Dear Forsyth County Friends,
Happy April! I can’t wait to be in the full swing of spring with its beautiful colors brightening all of our days. I love having the extra hours to get outside after work in the evening.
A historic moment occurred on April 4 when Governor Kemp signed into law HB1013, the Mental Health Parity Act for Georgia. This bill offers hope to the hurting that they haven't had before. We were blessed to have Forsyth County Manager Kevin Tanner leading the Mental Health Commission and Forsyth's Representative Todd Jones, as one of the co-sponsors of this monumental legislation. A big thank you to all fr making mental health wellness a priority in Georgia.
I want to spend a few moments discussing the growth we see all around us. The period from 2001 to 2006 was the most explosive growth cycle of zonings in our county’s history. I don’t know if anyone has ever truly calculated the number of lots zoned during that time, but I have been told (not by staff) that North Forsyth alone grew by 35,000 lots. The market crash that occurred immediately following the boom had many of those past zonings lying in wait until the market returned so investors could maximize their profits. That day seems to be here.
During the boom time, Res 3 was the zoning of choice because the minimum lot size was 9,000 sq. ft. Just under 6% of our county’s acreage is zoned Res 3. In 2016, our Board upped the minimum lot size to 14,750. That single action decreased the density in a Res 3 lot of these old subdivisions by a third. Today, our Board appears to lean toward the Res 2 category that has a minimum 33,000 sq. ft. lot size. Here's a link where you can see all the zonings in the county. It’s a great resource to see how things are currently zoned. I was pleased to learn we still have over 41% of agricultural land remaining. Ordinance and zoning category changes made by the Board encourages farmers to keep their AG property and expands ways to make money with agritourism. The Res 6/R3 category, which is multi-family or higher density makes up only 1.10% of our acreage currently.
A growth issue that appears frequently on Facebook suggests we approve a lot of high-density developments. For residents that may not be aware, the city government and the county government operate independently with regards to zoning. State law grants more power to a city to annex land within the county. The city has annexed multiple properties in unincorporated Forsyth County in the past four years; two of the three apartment complexes under construction within the city limits are on annexed property. Developers and some landowners don’t like what they deem as harsh ordinances and conditions placed on zonings. By building within city limits, they can avoid the county’s tree preservation, mass grading, and sign ordinances and do not have to comply with our land plan and performance and residential design standards. The city’s densities are higher than the counties as well. These are just a few of the reasons why I opposed the creation of a new city years ago. Neighbors have been caught off guard by what’s going in beside them when annexation occurs. Recently, the county has started notifying surrounding property owners of the pending annexation, even though it’s not contemplated by law that we are required to do so. The City of Cumming is beginning to take a different approach on annexations, and hopefully we can one day reach an agreement on how we can work better together. The county should not be blamed for the actions of another government that we have no control over.
Right now, you have one last chance for a say in the upcoming comp plan update. We are in the process of gathering public input on how you’d like to see your community evolve. You can’t expect everything will remain the same unless someone buys all the land and holds it. Georgia is a property right’s state and owners have rights here that must be considered. The update is critical in how our county will prosper economically which weighs heavily on our tax structure and millage rate. It also weighs on your future home values. There’s much to consider when trying to create balance for our citizens which results in a higher quality of life in Forsyth County. Be sure to visit the Foster Forsyth website and sign up to participate at https://www.fosterforsyth2022.com/get-involved.
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As always, please don't hesitate to let me know if I can be of service. Have a very happy and safe spring break!
