Former VFW site could be rezoned
Apr. 20—The former site of the Dalton Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post could be rezoned.
The Dalton-Varnell-Whitfield County Planning Commission meets Monday at 6 p.m. in the meeting room of the county courthouse, 205 N. Selvidge St. in Dalton. The meeting will be livestreamed on the county's Facebook page.
The commission makes recommendations to the city councils of Dalton and Varnell and the county Board of Commissioners on rezoning requests.
The commission members are scheduled to hear a request from Charles and Bernita Cofield to rezone from medium-density, single-family residential to neighborhood commercial 2.82 acres at 618 Veterans Drive in Dalton. That is the former home of VFW George Edward Smith Post 4985.
U.S. Army 1st Lt. George Edward Smith was the first Whitfield County native killed in World War II. VFW Post 4985, which was founded in 1946 shortly after the end of World War II, is named in his honor.
For the next 75 years the post was a place where those who served in America's wars could find support, companionship and camaraderie. But in recent years, membership dwindled. By 2022, the post only had about five members. The national VFW put the post on probation and placed the property up for sale.
The planning commission will also hear:
—A request by Kacie Perry to rezone from low-density, single-family residential to rural residential 56 acres along Dantzler Circle.
—A request by Gary Whaley to rezone from general agriculture to rural residential 5.29 acres at 3767 Mount Pleasant Road.
—A request by Marty Lane Pratt to rezone from medium-density, single-family residential to rural residential .25 of an acre at 1425 Joan St.
