Monday, January 6, 2025–10:20 a.m.
-Mo Burge, Rome News-Tribune-
This story is possible because of a news-sharing agreement with the Rome News-Tribune. More information can be found at northwestgeorgianews.com
Since 2020, the Rome-Floyd County Planning Commission has seen a steady increase of applications, mainly for changes of zoning and new construction.
From less than 40 in the last year to 93 in 2024, this seems to be a trend in the right direction and an indication that Northwest Georgia is growing said Planning Director Brice Wood.
“Many of the surrounding communities are also seeing a similar effect,” Wood said. “Our cost of living seems expensive to us locals, but to a lot of the rest of the country, we still seem very affordable. We might be freezing right now, but to a lot of the rest of the country, our weather is mild and appealing.”
Wood presented a year-in-review at the committee’s Jan. 2 meeting and said there are some emerging trends for 2025, particularly with alternative forms of housing.
“Housing preferences are changing for multiple reasons, affordability is certainly one cause, which is troubling if it means people are struggling to remain housed,” Wood said. “However, family dynamics are also changing. People are marrying later, having fewer kids, people are living longer.
“For the second half of the 1900s, you pretty much had to buy a single-family home or rented an apartment. In much of America those were your only two options because that’s what was allowed to be built. Our zoning ordinance, much like many others, promotes single-family detached homes, or large apartment complexes, far away from the homes.
“Smaller, neighborhood scale multi-family housing, like townhouses, duplexes, or small apartment buildings require multiple hoops be jumped through first, as seen by the number of [special use permit] requests for duplexes.”
While this is mostly a good thing, there is a caveat.
“I think it is good that more options are becoming available for folks at any/all stages of life, preference, etc. However, I am certainly concerned by the number of people who continue to see their only affordable option is living in a vehicle, or desperately trying to convert something into a home that was never constructed or intended to be used as a permanent dwelling,” Wood said. “Alternative housing options as a choice is one thing, alternative options developing out of desperation is something else.”
The number of rezoning applications has steadily increased as well. About 71% of the 78 applications were approved in 2024. Of note, about 58% were zoning map corrections.
Wood and the planning and zoning GIS manager Ted Edwards, have been working on a more accurate map that corresponds with the current ordinance to address it.
“The corrected map could be adopted and hopefully eliminate the individual rezoning applications,” Wood said.
During the meeting, Wood said there is a committee of stakeholders working on revising the current zoning code, the Unified Land Development Code, to reflect the vision of city and county commissioners.
Floyd County Attorney Chris Jackson said that work is in the early stages and will be tackled in order of priority.
“We’re looking at areas that really need change first,” Jackson said.
At the meeting the committee also elected Leanne Cook as new chairperson and Vic Hixon as vice chairperson as part of its first business of the year.
“I’m always happy to do all I can to further the county and the city government completely because I want it to be a place for forward thinking and well-run and also compassionate to one another as we try to grow,” Cook said.
Hixon added that he is looking forward to continuing the work the committee is already doing
“I’ve really learned a lot in the last two or three years working with Brice [Wood] and the planning commission and just hearing their input and seeing how the city is growing. With the team that we have 2025 and 2026 will be a good year.”
