Re-Zoning Request To Come Before Stephens Co. In January

A local property owner is wanting to put broiler houses on his land and it is stirring concerns from some residents.

The property owner for land at 140 Freeman Creek Road has submitted a re-zoning and variance request for the property.

Currently, the 107-acre tract is zoned as Agricultural Residential.

Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers said that zoning classification does not allow for a poultry farm operation.

As a result, Ayers said the request is to re-zone the property Agriculture Intensive to allow four existing, but unused broiler houses on the property to be torn down and four new broiler houses to be built in their place.

Also, Ayers said the property owner is requesting a variance to allow the broiler houses to be 150 feet from the property line.

Some area citizens are expressing concerns about the request, saying that the change is to make it a “potential mega poultry farm,” and adding that if it is allowed to pass, their community “will be another Wilbros,” referencing the business that was at the center of years of legal issues over its odor.

Ayers said that the re-zoning and variance requests will first go to the Stephens County Planning Commission at its meeting on January 3 at 7 p.m. at the historic Stephens County Courthouse.

“They will have been provided an agenda … with a recommendation from the Planning Director and the County Attorney gets involved when he needs to do so,” said Ayers. “Then, they can make a recommendation to approve or deny to the Stephens County Board of Commissioners who meets on January 10 at 8:30 a.m.”

According to Ayers, the County Commission can choose to vote to accept the Planning Commission’s recommendation or can make a different decision.

Both the January 3 Planning Commission and January 10 Stephens County Commission meetings are open to the public and the public will be allowed to comment on the matter at those meetings.