A Flowery Branch resident’s request to open a winery on his property was rejected by the Hall County Planning Commission on Monday.
The applicant, Brad Walton, wants to construct a two-story tasting room with a small café area on a 5-acre piece of property inherited from his parents with the hope of hosting small weddings and get-togethers.
Several neighbors have voiced concern that the road on which the winery is located, Conner Road, is too to support the new development.
“In order for (Walton) to have his winery,” said John Robert Scott, a neighbor on Conner Road. “The road needs to be widened and it needs to have lines on it.”
Smith went on to explain that the road is hardly wide enough for two cars to pass, a fact that Walton did not deny but argued that his proposed winery would not add any undue stress on the road as he expects maybe 25 cars per day to travel to his winery on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“If a couple of cars per hour pushes you over the limit,” Walton said. “I say (Hall County) shouldn’t allow another single house to be built. Literally, you should just shut down Conner Road and say you don’t do a thing.”
The Planning Commission asked Walton if he would be willing to put forth the expense to widen the roadway, to which Walton said that cost would kill his entire project.
The county has been hesitant to widen Conner Road at the intersection of Jim Crow Road due to complications from water pipe variants on both sides of the roadway.
With no clear-cut answer on the roadway issue, the Planning Commission chose to recommend Walton’s winery request for denial to the Board of Commissioners who will take final action on the proposal on March 23.
