THOMASVILLE—During their meeting on Tuesday morning, the Thomas County Board of Commissioners raised questions about a conditional use zoning that would allow a property to be zoned R-2 C.U., allowing for a family personal care home for 2-6 people.

The property is located at 464 Old Cassidy Road and is currently zoned R-2, single-family residential.

However, Alicia Nicholson, Cambridge Assisted Living and Residential Care Owner/Operator, is hoping to change that.

Zoning Administrator Donna Holbert informed the Commissioners that family personal care homes for 2-6 people are currently allowed in the R-2 district. However, they must be approved on a conditional use basis by the County Commissioners.

Chairman Mark NeSmith had some concerns about individuals in surrounding lots who had already established their homes and may not have realized this would ever be a possibility.

District 3 Commissioner Kenneth Hickey raised similar concerns, citing that the new subdivision, Bloomfield, would be right across the way from the proposed property.

County Administrator Mike Stephenson reminded NeSmith and Hickey that these types of facilities were already allowed through zoning, so if the Commission wanted to deter additional personal family care homes, they would need to change the zoning.

Hickey understood that, but argued that those zonings were made decades ago, before the subdivision took shape.

“This just seems to be out of context of what the plan was actually designed to be,” Hickey said.

Anyone in residential and agricultural districts can apply for family personal care homes, Holbert reminded.

Hearing this, NeSmith raised more concern about the possibility of approving one care home with a conditional use attached.

“If we did this, then there could be 2,3,4,5…6 more that come and ask for the same thing,” NeSmith said. “Then, we set that precedent.”

NeSmith then asked Holbert if she had received any opposition to the proposed conditional use attachment.

She told Commissioners she had received one phone call from an individual who was not in favor and planned on attending the public hearing to share their concerns. The individual said they recalled a previous personal care home across the street, but Holbert revisited records from 1996 onward and was unable to find any conditional use approval for a personal care home in that area.

“We don’t have a licensed personal care home on that street,” she said.

Commissioners still had further questions, with NeSmith asking if Nicholson would be required to live in the residence with the individuals she was providing care for. However, Holbert informed the Board she is not, as it is state-regulated.

With all questions then satisfied, the Commissioners will now hold a public hearing on Tuesday, May 27 at 6 p.m. for individuals to have their voice heard, before a vote on the conditional use application is taken.