Franklin Co. Approves Poultry House Ordinance Changes

By Charles Robertson, WLHR Radio, Lavonia
Changes to the Franklin County Poultry House Ordinance are now in effect.

In Tuesday’s work session of the Franklin County Commissioners, a second reading of the new revisions to the county’s ordinance on poultry houses was given by Interim Director of Planning John Phillips.

Phillips said that under the new ordinance, poultry houses in Franklin County will be constructed with the exhaust end at least a thousand feet, measured perpendicular from the exhaust end of the poultry house to any building that is regularly used as a government building, school, hospital, church or other place of worship, senior center, nursing home, retirement home, restaurant, or public community center, and one thousand feet from the property line of any public park, public recreational area, or Corps of Engineers Lake Hartwell property, provided however that this requirement may be waived by the owner of the property or their authorized agents on which such establishment is located.

After minimal comments were made in a public hearing prior to the work session, and with the second reading given to the public, Franklin County Commissioners then voted 5-0 to approve the changes.

Franklin County Commissioners also voted unanimously to immediately lift the current three month moratorium on poultry houses throughout the county.