City of Lavonia Streamlining Planning & Zoning Policies and Procedures

The City of Lavonia is undertaking an effort to revamp policies and procedures in an effort to make sure the Planning & Zoning Commission, City Council, and staff are all working together.

City Mayor Courtney Umbehant said in his Mayor’s report at Monday’s City council meeting that the recent application by a developer to build townhomes and single-family homes on Vickery St. Highlighted problems the City has with the application process.

“The conflicts in our recent zoning issues have highlighted some major issues we have in our city processes. Not only on the administration side but in the training of our planning and zoning commission and training for the elected officials and the training of staff. We’re addressing all of those things. You’re going to be hearing a lot more about that as time goes on,” he said.

In January, the Lavonia City Council rejected a rezoning request from a developer to rezone acreage at the corner of Vickery and Spring Sts for a townhome development.

At that meeting, a former P&Z Commission member recused himself from voting on the rezoning request because he lives in the Stonebrook subdivision directly behind the planned subdivision.

However, despite recusing himself, he continued to comment as a private citizen, which was not allowed if a board member recuses himself.

As a result, the board member was subsequently not re-appointed to the Planning and Zoning Commission and was replaced with new board member Ben White.

Monday night, Umbehant said he was embarrassed by what took place last month.

“To be blunt with you, for the first time in the more than three years that I have been mayor of Lavonia I’m embarrassed by how that entire process played out,” he said. “Let me just tell you as long as I’m mayor there will never be another board member that abuses their position to influence a decision that’s made. It was embarrassing to me and I will never be a part of that again. We are also going to make sure that our processes work the way they’re supposed to.”

Umbehant said the P&Z Commission will have more training before their next meeting.

He added that they will no longer meet before the regular City Council meeting but will have their own separate meeting on the last Monday of every month.