes scarce, Hickey added.

“I feel like the development needs to go into the wooded areas more than the field areas,” Hickey told fellow commissioners.

• Estate Residential, with recommended uses of single-family residential, parks/recreation facilities, single-family residential conservation subdivisions, farming.

Existing farming, forestry and livestock operations in the area would be allowed to remain if a new zoning category is approved.

One-acre lots would be allowed with sewer and water services. Otherwise, two-acre lots would be required to accommodate wells and septic tanks.

Mike Stephenson, county manager, said the estate residential area would allow for conventional subdivisions with larger lots.

Outside a subdivision, an individual residential lot would have to be a minimum of two acres in Estate Residential.

• Suburban Residential, with recommended uses of traditional neighborhood development, duplexes, senior housing, cluster homes, townhouses, condominiums, conservation subdivisions, parks, recreation and manufactured housing parks or subdivisions.

Residences in the multifamily, high-density area would be required to have City of Thomasville water and sewer services or a private well licensed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and DNR-licensed neighborhood sewer systems.

Other areas designated for future development are:

• Crossroads/Neighborhood Commercial

• Highway Commercial

• Public/Institutional

• Employment/Industrial

“This is going to form the basis of our zoning ordinance,” Stephenson told commissioners, referring to the nine categories discussed during the Tuesday session.



Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (220) 226-2400, ext. 220.