Planners say no to conditional use for trucking business

John Seigler is asking for the conditional use permit to operate a truck parking lot on five acres on Yonah-Homer Road. He first asked that the property be rezoned from agricultural/rural residential to general commercial but the BOC voted to send the request back to the county planning commission to consider a conditional use permit.

Seigler wants to continue to operate his business on the site. He has been unable to get his business license renewed because of the zoning.

At the planning commission meeting this past Tuesday night, 32 people attended with people both supporting and opposing the request in attendance.

Janet Seigler presented the request and said it is an agribusiness transportation company that has Fielddale Farms in Baldwin as its primary customer. Mr. Seigler said the business would be a parking lot where a maximum of 10 trucks would be parked at night and on weekends.

“It is not a 24/7 truck operation,” she said. “…This company is not planning to expand.”

She said the recommendation from the county planning officer to deny the request is a “personal vendetta” against the company.

Among those speaking in opposition to the request for a conditional use permit was L.C. Parks, who said the change would be “spot zoning…whether it is called a conditional use or commercial.”

“This is disturbing to a lot of people in our area,” he said.

Another area resident, Gloria Kimsey, said the “area is rural.”

“We’re worried about our children and grandchildren getting run over by these big trucks,” she said. “There are elderly people on this road that this really bothers.”