In a 2-1 vote, the Gilmer County Board of Commissioners put a six month moratorium on new subdivisions in the county of more than 50 homes.
Following more than two hours of divided public comment at a special called meeting Monday, Aug. 23, Gilmer County Chair Charlie Paris and Post Commissioner Hubert Parker voted in favor of the moratorium, while Post Commissioner Karleen Ferguson voted against.
“I agree with an awful lot of everything which has been said on both sides here tonight,” Paris said.
Preservation of the quality of life, provisioning services, such as fire and ambulance, and transportation infrastructure were the reasons Paris said he wanted to pause any new large subdivisions.
During the pause, the county will work with the regional commission and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to bring current studies on infrastructure and roads in the county and look at the comprehensive plan.
Originally, Paris proposed a nine month moratorium for any new subdivisions of more than 25 homes. Parker said moving the time frame to six months and 50-home units made it more palatable.
Ferguson said the studies and working on the plan could be done without a moratorium.
“I don’t think we need to stop growth, stop building, stop anything right now,” she said.
If the county followed the comprehensive plan, this would all be settled, Ferguson said. The county needs affordable housing and this requires volume, she added.
Time could be added to the moratorium if the studies are not finished in six months, Paris said.
Speakers from the audience appeared to be closely divided between those in favor of the moratorium and those against. Some held the floor for extended periods of time, others returned to the microphone multiple times.
Speaking against the moratorium, Devell Frady said even though the subdivisions are being developed, there is not a housing boom. He pointed to current building permits.
“It will take years and years to build them out,” he said. “Why squash the opportunity we have now?”
Resident Terry Maddox said the county was not following the comprehensive plan which has a tenet to prevent sprawl. She said the increase in septic systems, because of large subdivisions without sewer access, would contribute to ground water pollution.
“We are not meeting our mission and our goal,” she said.
Matthew Starks introduced himself as a developer and a builder. He believes he has sold parts of the community in his time and welcomes people to the county.
“We want you to be part of this community, not fight against us,” he said. “It’s hard to stop a train, but when you get it stopped, it is hard to start back.”
Current subdivisions being developed are not a surprise, he said. The county should have been planning for a while.
He was in favor of the county doing the studies.
Debbie Donaldson said she would support a minimum period of 12 months for the moratorium. It will take the board and the public time to review the studies, she said.
Paris said most of the people developing the large developments are not local. He also said the new construction would not necessarily increase revenue for the county.
In Georgia, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights passed under Gov. Sonny Perdue by the state does not allow the county to recognize a windfall when the tax base increases.
If the tax base increases in a county, the state formula is used to calculate a millage rate to keep the revenue in the county neutral, a rollback rate.
A county must use the rollback rate or advertise for a tax rate increase.
“One year we did that and people about went nuts,” Paris said.
In the end, he said the moratorium was not about stopping growth in Gilmer County.
“I want to slow growth,” he said. “I want to manage growth.”
Paris stressed the moratorium was only for any new subdivisions. Anything already in the pipeline can still be developed.