GAINESVILLE – In a special called meeting Monday afternoon the Hall County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to impose a moratorium on applications for commercial dog kennels and agri-entertainment businesses.
Over the next ninety days the Hall County Department of Planning and Development will conduct a study of appropriate regulations concerning those enterprises and report back to the Board of Commissioners on August 9, 2021, with its findings and recommendations.
Hall County Attorney Van Stephens presented the resolution to commissioners, saying, “It’s been well over a decade since we looked at commercial kennels and what would be appropriate for those. The resolution would authorize that study.”
“It is further ordered in the resolution that (the Department of Planning and Development) would not accept or process applications for commercial kennels or agri-entertainment establishments,” Stephens added. He said applications currently in process would continue under the current guidelines.
Planning and Development Director Sarah Mc Quade said there was not anything specific that county commissioners wanted to evaluate in the current regulations, but that in light of an increase in applications in these two areas it was time to review the requirements and update any dated language.
McQuade said, “Staff will internally take a look at both of those ordinances, probably review some ordinances from similar peer-communities, see what they have on the books, and then come back to the board with recommendations if we see any changes needed.”
“If we were to make a change to either ordinance it would require a public hearing process,” she added.
