NEWTON COUNTY – Around 100 citizens from the Stone Lea Community were in attendance at the March 5 Newton County Board of Commissioners meeting to express their concerns over one property in the subdivision.
Several of those citizens spoke during the citizen comments portion of the meeting to talk about a property located on 96 W. Lake Drive.
On a Google map view, the property in question shows what looks to be a foundation of a house, as well as a camper and a porta potty.
“I myself am an avid camper but when I chose to buy in Stone Lea it was not to live in a camper community,” said Samantha Day, a resident of the StoneLea community. “Several of the other counties around us have ordinances against living in campers for this exact reason.”
While Day was at the podium, she urged the board to change the ordinances regarding campers and questioned why the owner of the property was able to run for the District 3 commissioner seat.
According to qPublic.net Willie and Adrien Smith are listed as owners of the property, having been so since 2018. A new construction permit approved in 2022 showed a construction clearance for a three bedroom house.
But another resident of Stone Lea, Tim Pickett, said nothing has been done since then.
“Y’all need deadlines, we all need deadlines and without deadlines things can drag on and on and on and it’s been over two years,” Pickett said.
Fellow resident Melissa Tyson pleaded with the board to strengthen their rules on unbuilt residences.
“Please come up with a timeline. Come up with regulations that are more specific so that these things have to be completed in time,” Tyson said. “Because, unfortunately, all of my neighbors and all the people here are having to deal with this.”
Fellow commissioners stated that they were unaware of the problem that persisted in the subdivision, right after the citizen comments portion of the meeting.
District 3 representative Alana Sanders thanked the residents of Stone Lea in speaking up.
“My apologies to the Stone Lea community because I had no idea,” Sanders said. “I don’t know how it was kept from me – I’m out and about – that this has been going on for two years.”
Sanders requested that the board look at their zoning ordinances.
District 5 representative Ronnie Cowan also wanted the property to be looked at further.
“I’m really concerned about the Stone Lea community issue,” Cowan said. “That to me is a code enforcement issue and I’m sure our director of code enforcement will be addressing that.”
While many citizens spoke up at the end of the meeting, commissioners were more vocal toward the beginning of the meeting.
Sanders made a motion within the first few minutes of the meeting to amend the agenda to add discussion of the 2017 SPLOST and the 2023 SPLOST projects for District 3. That motion, however, failed 3-2, with commissioners Stan Edwards, Demond Mason and Cowan opposing.
Commissioners then moved on to business items listed in the agenda. They were voted on as follows:
- Minutes of the Feb. 20 meeting (5-0).
- A memorandum of understanding (MOU) with View Point Health for a co-responder position to assist on suspected mental health calls (5-0).
- An approval of a Public Works request in regards to execution of a conformation of understanding letter agreement to follow GDOT procurement policies and procedures for engineering services (5-0).
- A resolution naming Christopher Davis and Kara Hooks as solicitors of the Newton County probate (5-0).
- An approval request to purchase Dozer Control and Rover GPS (5-0).
- An approval of a new irrigation system at Stone Road Park for three ballfields (5-0).
- A denial of an appeal decision from the BZA to reduce the required 500 feet setback to 441 feet for the eastern property and 261 feet for the western property line for a dog kennel for boarding/grooming (3-2; Sanders and District 4 representative J.C. Henderson opposing).
