Planning Commission recommends frogs, concrete pours and storage sheds
Featured Stories, News September 29, 2021
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. – Tuesday’s Forsyth County Planning Commission regular meeting only lasted one hour, and fifteen minutes but commissioners had time to address an unusual variety of agenda items.
For example, the commission recommended for approval Michelle Hoy’s request for a Home Occupation Permit to breed Amazon Milk frogs and axolotl salamanders at a terrarium located inside her home at 7465 Country Creek Drive in Cumming. Hoyt is licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Georgia Department of Agriculture. She breeds the frogs and sells the offspring at the Repticon, a trade show and exhibition at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds.
Commissioners unanimously agreed to recommend the application for approval to the Board of Commissioners.
Two public hearings related to modifications to the Unified Development Code (UDC) were conducted. Both were recommended for approval.
Currently large concrete pours are limited to the hours between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The proposed change would allow the pours to take place outside regular business hours with prior approval of the Director of the Department of Building and Economic Development. The pours, however, would be prohibited on Saturday.
The Commission also recommended for approval modifications to the UDC related to small storage sheds in A-1 zoning district. The change stipulated that storage sheds may be allowed without a building permit provided they not exceed 288 square feet of floor area, are not served by electric, water, gas or sewer utilities, do not exceed 16 feet in height and comply with all setbacks.
The Board unanimously recommended approval of OCS Enterprises, Inc. request to rezone from Commercial Business District (CBD) to Restricted Industrial (RI) 9059 acres for warehouses, storage buildings, offices, showrooms and a high-end automotive retail and car storage with 82 parking spaces located at 5638 Atlanta Highway.
Davie Blass’ request to conduct around the clock business at 503 Lakeland Plaza in the old bank building was also approved unanimously.
Mayor signs Childhood Cancer Awareness proclamation
News, Press Release October 6, 2020
CUMMING, Ga. — During the Sept. 15th Regular City Council Meeting, Mayor Troy Brumbalow signed two proclamations. The first was in recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness. Randi Green, a young lady who is a cancer survivor, was also honored by members of the American Cancer Society who were in attendance to accept the proclamation. Sept. 20-26 was recognized as Childhood Cancer Awareness Week in Support of the American Cancer Society’s Schools vs. Cancer program. The second proclamation was presented to members of the Forsyth County Retired Educators Association in honor of Retired Educators Day on Nov. 1, 2020.
Mayor Troy Brumbalow also swore in a new member of the Cumming Police Department. William Knight comes to the Cumming Police Department with a decade of service with the Atlanta Police Department, most recently assigned to their motorcycle division. He will be working in the Cumming PD’s Uniform Patrol Division.
In other business during the September work session and regular meeting, City Council:
Accepted the low bid from Cooper & Company for steel work on the Cumming City Center’s buildings A, B, C, D and M; accepted the low bid from Vertical Earth for concrete work on the Center’s parking deck; and accepted the proposal from Cooper & Company for mechanical, electrical and plumbing construction with fire suppression for the Center’s parking deck.
Amended the City’s intergovernmental agreement with Forsyth County Voter Registrations & Elections Office to allow use of the Cumming Park & Recreation Facility at 437 Pilgrim Mill Road as an early voting site for the General Election from Monday, Oct. 12 through Friday, Oct. 30.
Amended the City’s Zoning Ordinance in regards to livestock being kept under certain conditions. This amendment was needed following a request by Otwell Middle School to keep farm animals on school grounds for educational purposes.
Appointed Scott Evans with the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce to serve as the private sector representative for Cumming and Forsyth County on the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission Board after the previous appointee resigned from this position.
Accepted the low bid from Mid-South Builders, Inc. for installation of 12-inch water line along Hwy. 369 from Settingdown Creek to Dr. Bramblett Road. The project is a result of the Georgia Department of Transportation moving the Settingdown Creek Bridge on Hwy. 369 and operational issues with the Hendrix Road water tank.
Click here to view meeting agendas and minutes.