Franklin County P&Z Commission Nominee Resigns After Approved by BOC

District 2 in Franklin County has been without representation on the Franklin County Planning & Zoning Commission for years.  Now the search is on once again for a representative willing to serve.

Just days after being appointed to the Franklin County Planning and Zoning Commission, Ingra Langston, the newly appointed representative for District 2, resigned.

Monday, Franklin County Commissioners approved three new board appointments for the Franklin County Planning and Zoning Commission for Districts 2, 3, and 4. Each was recommended by the County Commissioner representing that District.

For District 2, the Board voted to appoint Langston who was recommended by Commissioner Kyle Foster.

However, Commissioner Foster confirmed to WLHR News Thursday that Langston had resigned. He did not cite a reason for her decision to withdraw and said she did not give him a reason.

Beverly Folsom is the founder of Reclaim Gumlog.

Reclaim Gumlog is a citizens group whose goal is to rid the community of the abandoned and dilapidated trailers that have become places for drug users and squatters, which they believe has resulted in increased crime in the area.

“We are cautiously optimistic for the next appointee. We are concerned that our commissioner did not select the most qualified candidate nor the most endorsed candidate for his selection to represent our district, particularly after District 2 not having representation on planning and zoning for a decade or so,” Folsom said. “While it may seem like a small thing, it was an important step to recognize our community of people that have been working hard to uplift Gumlog.”

Folsom said members of her citizen’s group were concerned with the initial appointment of Langston and said they were considering asking for a recall before Langston resigned voluntarily.

Two other candidates have applied for the District 2 P&Z seat.

They are Van Langston, a construction worker with no relation to Ingra Langston, who recently moved to the Gumlog area from Gwinnett County, and Terry Roberson.

Roberson is a retired commercial contractor who served on the County’s UDC Citizen Review Committee and on the Board of Directors for Shirley’s Homeless Shelter in Toccoa.

Foster said he expects the Board of Commissioners to appoint a new candidate at their next meeting which will be their work session on June 27.

Additionally, before the votes Monday night, Commission Chair Jeff Jacques said Commissioners will vote at their next meeting to adopt an updated P&Z ordinance.

“At our next meeting, we will make a motion to adopt an (updated) ordinance that created the Planning Commission that will get them back in order where in perpetuity we will have Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4 all represented. That will also incorporate the At-Large position. So you will have one member of the Planning Commission who will rotate off every year. Again, that will be done with the adoption of the new ordinance and then we’ll be in concert with the planning commission appointments tonight,” Jacques explained.

Jacques said the updated ordinance will be more specific in outlining how terms will be served.

The new appointees to the Planning and Zoning Commission will undergo training with the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission before taking their seats as new board members.