Clayton County Zoning Meeting Rules of
Procedure
The Clayton County Board of
Commissioners welcomes you to the monthly Zoning Meetings. The
Board has prepared this information to answer some commonly asked
questions.
Clayton County property owners have
the right, by law, to use their land at its highest and best use
for the area. Keeping this in mind, the Clayton County Board of
Commissioners has to also consider the county's Land Use Plan and
what is in the best interest of the area when considering a
rezoning application.
Anytime a property owner applies
for a rezoning application, Clayton County Community
Development posts a sign (for at least two weeks) at the
property to notify the public. As outlined in the Official Code of
Clayton County, two public hearings are held for all zoning
issues. The first zoning hearing is heard by the
Zoning Advisory Group, a citizens' review panel. The Zoning
Advisory Group's decision is not binding. It is recorded and sent
to the Board of Commissioners as a recommendation.
The Board of Commissioners has the
deciding vote. The Board of Commissioners then holds its Zoning
Meeting. Both of these meetings are held in the Commissioners'
Board Room at 112 Smith Street in Jonesboro. Both are open to the
public and allow for public comment.
Please refer to the Official Zoning
Schedule for dates and times of BOC and ZAG meetings.
Commonly Asked Questions
What are the Rules of
Procedure for a Zoning Meeting?
- The Chairman calls the meeting to order and the Board approves
the agenda.
- For each Land Use Plan Amendment or Rezoning Petition on the
agenda:
- The Chairman calls the petitioner/representative to the podium
for a presentation.
- The Chairman will then ask those in favor of the zoning matter
to speak. Proponents have a total of 10 minutes to present their
interest. It is best to appoint a spokesperson in order to avoid
duplication of issues of concerns.
- The Chairman will then ask those opposed to the zoning matter
to speak. Opponents have a total of 10 minutes to present their
interest. It is best to appoint a spokesperson in order to avoid
duplication of issues of concerns.
- The petitioner/representative then has the option of final
rebuttal.
- Immediately following the presentations, the Chairman announces
the public hearing portion of the request is closed. At this point,
input from the public is over. The Board will then review the
public testimony, discuss the application and render a decision.
The Board then moves on to the next agenda item.
- The County Clerk maintains a public record of the minutes of
each Zoning Meeting. Clayton County Community Development
Department also maintains a complete record of the case for public
review. These records include all modifications of the application
and any stipulations that the Board has imposed.
If the Board votes to deny a rezoning petition, can the
petitioner request the same rezoning the next month?
If the Board votes to deny a
petition, the property cannot be considered for any rezoning for
six (6) months.
Can a rezoning petition be
withdrawn?
Any application for rezoning may be
withdrawn without prejudice by the applicant, upon written request
to the Board of Commissioners, prior to the initiation of the
public hearing for the case by the Chairman. Any request to
withdraw initiated prior to the public hearing by the Zoning
Advisory Group shall be received by Community Development. The
Zoning Administrator shall remove the application from the
preliminary agenda. There shall be no refund of application fees
after an application has been legally advertised. If an application
is withdrawn, the petitioner may bring the rezoning request back
for consideration at any time. If this happens, a new sign will be
placed at the property.
What is a Reversion
Zoning?
A Reversion Zoning occurs when
there has been no action - such as an application for a grading
permit, building permit or business license submitted to the county
- within 12 months following the date the Board of Commissioners
approved a new zoning classification. If no such action(s) has
taken place, the new zoning classification may be withdrawn by the
Board of Commissioners and the prior zoning classification
reinstated. Reversion applies to all rezoning of property to NB,
CB, GB, LI, HI, LC, RM, or RMTH.