Commission approves rezone for nonmetallic mineral recycling with conditions limiting hours, trucks and activities

The Walton County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a rezoning request for an 8.74-acre site at 120 Highway 78 to allow recycling, reuse and resale of nonmetallic mineral products, planning staff Sharna told the commission during the July 2 meeting.

Sharna said the property, owned by Pinnacle Sports Academy LLC and with applicant listed as Danny Cagle, is in Commission District 4 and that the planning commission recommended approval with conditions. The board approved the rezoning with conditions that Sharna read into the record: hours of operation limited to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday; no crushing on weekends; required berms and plantings shown on the revised site plan; a maximum of 15 on-site trucks overnight, limited to trucks associated with the recycling operation; and a prohibition on truck idling. Sharna said the applicant agreed to not operate on Sundays.

Sharna and commissioners also limited the rezone to the specific recycling reuse purpose; the motion included language restricting the zoning approval to recycling and expressly prohibiting conversion to a junkyard or other non-specified industrial uses.

Public process and vote: Sharna opened the public hearing and the county attorney explained the hearing rules. The applicant did not appear to speak at the hearing, and no opponents spoke. A commissioner moved to approve the rezone with the conditions Sharna specified; the motion passed unanimously.

What the approval means: The county staff and commissioners emphasized that conditions on hours, buffer plantings and truck parking are intended to reduce off-site impacts. The board also instructed staff to correct clerical setback numbers on the record and to limit the rezoning to the stated recycling use only.