The Forsyth County planning board, which serves as a recommending committee for the Board of Commissioners, held their monthly public hearing Tuesday, June 27, where they voted on zoning applications to be heard at the BOC’s July 20 meeting.
Storage facility proposed in southwest Forsyth
What: OCS Enterprises Inc., is requesting to build a 103,000-square-foot climate-controlled storage building with 20 parking spaces on about 3 acres currently zoned commercial business district (CBD).
OCS is also requesting a variance to increase the building length from 200 feet to 365.8 feet.
Where: On Atlanta Highway (Hwy. 9) in southwest Forsyth, just south of the highway’s intersection with Shirlee Industrial Way.
Comments: Due to the resignation of District 3 planning board member Patrick Britt earlier this month, District 2’s Stacy Guy said he “adopted” the application. The biggest concern for board members was the variance to increase the building length. Opponents of the application said there are already numerous storage facilities “within a 5-minute drive.”
Vote: 2-2, which automatically postpones the application until the next planning public hearing, with District 5’s Tim Dineen and Guy opposed.
Open storage yard requested in south Forsyth
What: Eric Vasquez applied to operate an open storage yard with 69 parking spaces on 3 acres currently zoned restricted industrial district (M1).
Where: West of Bethelview Road, just north of Parkway North Drive in south Forsyth.
Comments: At the June 20 work session, planning board members questioned what would be stored at the facility. The applicant’s brother said it would be used for boats and RVs. Planning board members spent some time at the hearing discussing what the applicant would use to screen the front of the property — a county code requirement — and decided to allow Vasquez to choose, as long as permitting approved the screening.
Vote: 4-0.
Homeowner seeking to turn home into office
What: Event Hall LLC wants to rezone from single family residential restricted district (R2R) to office residential district (OR) on 0.66 acres for a proposed office in an existing home with five parking spaces.
Where: Off Buford Highway (Hwy. 20), just south of the Community Bible Church.
Comments: At the work session, Dineen showed the board a video he had taken of the property with his drone, which showed an aerial view of the property and surrounding properties. At the public hearing, the application was called a “textbook case” of a home office.
Vote: 4-0.