A large residential development on the west side of I-75 in McDonough got the green light from the Henry County Board of Commissioners.

The board voted at its January 20 regular meeting to approve a rezoning request by Tim Jones Properties for a 96-acre site on the north side of Mt. Carmel Road, just west of Mill Road. The change, from R-3 (single-family residential) to RS (residential suburban) will allow a mix of single-family homes and condominiums on the property.

Dee Clemmons, in whose district the land is located, made a motion to approve with 25 conditions read into the record. Her motion passed 4-2 with Gary Barham and Johnny Wilson voting in opposition.

In other business, the board voted unanimously to approve a resolution of “non-support” for the idea of an inland port being located anywhere within the county. Calling it a “massive freight operation” that would involve the loading and unloading shipping containers, the resolution stated that such a development “would subject Henry County residents to harmful emissions and noise, including increased roadway congestion and environmental concerns.”

While reaffirming their support for transportation options that reduce freight traffic on county roads, the commissioners said they do not support any rezoning or issuance of development permits that would allow inland port use, and they asked the Georgia Port Authority not to attempt such a project in Henry County.

Several board appointments not addressed earlier in the month were approved at the January 20 meeting. Cherice Hollis was named to an at-large seat on the Henry First board for a term that runs concurrently with the term of commission chair Carlotta Harrell, which just began at the first of the year. Clemmons, who asked at the January 6 regular meeting to delay several of her District 2 appointments, moved forward at the later meeting and reappointed Cletonya Stidom to both the Henry First board for the next four years (concurrent with Clemmons’ own term) and the Water Authority board for a two-year term. Clemmons also reappointed David Linton to the Development Authority board for four years, Alfred Williams to the Recreation Board for four years, and Susan King to the Zoning Advisory Board for two years. 

The board also approved the submission of three nominees for a vacant seat on the county’s Hospital Authority. Unlike the other boards, the Hospital Authority approves its own appointments. State law dictates that the commissioners, as the county’s governing body, submit at least names for each open seat. District 2 appointee Dr. Lillie Rochelle Lowery’s term has expired, and she was nominated to keep the seat. Other nominees included Dr. Demetrius Blackmon and Melissa Moore.