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Rep. Holt calls for legislators to take course on state zoning laws
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At the request of State Rep. Doug Holt, superior court judges in Georgia will be taking part in a continuing education course on state zoning laws.

Holt (R-Social Circle), who has advocated at the state legislature on behalf of local governments when it comes to zoning disputes, requested thAat the course on existing Georgia precedents for superior court review of local zoning decisions be included. A bill that would have codified those precedents failed to receive passage during the 2008 legislative session.

The two-hour instructional block on those existing legal precedent has been approved by Georgia's Continuing Judicial Education Center and will be taught at the winter 2009 conference for Georgia superior court judges in January.

"I'm quite pleased at those precedents and zoning issues in general that will be covered," Holt said.

Holt said the precedents in question deal with the issue of whether a landowner is damaged by not receiving a requested rezoning.

"I just wanted this to be fresh in the judges' minds as similar such cases come up," Holt said. "I think I've accomplished my objective. [I'm] just conAcerned that property rights should apply equally for everybody, whether you're a large property owner or a small property owner."