November 14, 2018 Page 7C
iReporter
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Forsyth Planning &
Zoning Commission ap-
proved a zoning change
that will allow Veterinarian
Dr. Kevin Smith to use a
Berner Avenue property
as a base for his mobile
veterinary practice. It also
approved a conditional use
request to use several acres
near Exit 186 at 1-75 as a
vehicle storage lot as it re-
viewed proposals that will
go forward to city council
for the final say.
Smith asked that 2.3
acres on Bemer Avenue be
rezoned from Traditional
Neighborhood to Highway
Business. Smith operated
a permanent veterinary
office in Forsyth for 22
years and now has a self-
contained mobile clinic
that serves Monroe County
on Tuesday, Wednesday
and Thursday afternoons
and one Saturday morning
per month. He pulls tents
from his van and returns
everything to his van at the
end of the service time.
He said he has no inten-
tion of reestablishing a
permanent location but
would like to buy the prop-
erty on Bemer Avenue and
improve it to suit the needs
of his practice. He will pave
a portion of it and may
eventually put up a covered
garage that would be an as-
set for hot days or inclem-
ent weather. Although it is
a comer lot, all ingress and
egress are planned from
Berner Avenue.
Planning commission
member Steve Coleman
asked Smith why he was re-
questing Highway Business
zoning instead of Office
Professional since it seemed
that Office Professional
zoning would fit with his
plans. Coleman said that
Highway Business is prob-
ably the city's least restric-
tive zoning and leaves the
property "wide open" for
what anyone might want
to do with it. Smith said he
would be happy with any
kind of commercial zoning
and asked if the city has a
'Commercial' designation.
Coleman said that it used
to but no longer has 'Com-
mercial."
"Why not Highway
Business?" asked Kerri
Swearingen, a real estate
agent involved in the sale of
the property to Smith. She
said that she and Forsyth
Economic Development
Director Tammie Pierson
decided to request that
designation after looking
through Forsyth's zoning
ordinances.
Coleman said that he is
thinking about what might
be done with the property
in the future, especially
since it is near a lumber
company.
"We may be opening
Pandora's Box by zon-
ing something Highway
Business when it's not on
a highway7 said Planning
commission member Hal
Clarke.
Planning commission
chairman Martin Presley
suggested a conditional use
permit for the property that
would allow Smith to use
the property as requested
for as long as he owns it but
would require a new owner
to seek rezoning if he or
she wanted to use it differ-
ently. He said that the use
would be monitored by the
requirement for a business
license and for permits for
any kind of building.
After Coleman read the
uses allowed under Office
Professional, Smith said
he would ask for rezoning
to Office Professional. The
board voted unanimously
to recommend approval of
that re-zoning to council
and wished Smith good
luck with his plans.
Meanwhile, Justin Camp-
bell, owner of Unique Auto
Sales, won initial approval
to store cars at two lots near
1-75 Exit 186 (Tilt College
Drive/Juliette Road) that
are zoned Highway Busi-
ness. Campbell operates a
wholesale vehicle company
based in Bolingbroke; his
business has outgrown
his available space and he
needs temporary space for
cars as his business ex-
pan&.
Campbell said that the
cars he imports from
Canada must be kept at
a licensed address for 30
days before he can market
them and move them to
other destinations. He said
. House shg 9
(Soft Washing)
. Driveways
,Commercial Bu in
,Sidewalks / Wal ways
this is required by federal
DOT guidelines. He plans
to build fences to secure
the area. Campbell expects
to store about 200 cars on
the property at first and
expects it to be fewer as the
operation gets rolling.
Campbell said he pre-
fers to keep h!s business
in Bolingbroke but is also
looking at a tract in Hous-
ton County if his expan-
sion plans in Bolingbroke
don't work out. He is going
before Monroe County
Planning & Zoning next
week with his plans for the
Bolingbroke property he
wants to buy. It would then
be about six months before
he can finish building on
that property.
Clarke said that his family
is involved in the sale of the
Bolingbroke property, but
city attorney Bobby Melton
said Clarke did not need
to be recused since he has
no interest in the Forsyth
proper .
"I want to commend
you for how your business
looks in Bolingbroke" said
Presley, pointing out how
clean and organized the
property and vehicles look.
Campbell said the
vehicles stored on the
Forsyth property, which is
near Holiday Cove Apart-
ments, will be 2017 and
2018 models. He does no
retail business; there will be
no buyers looking at cars.
The cars are destined for
out-of-state delivery, such
as Texas. He said he sells
about 700 cars per month
and about 20 percent of
them are from Canada.
Planning & Zoning
recommended that condi-
tional use be approved for
six months for use of the
property as an open storage
yard, a use permitted under
Highway Business zoning.
Presley said that Campbell
can ask for an extension if
he needs it.
the Monroe County
:i'i i!! / ":
Hear Ye, Hear Ye!!
Come One; Come All to the Forsyth Foxhunt
Please join Leadership Monroe 2018 for the Grand
Opening and Ribbon Cutting of the Forsyth Foxhunt
the
November 29, 2018 at 1OA.M.
68 N. Lee Street, Forsyth, Georgia
pocket park next to the Welcome Center
If you enjoy local history, a little mystery, and short walks, you'll love Forsyth's
Foxhunt! The Forsyth Foxhunt is a new public art installati9n and permanent
scavenger hunt searching for eight friendly foxes throughout Forsyth's historic
downtown. The Foxhunt begins at the park next to the Forsyth Convention &
Visitors' Bureau (CVB), 68 N. Lee Street. To find the foxes, follow the clues that
will take you around downtown Forsyth. Once you've found Doc, Bess, Rose,
Libby, Tod-Lee, Thomas, Justice, and Harris, 'ou'll have walked about 1.5 miles
and learned some fun and interesting facts about the history of our small town.
The Leadership Monroe Class of 2018 created Forsyth Foxhunt in hopes that
this family-friendly activity will draw locals and visitors alike to our thriving,
historic downtown district. Whether you're a native Forsythian or just pass-
ing through, the Forsyth Foxhunt is a fun learning experience for all ages. Our
mischievous mascots have hidden themselves in and around the downtown
square. Each fox has its own history to tell. You can find clues for the Foxhunt
in the brochure at the CVB or online (https://sites.google.com/view/forsyth-
foxhunt). Once you've solved each due, you'll find a small bronze fox designed
and sculpted by local artist Pat Burns.
Leadership Monroe 2018 could not have completed
the Forsyth Foxhunt without
the support of the following sponsors:
Monroe County Middle School United Bank
Hopkins & Associates LLC Ogelthorpe Power
Volume Chevrolet Buick Sam & Sloan Oliver
Middle GA Realty, Inc. The Monroe County Reporter
Southern Smiles Tommy Johnston State Farm
Forsyth CableNet Planters & Citizens Bank
Monroe County Adult & Community Education Monroe County Family Connection
Untied Bank Wealth Management Services Leadership Monroe Class of 2018
City of Forsyth Convention & Visitors Bureau Steve Coleman & Associates, Inc.
American Craftsman Homes
Pat DeVane Burns Fine Art
