Elizabeth-area residents urge county to reconsider draft land-use map
Residents say the draft would designate about 160 acres near Highway 86 and County Road 21 for commercial or mixed use. A Sept. 29 work session will discuss the plan but allow no public comment or decisions.
Four households near Elizabeth are asking Elbert County planners to reconsider a draft future-land-use designation for about 160 acres at Highway 86 and County Road 21, ahead of a Sept. 29 Planning Commission work session on the county’s 2026 Comprehensive Plan.
In letters submitted for the meeting, residents describe the tract at the southeast corner of the intersection as proposed for commercial or commercial/mixed-use development. The Andersons and Patricia Sizemore describe a commercial designation; Wendy Hayes says the draft appears to extend mixed use from the highway frontage across the full property.
The residents cite potential traffic, road wear and conflicts with nearby homes, as well as concerns about water availability, drainage, noise, lighting and the area’s scenic and rural character. Bob and Cindy Speaker’s letter points to reliance on wells and a shared aquifer.
A future-land-use designation is planning guidance, not a development approval. Elbert County says the map is intended to guide future development decisions and updates to zoning and subdivision regulations; adopting the plan would not itself amend county regulations.
The Sept. 29 agenda notice says the work session will include discussion of the Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map, but no decisions or public comment. A July county update anticipated a public hearing in late October or early November and said public comment would be welcome. The county’s plan project page describes Planning Commission review and edits followed by an adoption hearing.