I try to be fair, even when I have strongly held convictions, so I asked Fannin County Chairman Stan Helton if he wanted to comment on my post on variances. Here’s his reply:
“Clyde – I am reluctant to comment on any specific Variance request but here are some salient points.
We require 10 days notice on Variance requests and have the property owner display the yellow request form at a prominent location on the property. This alerts neighbors and allows the Board of Commissioners time to identify and personally inspect the property. Variances are then placed on the Board of Comissioners meeting agenda and before the Variance comes up for vote, we ask if anyone objects.
If objections arise, we table the item for two weeks. We ask the County Building Inspector to go out and meet with both parties and attempt to mitigate the issue. The Building Inspector validates/rejects the concerns and reports back to the Board of Commissioners prior to the 2nd hearing. The goal is to resolve differences and allow neighbors to live peacefully.
Sometimes there are misunderstandings that get resolved and the objections are dropped. In other cases we see objections that are not issues for the County but Homeowner Association concerns. Sometimes objections are unreasonable and the Board of Commissioners will vote accordingly.
If we adopted zoning with a Building Authority like Gilmer County, it would be a major change for the real estate and building industry in Fannin County.
Future Commissioners will have to decide when Fannin is ready for that change – according to Daniel Boone, a neighbor within 50 miles was too close ! The distances have changed since DB’s time BUT the sentiment is still the same.
Always appreciate your write ups and hope this gives a little insight into this BIG issue
Regards as always – Stan”
