Dawson County Planning Director presents update of proposed county alcohol ordinance

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. – Planning Director Jameson Kinley presented an update of some key changes to the county’s proposed alcohol ordinance at Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting. The final ordinance must be approved by the Board of Commissioners.

Explained Kinley, “The reason for the update is to add the section about agribusiness, which is really our wedding venues.”

Wedding venue operators who want to allow alcohol on the premises must either obtain an alcohol license or — if they are renting the venue — to allow the renter to bring their own alcohol to serve guests – brown bagging.

“Brown bagging must be on a premise where a business license has been issued,” Kinley said. The responsibility for following state law and county ordinance is the responsibility of the renter.

Wedding venues will not be required to comply with the 50-50 regulation that requires businesses that serve alcohol to generate 50 percent of their revenue from food sales.

In other business, the Planning Commission approved the following variances:

• A request by Thomas and Leann Harter to vary from the Dawson County Subdivision Regulations Article V that states that no more than five lots will be created from a parent tract within a five-year period;
• A request by Kurt Trump to vary from the Dawson County Land Use Resolution Article III, Section 309 C.3 for a front setback reduction from 40 feet to 20 feet to bring a non-conforming structure into compliance.

Commissioners took the following action on rezoning requests:

• Approved a request by the applicant, Jim King, to postpone a rezoning request on ZA 21-07 regarding the building of retail/office/warehouse space from RA to CHB. and ZA 21-08 to rezone 30.48 acres for the purpose of developing a 145 semi-attached residential neighborhood from RA to RMF.
• Recommended approval by the Board of Commissioners of a request by Tim Hamby to rezone TMP 106-051, 106-051-015, 106-051-014 from RA and VCR to RSR for the purpose of combining and subdividing the parcels per RSR standards.