Latest on annexation request of a 50-acre development by Buford

Brian Wellmeier, The Times, Gainesville, Ga.
·2 min read

Feb. 8—Update: Hall County Commission removed an item from Thursday's agenda that would've blocked a move by the City of Buford to annex a proposed 50-acre development.

The item was removed at the start of Thursday's regular meeting after a motion by Commissioner Kathy Cooper. Cooper said the county ceded its opposition after Buford withdrew the application for annexation.

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Previous story: Hall County Commission will consider whether to block a move by the City of Buford to annex a proposed 50-acre development Thursday, Feb. 9.

If approved by commissioners, the resolution would thwart an attempt by Atlanta-based industrial real estate company Seefried Industrial Properties to annex five contiguous parcels on Bennett Road in Buford.

A Hall County justification summary for the item asserts the city "proposes to rezone the property to an industrial zoning district." Conflicting with the property's current residential zoning classification, state law authorizes the county to issue a dispute resolution process to challenge the annexation.

"The applicant that's come into the City of Buford is proposing two large warehouses on about 50 acres, and so it's out of keeping with the area...it's a substantially different use and more intense use than what our land use plan (permits)," County Attorney Van Stephens said.

An available legal avenue to block the annexation is that resolution process — based on an existing state statutory procedure that enables the county to "object to a city's annexation," Stephens explained. He indicated that commissioners will likely approve the item Thursday.

"We're following that (resolution process)," he said.

Disputes over annexation aren't uncommon in local government, as Hall County lobbied state lawmakers to amend annexation laws in 2021, describing the process as outdated. House Bill 1461, which "extends the period of a zoning freeze following arbitration and revises notices municipalities must provide counties regarding annexation applications," was signed into law in May of last year.

Officials with the City of Buford could not be reached for comment.

The resolution is expected to go before the board of commissioners at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, at the Hall County Government Center.