Buckhead Council approves 90-day zoning moratorium

By Patrick Yost
Editor

    The Town of Buckhead City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a 90-day moratorium on any future zoning actions in a special called meeting.
    The zoning ban came after a more than three month examination of the city’s current ordinances and zoning regulations.
    According to Buckhead Mayor Ricky Walker, the council “found some issues in our zoning ordinance that we need to take care of.”
    The council closed the meeting prior to the moratorium discussion for the purpose of discussing “potential litigation.” Walker said that the city had not currently been threatened with a lawsuit, but the closed portion of the meeting dealt with the exposure the city had with its currently out–dated ordinances.
    Morgan County Senior Planner Allison Moon, who along with Chuck Jarrell, director of Planning and Development, attended the meeting, have been researching the town’s zoning regulations and will work with the council to develop regulations the dove–tail with other municipalities in Morgan County, Moon said.
    Moon said the town’s zoning regulations were last adopted in 1988.
    “We know that Buckhead is on the development radar,” Moon said. “Buckhead needed an update. The moratorium is allowing us to get that process finalized.”
    The moratorium took effect last Friday, February 29 and does not affect currently approved projects. The moratorium covers all zoning actions, conditional use permits, variance requests, sign permits, business licenses and subdivision requests.