| Board halts helipad permits
180-day ban will allow revision of code regulations By Todd Truelove Staff Writer The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners on Thursday voted 4-1 to prohibit the issuance of new permits for helicopter landing areas for 180 days with the intent to revise the county's development code regulations. District 5 Commissioner Linda Ledbetter cast the dissenting vote. On Feb. 1, commissioners in a 3-2 vote revoked a helipad permit on land zoned as agricultural for a property owner northwest of the intersection of Mullinax Road and Windy Hill Drive. A majority of commissioners had approved the permit in December, though it was opposed by 56 property owners in the area who had signed a petition for the board's review. Opponents' concerns included noise that vehicles landing on the helipad would generate and the possibility of the landing area evolving into a larger facility. North Forsyth Commissioner David Richard, who motioned to rescind the permit, on Feb. 1 said the county's development code did not consider permits for helipads on agriculturally zoned land. On Thursday, he said the UDC was contradictive and would be revised to better identify areas where helipads could be permitted. "Our UDC does not handle the use of helipads well," said Richard, adding helipad permits which have already been issued for residents remain valid and are not restricted by the moratorium. The commission agenda also had scheduled consideration of prohibiting new applications for continuing care retirement centers (CCRC). However, the vote on that moratorium was postponed by Ledbetter and District 2 Commissioner Brian Tam. Rules governing the board of commissioners' meetings allow for a topic to be postponed by just two commissioners to consecutive meetings twice if they wish to delay a vote. The moratorium against the retirement communities was proposed by commission Chairman Charles Laughinghouse. Laughinghouse, in a telephone interview Friday, said that, like the helipad permits, the development code also needs to be revised for continuing care retirement centers. He said the problem is that such centers are currently allowed in business districts, but the development code does not allow residential structures within business districts. "They can build [a retirement center], but according to the [development code] you can't have anybody living there," said Laughinghouse, pointing out the contradiction in the county's code. He said he found the contradiction after the board approved a continuing care retirement center in Johns Creek Technology Park last year. "The CCRC ... should have been removed [from business districts] as a possible use," said Laughinghouse. In other regular business at the meeting, commissioners approved the Civil Service Board's choice to reappoint George Pirkle to the Board of Ethics. |