Board of Adjustments

Rome-Floyd Board of Adjustments Minutes Location: City Hall Sam King Room and Zoom Date: Thursday, June 15, 2023 Time: 2:30 PM PLEASE REFER TO THE VIDEO RECORDING FOR FULL DETAIL OF THE MEETING CALL TO ORDER Meeting convened: 2:35 p.m. led by Chair Abney. Determination of Quorum (4 of 7 needed) P – Present MEMBER Notes STAFF Z – Zoom P Cameron Abney Chair P John Hawkins - City Atty P Phil Burkhalter P Chris Jackson – County Atty A Will Byington A Bruce Ivey – County Mgr. P David Clonts Vice Chair P Meredith Ulmer – Asst City Mgr. A Jarrod Johnson P James Martin – Bldg. Official P Von Lambert P Brice Wood – Asst Director - Planning Dept A Terry Williamson P Michelle Kite – Planning & Zoning Coordinator Z Brittany Griffin – Senior Planner Public (from sign-in sheet): Robert Owens, Sam Patel, Penny Millar, Joel Larkin, Jessica Larkin, Sherry Warren-Campbell, Shirley Couch, Iris Kinnebrier, Betty Ford, Virginia Cale, Mary Cunningham, Julia Russell, Joy Dennis, Delois Clay, April Ridley, Larnie Jasper, William Jasper Jr, Jimmy Dennis, Linda Whatley, Kenneth Whatley, Kimberly Brown, Lauren Brown, Leonard Burge Sr, Terry M Cunningham, Larry C Dennis, Darrell Ridley, Barbara Dennis, Lewis Dennis, Mike Millar, David McCreery, Sherry Tumes, Marn B Weler, Steve Danneman, Jacquelyn Taylor, Dave Dawson, Howard Ralston, Tyris and Dovic Shaw, Karlene Hudson Guy, Lonnie B Leux, Adrianne Askew, Missy Kendrick, Dustin Samuels, Bonny L Askew, Lisa Smith, Chuck Hardin, Jennifer Rodriguez, Regina Peety Welcome and Introduction of Visitors Abney welcomed the public to the meeting and requested that all visitors sign in. Approval of Minutes from May 2023 Meeting Clonts made a motion to approve the May 2023 minutes, which was seconded by Burkhalter. The motion passed by common consent. Approval/Modification of Agenda Staff requested to remove BOA23-06-03 from the agenda and to hear BOA23-06-07 first. Burkhalter made a motion to approve the agenda with modifications requested, which was seconded by Clonts. The motion passed by common consent. ROME/FLOYD ZONING VARIANCE APPLICATIONS: BOA23-06-07, for the property at 0 East 1st Street, Rome, GA 30161, Floyd County Tax Parcel J13O058, being zoned Community Commercial (C-C), requests to reduce the front setback from 20’ to 16’ along Martin Luther King Blvd., to reduce the front setback from 20’ to 5’ along Spider Webb Dr., to reduce the side setback from 15’ to 5’, to reduce the front landscape from 20’ to 5’ along frontages for parking and to increase the maximum structure height from 45’ to 64’. Assistant Director Wood presented the application, staff report, and staff recommendation. Chair Abney opened the public hearing. Joel Larkin, attorney for applicant, was present to speak in favor of the application. The site plan takes into account the issues that they could address but a hardship variance is needed. Dave Dawson was present to speak in favor of the need for more hotel rooms for the tennis tournaments. Lisa Smith spoke in favor as well on the economic impact of tourism and infusing money into the community and the need for quality rooms. 1 Robert Owens was present to speak in opposition of the request. They ask that they stick to what is allowed under current code. William Jasper also spoke in regards to their not being enough parking for the church if a large event was taking place. Marvin Williams spoke as well about safety being in jeopardy. Mary Cunningham spoke in opposition as well that the land has been vacant a long time and has some drainage issues and that other locations were available for a hotel. Robert Owens noted that this is in historical five points and they want to be treated fair. Chair Abney closed the public hearing and opened the floor for discussion amongst the voting members. Clonts made a motion to approve as submitted, which was seconded by Burkhalter. The motion passed 4-0. MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER M - Motion S – Second AB – Abstained Y Cameron Abney Will Byington Y Von Lambert S Phil Burkhalter M David Clonts Terry Williamson Jarrod Johnson BOA23-06-01, for the property at 721 Floyd Springs Rd. and 711 Floyd Springs Rd., Armuchee, GA 30105, Floyd County Tax Parcels J09W111 and J09W110, being zoned Agricultural Residential (A-R), requests to reduce the lot width from 150’ to 85’ on parcel J09W111 and reduce the front setback from 60’ to 40’ on parcels J09W111 and J09W110. Assistant Director Wood presented the application, staff report, and staff recommendation. Chair Abney opened the public hearing. Arnold Terry was present to speak in favor of the application. No one was present to speak in opposition. Chair Abney closed the public hearing and opened the floor for discussion amongst the voting members. Lambert made a motion to approve, which was seconded by Burkhalter. The motion passed 4-0. MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER M - Motion S – Second AB – Abstained Y Cameron Abney Will Byington M Von Lambert S Phil Burkhalter Y David Clonts Terry Williamson Jarrod Johnson BOA23-06-02, for the property at 26 Frances Drive, Rome, GA 30165, Floyd County Tax Parcels H12Y300, being zoned Suburban Residential (S-R), requests to place solar panels that face a public right-of-way. Assistant Director Wood presented the application, staff report, and staff recommendation. Chair Abney opened the public hearing. No one was present to speak in favor of the application. No one was present to speak in opposition. Chair Abney closed the public hearing and opened the floor for discussion amongst the voting members. Clonts made a motion to approve, which was seconded by Burkhalter. The motion passed 4-0. MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER M - Motion S – Second AB – Abstained Y Cameron Abney Will Byington Y Von Lambert S Phil Burkhalter M David Clonts Terry Williamson Jarrod Johnson BOA23-06-04, for the property at 1935 Redmond Circle (listed as 0 Redmond Rd on the Parcel Viewer), Rome, GA 30165, Floyd County Tax Parcel H12Z573A, being zoned Heavy Industrial (H-I), requests to reduce the front setback from 100’ to 60’. Assistant Director Wood presented the application, staff report, and staff recommendation. Chair Abney opened the public hearing. Gabe Hrib was present via Zoom to speak in favor of the application in regard to accessing the back portion of the 2 parcel and having space to turn around, as well as, making parking spaces consistent. Missy Kendrick was also present to speak in favor of the application. No one was present to speak in opposition. Chair Abney closed the public hearing and opened the floor for discussion amongst the voting members. Burkhalter made a motion to approve, which was seconded by Clonts. The motion passed 4-0. MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER M - Motion S – Second AB – Abstained Y Cameron Abney Will Byington Y Von Lambert M Phil Burkhalter S David Clonts Terry Williamson Jarrod Johnson BOA23-06-06, for the property at 0 Brooke Court SE (Lot 52, Longbrooke Subdivision, Phase 1) (listed as 227 Eden Valley Rd. on the Parcel Viewer), Rome, GA 30165, Floyd County Tax Parcel I16W015, being zoned Suburban Residential (S-R), requests to reduce the front setback from 25’ to 18’ and to reduce the rear setback from 25’ to 18’. Assistant Director Wood presented the application, staff report, and staff recommendation. Chair Abney opened the public hearing. Chuck Hardin was present to speak in favor of the application. It is a revamp of an old subdivision and if they lot were bigger, they would not need the variance. They want continuity of house to match the others in the subdivision. Steve Danham was present to speak in opposition. Chair Abney closed the public hearing and opened the floor for discussion amongst the voting members. Clonts made a motion to approve, motion failed. After further discussion, Clonts made a motion to approve as submitted, which was seconded by Abney. The motion passed 3-1. MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER M - Motion S – Second AB – Abstained S Cameron Abney Will Byington Y Von Lambert N Phil Burkhalter M David Clonts Terry Williamson Jarrod Johnson BOA23-06-08, for the property at 200 2nd St, Rome, GA 30161, Floyd County Tax Parcel L10Z153, being zoned Suburban Residential (S-R), requests to reduce the front setback from 25’ to 5’, to reduce the side setback from 7’ to 1’ and to place a secondary structure closer to the public right-of-way than the principal structure. Assistant Director Wood presented the application, staff report, and staff recommendation. Chair Abney opened the public hearing. Howard Ralston was present to speak in favor of the application. No one was present to speak in opposition. Chair Abney closed the public hearing and opened the floor for discussion amongst the voting members. Burkhalter made a motion to approve, which was seconded simultaneously by Clonts and Lambert. The motion passed 4-0. MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER M - Motion S – Second AB – Abstained Y Cameron Abney Will Byington S Von Lambert M Phil Burkhalter S David Clonts Terry Williamson Jarrod Johnson ADJOURNMENT: Meeting was adjourned at 4:04 pm by common consent. 3 STAFF REPORTS: https://www.romega.us/DocumentCenter/View/2538/BOA23-06-01---Floyd-Springs-Rd https://www.romega.us/DocumentCenter/View/2539/BOA23-06-02---Frances-Dr https://www.romega.us/DocumentCenter/View/2540/BOA23-06-04---Redmond-Cir https://www.romega.us/DocumentCenter/View/2541/BOA23-06-06---Eden-Valley-Rd https://www.romega.us/DocumentCenter/View/2542/BOA23-06-07---5-Points https://www.romega.us/DocumentCenter/View/2543/BOA23-06-08---Shannon-Village 4