NEWTON COUNTY – The Newton County Board of Commissioners voted to pass an amendment to the future land use map in a  3-2 vote in their special called meeting Thursday night.

The land in question is a 93-acre lot owned by Morgan Farms off Hwy. 278. The request was to amend the land from a rural residential and park recreation conservation (RR/PRC) to a development node and park recreation conservation (DN/PRC). With the rezoning, the intent is to rezone to a community oriented residential development (C.O.R.D.).

Speaking on behalf of Morgan Farms during the public hearing section was attorney Phil Johnson. Johnson mentioned the C.O.R.D. would be a mixed use development with 366 residential lots as well as 55 acres of recreational development and a 1.8 mile long walking trail.

“This will truly be a live, work, play community,” Johnson said. “None of this would be rental, all of this would be for sale product.”

Several concerned citizens spoke in opposition of the proposed development during the public hearing.

Susan Elliott-Carter, a teacher of 37 years, stated she is a lifelong resident of Newton County and has taught in areas that have been through growing periods. 

“All of this teaching was done in rapidly growing areas,” Elliott-Carter said. “And I can tell you, the results were never good.”

David Jarrad, a citizen who moved to Newton County from Conyers, posed a question to the commissioners asking, “Do you want your record to be the group that turned Covington into the next Conyers?”

District 5 Commissioner Ronnie Cowan then made a motion to deny the future land use amendment, going against the recommendation of the planning & zoning board, which recommended to deny the amendment in a 4-0 vote. District 1 Commissioner Stan Edwards seconded the motion.

Commissioners then began to deliberate, with District 3 Commissioner Alana Sanders speaking in favor of the future land use amendment. Sanders cited the overcrowding that’s taking place in her district.

 “We can’t put another house in District 3,” Sanders said. “We have to build; there has to be a happy medium.”

District 2 Commissioner Demond T. Mason then spoke in agreement with Sanders while also questioning where citizens were when development was being proposed for the western side of the county.

“I have to echo my western commissioner colleague. I have to,” Mason said. “Where was our community when the previous board of commissioners sat here and allowed that huge amount of residential and retail development?”

Mason then questioned the differences in building on the western and eastern sides of the county.

“Just until last year, on the western side of the county, you could build homes on a quarter of an acre, on half of an acre, and on an acre lot size,” Mason said. “But for some strange reason, on the eastern side of the county, there was a two acre minimum size. Now, from what I have heard, and I stand corrected if I’m incorrect, the two acre lot minimum was put in place to keep [a] certain demographic of people away from the eastern side of the county. This is not right. It is not, and it creates a level of division amongst this community.”

Edwards then rebutted in defense of his decision to second Cowan’s motion. He also spoke against building to accommodate those working industrial jobs brought in from the state.

“If I’m understanding everything right, since we screwed over the westside we’ve now got to screw over the eastside?” Edwards asked. “Rivian, Stanton Springs, we feel like we have to build houses for all of those employees, that’s a four county area down there, we don’t have to build another house in Newton County as far as I’m concerned, on the westside or the eastside.”

Edwards then emphasized the importance of planning for the citizens that currently live in Newton County today, and not to those who may be moving into the county into the future.

“We make plans for everybody but the people that actually live here,” Edwards said. “When are we going to listen to the people that live here now?”

After 15 more minutes of deliberation, Mason made a substitute motion, voting to approve the future land use amendment. The motion, seconded by District 4 Commissioner J.C. Henderson, was passed in a 3-2 vote, with Sanders in favor and Edwards and Cowan opposed.

One other business item was on the agenda for Thursday’s meeting. World of Wings on Hwy 20, was looking to obtain an alcohol license. Business owner Christopher Thomas was on hand to speak about why his business will benefit from obtaining the license.

“We want to provide a service to our customers that we feel they deserve,” Thomas said. “We’re not Applebees. We’re not Longhorn. We want to provide our customers the same thing they can get down the road in Rockdale County.”

Sanders asked for clarification on the verbiage of the alcohol licensing agreement. It stated that “all employees must have a pouring permit.” It was requested that it be changed to “all bar staff must have a pouring permit” in order to provide a distinction that only those who are of age and have the proper authorization can serve alcohol.

The motion to approve the alcohol license for World of Wings was made by Mason and seconded by Edwards. It passed in a unanimous 5-0 vote.

Two other business items were on the agenda that were tabled from a previous meeting. However, both items were withdrawn by the applicants.

In board comments, Edwards expressed his disappointment with the decision from the board to approve the future land use amendment, but provided a reminder that the C.O.R.D. would have to go through planning and zoning.

Mason provided clarification on his previous comments earlier in the meeting.

“The statement I made in regards to the demographics wasn’t what I personally believe. I was merely stating that this was what has been stated to me,” Mason said. “I am a person of equality and I am a person who is willing to work with everybody.”

Mason further mentioned that the county must be committed to “smart growth” instead of no growth at all.

Sanders provided comments on citizens in District 3 struggling to live day-by-day due to the cost of housing and inflation.

“We have firefighters, EMS, law enforcement that can’t afford to live,” Sanders said. “Where are they gonna live? They can’t afford a 300 or 400, $500,000 house, not making $60,000 a year.”

Henderson spoke briefly during his portion of board comments, stating a very simple message of “treat people the way they want to be treated.”

The next meeting for the board will be Tuesday, November 7 at 7 p.m. at 1124 Clark St.