At the regular April 20 meeting of the Douglas-Coffee County Planning Commission, the City of Douglas petitioned for an amendment to the Unified Development Code. This amendment would permit a halfway house in commercial and industrial as well as residential/professional zoning districts. The petition was approved as the city requested. There will be a second reading of the amendment and a public hearing on May 8, 2017 at the regular city commission meeting.
Ms. Julia Shewchuk, a planner with the Southern Georgia Regional Commission, presented the city’s petition. She stated that Douglas intended to mirror Valdosta’s handling of similar circumstances. She then talked about the proposed changes to the Unified Development Code which would define a halfway house as “a licensed, temporary, residential living arrangement for persons leaving an institutional setting … wherein supervision, rehabilitation, and counseling are provided from licensed support staff whenever residents are present, in order to mainstream residents back into society.”
City Manager Terrell Jacobs said that Unison Behavioral Health and Concerted Services, Inc., as well as non-profit, faith-based organizations and individuals have approached the city wishing to provide services to Douglas’ transient homeless population. This population is estimated to number in the twenties, and to often consist of young people.
Also at the regular meeting, County Code Enforcement Officer Ray Parker presented a petition on behalf of Clinton Wayne Harper for a change in zoning for the property located at 120 Warren Carter Road. The parcel to be rezoned is six acres and is currently agricultural land. The petitioner desires that the land be rezoned as residential.
Mr. Harper intends to put mobile homes on the land. He will not, however, be building a trailer park. The development will have much less density than a trailer park. It will also have a public road with frontage. Mr. Parker informed the commission that the owner, once the land is subdivided, will build a road and then deed it to the county.