Whitfield Commissioners to Vote on Key Rezoning, SPLOST Projects

UPDATE: The Whitfield County Board of Commissioners is set to meet this evening at 6 p.m. on March 9, 2025, to discuss several critical rezoning requests and intersection improvement projects that could reshape local infrastructure. This urgent assembly is taking place at the courthouse meeting room located at 205 N. Selvidge St., Dalton.

Among the proposals, a highly debated 61-acre residential rezoning by SDH Atlanta LLC is on the agenda. This request seeks to rezone land at Reed Road and Rauschenburg Road from General Agriculture (GA) to Low Density Single Family Residential (R-2). Due to public interest, this proposal has been postponed pending a traffic study.

Additional rezoning requests include:
– Robert Kendall’s request for 1 acre at 2029 Old Morris Road in Rocky Face, from GA to Rural Residential (R-5).
– Jose Armando Ortiz’s request for 0.60 acres at 114 Marbut Drive in Dalton, shifting from Heavy Manufacturing (M-2) to Rural Residential (R-5).
– Ronnie Gazaway’s 4.59 acres at 529 Gazaway Drive SE, transitioning from GA to Rural Residential (R-5).
– Shazman Ali’s proposal for 8.75 acres on Tunnel Hill-Varnell Road, adding Medium Density Single Family Residential (R-3) zoning to existing General Commercial (C-2) zoning.

The board will also deliberate on a proposed amendment to the Unified Zoning Ordinance, which includes definitions for biohazard and hazardous waste, and the introduction of a new “Greenspace Courtyard Subdivision” option.

Critical intersection improvement projects are on the table as well. The commissioners are expected to award design contracts for three projects included in the county’s 2024 SPLOST program. Notably, preliminary designs for roundabouts at:
– Reed Road at Rauschenberg/Timberghost for $59,429.
– Highway 201 at Old Lafayette/Houston Valley for $80,188.
Design services for improvements at South Dixie Highway and Brickyard Road will cost approximately $196,611.

Residents could feel the impact of proposed fee increases as Public Works seeks to raise the residential driveway installation fee from $450 to $950, citing rising material costs. Additionally, a new charge of $300 per tandem truckload for asphalt millings is being proposed to offset delivery costs.

The board will also discuss grants, including a $2,500 Hunger Innovation Grant for the Whitfield County Senior Center’s “Easy Healthy Eats for Seniors” program and a $26,550 grant from the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust for drug testing supplies for the Conasauga Drug Treatment Court.

Furthermore, the Whitfield County Transit is requesting approval to purchase three new buses at a total cost of $363,672, with 90% of the funding reimbursed by state and federal sources.

The agenda also includes public hearings on alcohol license transfers, a presentation of the 2025 annual report from Convention & Visitors Bureau Director Margaret Thigpen, and a public comment period.

As the meeting unfolds, the decisions made could significantly affect the community’s future. Residents are encouraged to stay informed and participate in this crucial discussion.

Stay tuned for updates as these developments progress.