Board recommends denying rezoning near Cone Drive over watershed and density concerns

The Henry County Zoning Advisory Board voted July 10 to recommend denial of RZ2431, a request from Tyler Shupe to rezone roughly 143.41 acres south of Cone Drive to allow a single-family subdivision that would split part of the site to R‑1 and leave the remainder RA.

Staff recommended denial because the proposed split zoning would create a mixed zoning pattern within a single development and could complicate enforcement and long-term consistency. Staff also noted the property lies in the Tussah Hall watershed protection area and that a portion of the site lacks a future-land-use designation that supports the proposed density without a comprehensive plan amendment.

The applicant said he was open to working with staff, including either rezoning the whole parcel or scaling back the request to match the future land-use map. Nearby residents and conservation groups spoke in opposition, citing stormwater concerns and instances of local infrastructure (storm drains, sinkholes) that they say have not been inspected or maintained.

After public comment and staff discussion, the board moved to deny the rezoning; the denial will be forwarded to the Board of Commissioners as the board's recommendation.