<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=02G20z_1988OQwQ00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=02G20z_1988OQwQ00" width="1000" height="667" ><figcaption>Appen Media FIle Photo</figcaption></figure>FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County could soon ease a residential development freeze enacted almost one year ago to promote smarter growth.At a Feb. 19 meeting, commissioners reviewed the latest work in a months-long project to update the Unified Development Code, which governs land use and zoning rules.Commissioners authorized public hearings related to the Unified Development Code including zoning application time limits and requirements for art, benches, trash cans and bike racks. They also decided to continue discussions on code changes related to senior housing.As the code updates continue, Forsyth County Commission Chairman Alfred John said the county may again allow zoning applications for two residential zoning classifications.“It seems that we've done enough work to release the Res 1 and perhaps even the Res 2 categories,” John said, adding, “We’re almost there.”Residential 1 zoning includes homes on 1-acre lots. Residential 2 zoning includes manufactured homes in major subdivisions on half-acre plots.John said he was unable to confirm whether the commission would continue another housing moratorium when the most recent 180-day pause expires in May.“It’s hard to tell at this point,” he said.<h2>Pressing pause</h2>Since April, the Forsyth County Commission has pressed pause on housing development in an effort to update its code. The decision is in response to rapid population growth and development amid concerns voiced by residents and the school district.Since 2010, Forsyth County has added about 105,000 residents, an almost 66 percent increase. The county currently has a population of about 280,000 residents.County Attorney Ken Jarrard said the housing pause was necessary to give commissioners the necessary breathing room to make changes.“If you don't put a moratorium in place … you will have missed a lot of land use applications that will then come,” Jarrard said. “The idea is if you don't close the barn door, by the time you've got the code in place, all the livestock is gone.”The freeze also allows the county to inventory land parcels and their current zonings, some of which have remained for years without progress, John said.“Those (properties) are all grandfathered, so we had to go back and grab a complete inventory,” John said. “How many of those are out there?”Updating the 22-chapter, 374-page Unified Development Code has posed a formidable task for county staff, but work has continued with regular progress updates to commissioners.The document includes sections on a wide range of land use and planning topics from overlays to permitting to specialty districts to landscaping.<h2>Changing communities</h2>The changes are welcomed by some residents, such as north Forsyth County resident Donald Gore.Gore, who has lived on a 6-acre tract for about 50 years, said he has seen enormous changes in the county. Development is creeping into the rural area he calls home, and traffic is choking its roadways, he said.“It's changed, and it is going to change more,” he said.Gore said he would like to see code changes, such as larger lot sizes and additional tree protections, to maintain the rural identity of his community.Already, county staff have recommended changes to commissioners on a variety of topics from overlay standards to landscaping to recreational facility requirements in subdivisions.Much of that work seeks to protect an area’s character while reducing burdens on county resources, John said.“If you have 200, 300 homes that get developed, and they don't have amenities, that burden is pushed onto the county,” John said.Gore said he understands progress is inevitable, but he hopes the county can better manage it. He said he especially worries about the resulting strain on local schools as the population booms.“A lot of the residents of this community are either teachers or retired teachers, and so you hear the struggles with the growth,” he said. “We want the children of Forsyth County to succeed.”In a 2025 proclamation, Forsyth County School Board members called for a reduction in high-density residential development, citing the rising student enrollment numbers.School Board Chairman Mike Valdes said Forsyth County continues to add 1,200 students a year — roughly the enrollment of a middle school. This kind of unchecked growth, he said, could force the school district to raise property taxes.<h2>Concerns</h2>Others, like Forsyth County resident and land use attorney Ethan Underwood, have said they have concerns about the moratorium.Underwood said he worries if the county government requires larger lots for homes, the result may be greater urban sprawl.“We're actually creating longer roads, longer utility lines and more maintenance obligations for the county,” he said.He also said he thinks many have forgotten the rights of landowners and developers.“Imagine you bought a car, and you go to the government and say, I need to get a license tag for this car,” Underwood said. “And they say, ‘I'm sorry, the local government has decided there's just too many cars on the road. We'll get back to you.’”Already, developers and landowners have lost millions of dollars as they have been forced to contend with an absolute restriction on submitting rezoning applications, Underwood said.“I'm always surprised in a community that is very politically conservative, how much we're willing to restrict our neighbors’ rights to use their land,” he said.<h2>Looking forward</h2>Despite the uncertainty of whether commissioners will continue the housing freeze past May, one thing is for certain, Jarrard and John said. The action cannot remain in place forever.State law allows zoning application moratoriums only for a specific purpose, such as the overhaul of planning code. They cannot be imposed simply to stall development, John said.“I often hear people say, ‘Why can't they just do a permanent moratorium, or moratorium for years?’” John said. “What will happen is we will get taken to court.”County governments are bound by law to respect the rights of property owners and developers who wish to sell and rezone property.However, counties may impose zoning pauses for a “reasonable” period of time, which a court might interpret based on the progress completed in revising the development code, Jarrard said.“As long as we are showing significant effort in getting it done, then I think the court would be like, ‘OK, you're not playing around. You're really trying to get this done,’” Jarrard said.In the meantime, the county hopes to continue its work with regular updates during public meetings to promote transparency with the public, John said.“I can assure you there are attorneys watching,” John said.</div></body>

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FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County could soon ease a residential development freeze enacted almost one year ago to promote smarter growth. At a Feb. 19 meeting, commissioners reviewed the latest work in a months-long project to update the Unified Development Code, which governs land use and zoning rules.

Forsyth County inches closer to easing moratorium on housing projects

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FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County could soon ease a residential development freeze enacted almost one year ago to promote smarter growth. At a Feb. 19 m

Forsyth County inches closer to easing moratorium on housing projects

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