Pickens planning board clears three rezones and one conditional use; outlines next steps

The Pickens County planning board voted on five land‑use items: it approved three rezones and one conditional use permit and recommended denial of a fourth rezone.

Approved rezones:
- RZ190631 (Donna Sue Jackson): staff recommended and the board approved rezoning a 5‑acre portion of an 8.76‑acre nonconforming tract from agricultural to small agricultural to allow a sale and bring the parcel into conformity.
- RZ190659 (Ken[Kenny] Spears): the board recommended approval to rezone 13.25 acres from suburban residential to agricultural to permit a residence with livestock; staff noted the parcel stemmed from a recently split subdivision and recommended approval.
- RZ190663 (Elizabeth El Solago Marston): staff recommended approval of rezoning roughly 10 acres of a 247‑acre tract from agricultural to rural residential to create a four‑lot minor subdivision; the motion carried.

Denied/recommended denial:
- RZ190662 (Christopher Joiner): the board first voted down a motion to approve (2‑3) and then voted 4‑2 to recommend denial to the county commissioners after neighbors raised notice, density and manufactured‑home concerns.

Conditional use:
- CU190660 (Susan Anthony/Lakeside Valley Vineyards): the board approved a conditional use for an event venue alongside a farm winery with several conditions: weddings limited to 12 per year; amplified music to remain inside (except for the ceremony); music to end by 9:30 p.m. (New Year’s Eve excepted); attendance limited to fire‑marshal capacity (staff estimated about 90 for the proposed structure); shuttles for larger events; and specific disallowed uses (animal hospitals, campgrounds, landfills, confined animal operations) excluded under the permit.

Board procedure and records: staff incorporated planning files and Planning Commission hearing videos into the record for each item; where hearings produced contested public comment the board recorded roll‑call votes and, where necessary, recommended denial to the county commissioners.

What’s next: approved rezones and the conditional use will proceed through county permitting as required; RZ190662 will appear before the county commissioners with the planning board’s recommendation to deny.