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Updated 11/22/2021 Planning & Development 1266 East Church Street Hall C Jasper, GA 30143 [PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] Conditional Use Application Information Please read the enclosed packet and instructions completely prior to filling out the application packet. Applications submitted without all required attachments will be REJECTED. Please contact Pickens County Planning and Development if you have any questions regarding the Conditional use process, what is required, or application questions. [PHONE REDACTED] or [EMAIL REDACTED] Please keep this informational packet and return the application to the Pickens County Planning and Development Office. ---PAGE BREAK--- Updated 11/22/2021 General Information The submittal deadlines shown on the schedule included in this package are designed to allow the staff to meet the minimum requirements of the law as it relates to advertising. It is imperative that all required information be submitted on time. If an incomplete application is discovered, the process cannot begin, and the application will be delayed until all information is correct and complete. The items listed as required by this application are required by law or are needed by Planning and Development staff to provide information to the Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners. It is the applicant’s responsibility to attend the public hearings and be able to answer questions about the project. It is also the applicant’s responsibility to provide all information necessary for the Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners to decide. If you are uncomfortable in this role, you may want to seek the assistance of a lawyer, surveyor, or other professional. The Board of Commissioners of Pickens County and the members of the Pickens County Planning Commission discourage the conditional use of property for speculative purposes. The Board of Commissioners of Pickens County and the members of Pickens County Planning Commission use various criteria when considering a conditional use permit request including but not limited to the following: 1. The existing uses and classification of nearby properties. 2. The extent to which the property values are diminished by the particular land use classification. 3. The extent to which the destruction of property values of the applicant promotes health, safety, morals, or general welfare of the public. 4. The relative gain to the public as compared to the hardship imposed upon the individual property owner. 5. The suitability of the subject property for the proposed land use classification. 6. The length of time the property has been vacant under the present classification, considered in the content of land development in the area in the vicinity of the property. 7. The specific, unusual, or unique facts of each case, which give rise to special hardships, incurred by the applicant and/or surrounding property owners. Also included are: 1. Whether the conditional use proposal will permit a use that is suitable in view of the use and development of adjacent and nearby property. 2. Whether the conditional use proposal will adversely affect the existing use of usability of adjacent or nearby property. 3. Whether the property to be affected by the conditional use proposal has a reasonable economic use as currently zoned. 4. Whether the conditional use proposal will result in a use that will or could cause an excessive or burdensome use of existing streets, transportation facilities, utilities, or schools. 5. If the local government has an adopted land use plan, whether the conditional use proposal is in conformity with the policy and intent of the land use plan. 6. Whether there are other existing or changing conditions affecting the use and development of the property, which give supporting found for either approval or disapproval of the proposal. ---PAGE BREAK--- Updated 11/22/2021 Upon receipt of the completed application and attachments the Planning and Development Staff will conduct an analysis and provide a recommendation to the Planning Commission. This is a recommendation only with final decision being made by the Board of Commissioners of Pickens County.*** The Conditional Use Process (How It Happens) The Conditional Use Permit is a type of zoning permit that a land owner must seek for certain, listed uses of property that are not generally allowed as a matter of right within a zoning district, but are allowed following an application and permit process designed to ensure that the listed use will not negatively impact neighbors. The conditional use permit requires certain facts about the parcel and the proposed use to allow the appointed Planning Commission Board and Board of Commissioners enough information to decide regarding the conditional use permit request. The conditional use process begins with the submittal of the required information and the payment of the conditional use fee. The first step is the gathering of information and advertising in the local paper. Next is the public hearing phase. The conditional use process is normally completed in two public hearings. The first of these hearings is before the Planning Commission. The members of this board are appointed by the Board of Commissioners. At this meeting, the particulars of the request will be read aloud by the Chairman and he will ask for the applicant to present the request and state why the change is needed. Others in support of the change will be allowed to speak next. Afterwards, anyone in opposition to the conditional use request will be allowed to speak. Ten minutes are allowed per side (not per person), though in a complicated matter, the Chairman may allow longer. If any questions come up during the hearing, the Chairman or and other Board member may ask the applicant for clarification. After hearing all the information, the Planning Commission will vote and make a recommendation to the Board of Commissioners to approve or deny the request. The next meeting is before the Board of Commissioners. This is the elected governing officials of the County and their decision is final. The Board of Commissioners will vote on whether to approve or deny the request. These advertised public hearing are mandated by Georgia state law and required by the Board of Commissioners to give the citizens a voice in what happens to their community. Your application fee will include the posting of a sign on the property proposed for change. It is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain the sign in a clean, legible manner such that it is readily visible form adjoining roadways and remains posted until the final hearing before the Board of Commissioners. Signs will be periodically checked to ensure compliance. Should your sign not be maintained and remain posted, your request could be tabled to the next meeting. ---PAGE BREAK--- Updated 11/22/2021 DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT WITH CONDITIONAL USE APPLICATION One “24x36” copy of the property survey prepared by a registered surveyor. If the conditional use request is only for a portion of a larger tract, please show the overall and provide a survey of what is to be rezoned. One copy of the property survey reduced to “8 ½x11”. (List as attachment One copy of the legal description of the property. (List as attachment One “24x36” copy of site plan drawn to scale sufficient to be easily read containing the information listed below under site plan requirements. If development is on a state road, please provide three extra sheets. One copy of the site plan reduced to “8 ½x11”. (List as attachment One copy of “PAID” tax invoice from Tax Commissioner’s Office. If the proposed development exceeds 100,000 square feet (Commercial) or 100 Residential units, a Traffic Impact Study, Hydrology Study, and Water/Wastewater Study prepared by a registered engineer may be requested. Proposals of less than above listed sizes may also be requested to prepare the same studies at the discretion of the Planning Commission. A letter of intent: this letter should state what is planned and provide the Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners with an idea of the impact this development will have on the community. a. Please address the perceived impact on the community with regards to schools, police and fire departments, utilities, and roads. Also include any plans you have to mitigate these impacts. b. Include with your letter any other information which you feel will be helpful to the Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners when making their decision. c. Your letter should also address the items listed on the General Information sheet. Special consideration should be given on the impact of the proposed development on the surrounding properties and how you plan to lessen the impact (design features, buffers, screening, etc.). A construction schedule indicating when the project would start if rezoned. If it is to be a phased project, the schedule of the phasing, and the number of units for residential or the square footage of commercial planned to be constructed per year. For residential proposals, it is required that the applicant contact Pickens County Board of Education at 706- 253-1700 to discuss possible impacts to the overall education system. For projects that are considered a major subdivision, a letter must be issued by the Pickens County Board of Education stating the impact on the school system and be included in your submission packet. Commercial Requests Must Also Include the Following: 1. For ALL Commercial conditional use, plans must be prepared by a registered architect, engineer or land surveyor and sealed accordingly. 1. Proposed structures with the dimensions and square footages. 2. Labeling of all proposed uses for each structure retail sales, offices, light industrial, manufacturing, storage, automotive services, or other planned uses for each structure. 3. Driveways and parking areas with number of parking spaces shown. 4. Loading and unloading facilities where appropriate. 5. Wastewater facilities including preliminary areas reserved for drain fields and septic tanks or point of access to public sewer where appropriate. 6. Landscape Plan (May be combined with Parking Plan.) ---PAGE BREAK--- Updated 11/22/2021 SITE PLAN REQUIREMENTS: Referenced in & on the previous page. For proposals including a subdivision of property plans must be prepared by a registered architect, engineer, or land surveyor and sealed accordingly. 7. Proposed layout of streets and lots. 8. Lot or tract dimensions with required setbacks shown. 9. Buffers and natural areas as required by Pickens County Code including lakes, streams, and 100-year flood plain. 10. Areas reserved for future construction. 11. Indication of current zoning of property and of each abutting property. 12. Approximate location and use of all structures on abutting property. 13. Right-of-way and name of all roads and streets bounding new zoning district. 14. Areas planned for storm drainage and structures. 15. Water, Sewer, Gas, and Electric Utility Lines, points of access to the property (if connection is planned and the utility is not adjacent, indicate nearest tie-in point.) 16. If sewage plant is planned as part of the development, show location of plant, lines, ponds, spray fields, or any other appurtenances required for this type of use. 17. Show North Arrow, Land Lot Lines and Parcel Numbers. 18. Requirements may also include any other information deemed necessary by the Planning & Development Office, Planning Commission, or the Board of Commissioners of Pickens County because of the use proposed, the needs of the area, or the sensitivity of an area because of topographical, hydrological or environmental concerns. Please Note Any major revisions to the site plan or application after submittal and mailing the Planning Commission members/Board of Commissioners of Pickens County and the adjacent property owners will cause the revised application to be moved to the next application deadline on the public hearing schedule. A new application fee will be required. ---PAGE BREAK--- Updated 11/22/2021 DRI Information If Your Development Falls Within Any of the Following Thresholds, Please Ask Planning Staff for DRI Review Checklists. Table 1 Developments of Regional Impact Tiers and Development Thresholds Effective March 1, 2014 Type of Development Non-Metropolitan Regions (Pickens County status effective 3/2014) Office Greater than 125,000 gross square feet Commercial Greater than 175,000 gross square feet Wholesale & Distribution Greater than 175,000 gross square feet Hospitals and Health Care Facilities Greater than 200 new beds; or generating more than 250 peak hour vehicle trips per day Housing Greater than 125 new lots or units Industrial Greater than 175,000 gross square feet; or employing more than 500 workers; or covering more than 125 acres Hotels Greater than 250 rooms Mixed Use Gross square feet greater than 125,000 (with residential units calculated at 1800 square feet per unit or, if applicable, the minimum square footage allowed by local development regulations); or covering more than 40 acres; or if any of the individual uses meets or exceeds a threshold as identified herein Airports Any new airport with a paved runway; or runway additions of more than 25% of existing runway length (10) Attractions & Recreational Facilities Greater than 1,500 parking space or a seating capacity of more than 6,000 (11) Post-Secondary School New school with a capacity of more than 750 students, or expansion by at least 25 percent of capacity (12) Waste Handling Facilities New facility or expansion of use of an existing facility by 50 percent or more (13) Quarries, Asphalt & Cement Plants New facility or expansion of use of an existing facility by more than 50 percent ---PAGE BREAK--- Updated 11/22/2021 (14) Wastewater Treatment Facilities New major conventional treatment facility or expansion of existing facility by more than 50 percent; or community septic treatment facilities exceeding 150,000 gallons per day or serving a development project that meets or exceeds an applicable threshold as identified herein. (15) Petroleum Storage Facilities Storage greater than 50,000 barrels if within 1,000 feet of any water supply; otherwise, storage capacity greater than 200,000 barrels (16) Water Supply Intakes / Reservoirs New Facilities (17) Intermodal Terminals New Facilities (18) Truck Stops Any new facility with more than three diesel fuel pumps; or containing a half acre of truck parking or 10 truck parking spaces. (19) Correctional/Detention Facilities Greater than 200 new beds; or generating more than 250 peak hour vehicle trips per day (20) Any other development types not identified above (includes parking facilities) 1000 parking spaces or, if available, more than 5,000 daily trips generated ---PAGE BREAK--- Updated 11/22/2021 AG Residential Agricultural 300.00 $ SA Small Agricultural 300.00 $ ER Estate Residential 400.00 $ RR Rural Residential 400.00 $ SR Suburban Residential District 500.00 $ UR Urban Residential District 500.00 $ SPC Special Planned Community 2,500.00 $ SRPC Suburban Residential Private Community 2,500.00 $ NC Neighborhood Commercial 750.00 $ HB Highway Business 1,250.00 $ I Industrial 1,500.00 $ 500.00 $ Variance 500.00 $ Appeals 500.00 $ Minimums for Subdivision (3 or more lots) ER Estate Residential (Subdivision) 1,000.00 $ RR Rural Residential (Subdivision) 1,500.00 $ SR Suburban Residential (Subdivision) 2,000.00 $ UR Urban Residential (Subdivision) 2,500.00 $ PICKENS COUNTY Special Use Permits/Conditional Uses The fee schedule is subject to change by the Board of Commissioners. Please check with the Planning & Development Office if there are any questions. Individual or under 10.0 acres (excluding AG & SA) all others are + $10.00 per acre FEE SCHEDULE FOR APPEALS, REZONE, SPECIAL USE, AND VARIANCE REQUESTS (Effective 12/01/2020, BOC Adopted