A Successful GPA Training Event in Cartersville
Nearly 50 North Georgia planning and development professionals from the public and private sectors recently participated in a successful GPA training event in Cartersville. The event, held on October 30 at Georgia Highlands College, included interactive sessions on Transportation Planning Best Practices as well as Land Use Law for Planning & Development. The event included a mixture of planners, realtors, surveyors, zoning administrators, attorneys, and developers.
The impacts of development on transportation planning in growing communities were discussed by Tom Sills, AICP and Shanice Amos, transportation planners for the Cartersville-Bartow Metropolitan Planning Organization. Discussion included ways to work to be proactive rather than reactive in transportation planning practices related to significant new developments in communities.
The relationship between land use law, planning, and development was explored in a session led by Brandon Bowen, an attorney who represents cities and counties in Georgia as well as private developers. Mr. Bowen leads continuing education sessions statewide each year and frequently handles zoning-related cases such as appeals of rezoning decisions. Mr. Bowen led an interactive session that included a question and answer session about housing demand, whether for owner-occupied, renter-occupied, or senior-targeted communities. Discussion also included the difference between conditions that local government staff can enforce (such as architectural design standards of a zoning district or zoning conditions) and conditions that are typically handled by an association (HOA/POA) such as age-targeted restrictions, unusually large lot or unit sizes, etc.
As a bonus, attendees were provided info about two ongoing development matters in Northwest Georgia that may have statewide impacts:
- Information on an ongoing lawsuit between a developer and the City of Calhoun related to a proposed development of single-family houses that was denied by the City since the proposed houses did not meet the City code minimum house size
- Information about an ongoing appeal by a developer to appeal a decision of Paulding County staff related to the question about vested rights for minimum lot sizes for property zoned for a planned residential development (PRD) proposed on Hwy 61 in north Paulding County in which the developer’s position is that he/she has spent considerable time and resources on the development based on the pre-2024 ordinance standards (2024 text amendment passed by the Commissioners increased the minimum lot size for new devts zoned PRD).
Event organizers appreciate all partners / sponsors for the event including the Georgia Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA); Northwest Georgia Regional Commission (NWGRC); APA divisions Transportation (TPD) and Women In Planning (WPD); Georgia Highlands College; Evergreen Development & Real Estate Services; Michael Howren Realty; GMC Engineering; Jenkins, Bowen & Walker PC; Georgia Association of Zoning Administrators; and Bartow County.
If you have any questions about District 1 (Northwest Georgia) or this event, please contact Richard Osborne, AICP with Bartow County.
Article and photos courtesy of Richard Osborne, GPA District 1 Director and Bartow County staff.