Whitfield County commissioners look to limit number of chicken houses

Published 11:45 am Thursday, December 12, 2024

Whitfield County government staff have been working “for the past couple of weeks” on a proposal that could help limit the number of chicken houses on some properties, according to Board of Commissioners Chairman Jevin Jensen.

Jensen spoke at this week’s meeting of the Board of Commissioners after several residents from the north end of the county expressed concerns about large complexes of chicken houses and their impact on local communities, the environment and traffic.

Most of the speakers said they realize much of Whitfield County is still rural and they have no problems with local “family farmers” with two or three chicken houses. But they objected to larger complexes often owned by conglomerates with no local connections.

“I’ve worked with family farmers my entire career,” said Kathleen Herren. “I support family farmers.”

But she said she opposes industrial-scale chicken houses.

Jensen told the audience members the commissioners are aware of their concerns. He said the commissioners currently do not have the power to block chicken houses on land that is zoned general agriculture. He said they have asked County Attorney Robert Smalley and county staff to draft an amendment to the unified zoning ordinance with the cities of Dalton and Varnell that would require the commissioners to grant a special use permit before anyone could place more than four chicken houses on a property and that would contain restrictions on subdividing a property to get around that requirement.

Earlier this year, at the request of the Varnell City Council, the unified zoning ordinance was amended to require the city councils of Dalton and Varnell to grant a special use permit to build chicken houses on land zoned general agriculture in their city limits.

Jensen said the plan is to have a draft amendment ready for the Dalton-Varnell-Whitfield County Planning Commission to vote on at its January meeting. It would come back to the commissioners and the city councils for approval at their meetings in February.

He said he realized the people in the audience would like swifter action, but he said by state law those are the steps the county has to take before it can take action.