Board approves six Mystic Acres amplification permits, denies two Ellis Dairy Road requests over overnight and fireworks concerns

The Spalding County Board of Commissioners approved six amplification permits for Mystic Acres and denied two amplification permit applications for events at 408 Ellis Dairy Road after concerns about overnight stays and fireworks.

The board approved the first six Mystic Acres requests (events in July) on the consent agenda by a 3–0 vote; staff noted Mystic Acres is an approved event center and the permits comply with the current policy requiring applications 30 days in advance. For the 408 Ellis Dairy Road applications, staff recommended denial because the county’s amplification permit does not authorize overnight stays, and applicants indicated some attendees would stay overnight in campers, RVs or tents.

County staff also told the board it had learned of a recent change in state law requiring commercial permitting and licensed professionals if an event center charges for and offers fireworks; that statutory requirement would prevent an event center from using consumer-grade fireworks in a paid public event without a commercial fireworks permit and associated insurance. The board gave the applicants three minutes to address the commission; Reginald Gates, the applicant for 408 Ellis Dairy Road, said the event has run for 10 years without issues and that the fireworks he intended were consumer‑grade purchases from retail stores. The board then approved the staff recommendation to deny the permits for the Ellis Dairy Road events by a 3–0 vote. The county advised that applicants may revise permits to remove overnight stays or comply with fireworks permitting and reapply.