During last Tuesday's meeting, the Morgan County Board of Commissioners green-lit plans for an event facility at the Georgia Safari Conservation Park (GSCP) in Madison.
According to the Planning Commission’s report, the park submitted a conditional use request for an event facility in 2015. That application did not include information about the buildings. It also included the use of the park’s Clack Road entrance for event guest traffic, which concerned planners and commissioners. The BOC tabled the request to give the park time to submit the building information, but the park did not submit the information, and the application expired.
This time around, the BOC approved the conditional use request.
Approval was given for the approximately 436 acres on the property's backside. GSCP president Mike Conrads said the park is working with Madison City Council to get the same approval for the 92-plus acres located within city limits near the Monticello Highway entrance.
Conrads said GSCP leaders have always wanted to host events similar to zoo events like “Boo at the Zoo” and birthday parties. He told BOC that Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Lake Oconee has also contacted about hosting its convention events at the park.
According to Conrads, GSCP plans to use temporary tents for events until the larger park is built out.
As part of the BOC’s decision, “carte blanche” administrative approval was given to any future event facility plans. Those plans include a permanent, large event center to host 100-200 people.
For both the temporary and future plans, all event guest traffic will be routed through the main Monticello Highway entrance, not the Clack Road entrance.
As part of the approval, Planning and Development staff will verify that event locations comply with the ordinance.
In other business Nov. 5, the BOC:
• received information about the Farmland Protection Advisory Board applications. The BOC received six applications for five positions, and plans to decide at its Nov. 19 meeting.
• approved a conditional use request for a telecommunications tower to be located on 149.6 acres off Paxson Dairy Road. Applicant Towers, LLC, recently submitted data showing no co-location opportunities within one mile of the targeted location, supporting the need for a tower in the area. The goal of the new cell tower is to improve coverage along Price Mill Road and in the City of Bostwick and the northern portion of the county.
• approved a one-year extension of the Madison Lakes Development Agreement with Walton Global LLC. Walton Global had asked for a five-year extension, but the BOC wants to revisit the agreement.
• approved zoning map amendment from R1 to AR for 2 acres located at 1491 Peppers Road. The applicant is re-configuring property lines to provide the appropriate acreage and proximity to AR zoning to find a manufactured home on the property.