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1 MEMO TO: Dawson County Board of Commissioners FROM: Richard Osborne, Community Development Director RE: Growth Management – county code proposed changes DATE: September 12, 2025 As part of the 2025 review of development matters during the moratorium on new residential development rezoning applications, staff reviewed the county code for possible changes. April 2023 was the last date of significant code changes related to growth and development approved by the Board of Commissioners (BOC). Staff obtained input from citizens and other property owners; business owners; Long Range Planning Committee (LRPC) members; Planning Commission, BOC members, and staff in various county departments. The changes are also in line with the results of the community survey that was completed by over 1,350 citizens, 99% of whom identified as Dawson County residents. Based on the survey: - 83% of citizens stated that the county was growing too fast. - 68% of citizens stated that the housing most appropriate for the county was just single-family homes. - 57% of citizens stated that, for new homes, the size of the property (lot) was most important to them. - 54% of citizens stated that, when residential growth occurs, Traffic most concerns them. The county attorney’s office has provided input and staff has added their changes. Planning Commission, during their August 19 meeting, unanimously recommended approval of the proposed changes. Board of Commission members, during and after the September 4 meeting, provided additional changes that have been made. Proposed changes include: • Add standards for Event Centers in the Short-Term Rental (Ch 30) and land use (Ch 121 – especially for RA) standards. New proposed event centers would require a special use zoning case in the RA district. ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 • Confirm that a short-term rental is intended to be, with exceptions like in an event center (with special use), one single-family residence on the lot. Propose that new short-term rentals must be on minimum 0.5 acre lot since a short-term rental on a small lot could have negative impacts on nearby properties. • Chapter 117 (Georgia 400 overlay district) changes to confirm requirements are “shall and must” not “should and may” to be standards rather than guidelines. • Chapter 121 (land use) changes include: o Require minimum amount of open space (at least 30%) for residential developments (50 units or more) in RT, RS-2, RS-3. Require a higher amount (40%) in RPC, MUV and multifamily RMF. o More significant architectural standards for residential developments of 50 or more units (minimum 5 house plans required with more masonry and more windows) and commercial. o Delete townhomes from the list of allowed uses in the RT district. o Recognizing that the RS-3 (dense single-family residential) and C-PCD (commercial planned development) districts are concerning districts for new proposals, the districts would be deleted/frozen – no new rezonings to RS-3 and C-PCD. o Larger proposed minimum lot sizes in residential districts RT (12,000 sqft), RS-2 (15,000 sqft), and RS-3 (12,000 sqft). Larger lot widths, longer driveways required. o Larger buffers for residential, commercial, and industrial districts. Based on citizen input, a proposed 50 ft buffer would be proposed around the entire perimeter of a 50+ unit development. o Require more amenities (and more significant ones) for 50+ unit residential developments. o For 50+ unit residential development rezonings, require pre-application meeting with staff before rezoning. Require the applicant to conduct a community information and input meeting with area residents who own property within 500 ft of the subject property before rezoning. o Encourage positive, contributing light industrial uses by adding them in the C-HI (heavy business) zoning district such as warehousing, shared/flex space, and distribution. o Discourage variances for setbacks and lot width – a request to reduce these standards by more than 25% would be prohibited. o Add requirement that new standards would apply to already-zoned properties that have not obtained a land disturbance permit unless there are applicable zoning conditions or variances. o Add an option for an applicant to apply for a reduction of the land use (Chapter 121) standards such as setbacks up to a maximum of 20% by staff administrative decision. o Add a limitation on the number of rezonings per month – max one residential development rezoning of 50 or more units per month. • Chapter 133 (subdivisions) proposed changes by Public Works - stricter regulations for new residential developments. Add a rural subdivision option with code exemptions to encourage large lot developments – minimum lot size 12 acres.