Stephens Co. Board of Commissioners Approve Variance Requests

The Stephens County Board of Commissioners approved all the variance requests that came before them at their meeting Tuesday.

Currahee Club requested reduction of size in some of their lots as well as reduction of building setbacks.

President of the Currahee Club Andrew Ward said these requests will allow them to sell those lots.

“We’ve got these four lots which look over the number four green on the golf course at the Currahee Club,” said Ward. “We’d like to sell them to some lovely people that want to come live in this great town. We’re also looking at reducing the setbacks of these because they don’t quite match the county’s requirements.”

The commission also approved a variance request due to a hardship from Steve and Elaine Hughes to place two mobile homes on the property at 5309 Highway 123.

According to County Administrator Phyllis Ayers, the surrounding land use is residential, agricultural, commercial and lake. The property has numerous structures already on it, including other mobile homes.

Elaine Hughes said the existing mobile homes on the property will eventually be torn down, but for now they want to move into the new mobile homes to assist a family member.

Her husband adds that the two new mobile homes would not be seen from the road.

“I think these mobile homes seem to be a concern,” said Hughes. “They are not going to stay there, it’s just at a point right now that I can’t get rid of them right this second, but they will be disposed of. None of this can ever be seen from any direction. If you come up the lake, you can’t be seen from no road. We only have one person that joins us.”

Lastly, the commission approved a variance request from William Hawkins to place a tiny home on 1.06 acres on Cherokee Road.

Tiny homes do not currently meet building codes in the state of Georgia, however, Hawkin’s lawyer Marlin Escoe said the tiny home meets all code requirements.

“It’s just a matter of the size of the structure that doesn’t meet normal regulations for a permanent home, it’s a so called tiny home,” said Escoe. “The home has been certified as structurally sound by a Hud qualified engineer. It meets or exceeds all code regulations and requirements. It does fit in well where Mr. Hawkins plans to locate the home.”

Commissioner Dean Scarbrough said approving the tiny home is an experiment for both Hawkins and the county.