Horse farm stirs opposition from neighbors

Four months after the purchase, Twiss had cleared five acres and built a ten stall barn. Since that time, Twiss has finished construction of her home, cleared another 15 acres and added an arena to the property.

Twiss recently learned that her business, which specializes in the retraining of thoroughbred race horses, is not allowed under residential zoning. To bring her business into compliance, Twiss appeared before the planning commission Thursday to request that her acreage be rezoned to agricultural.

Her neighbor, Karen Post, spoke in opposition of the proposed rezoning.

Post said their neighborhood, Riverbluff subdivision, is a residential area and that agricultural activities would have a negative impact on her property values.
“We expected to enjoy residential activities,” she said. “We never would have bought R-1 land next to agricultural property.”

Post claimed that Twiss is in violation of several zoning ordinances and that code enforcement has not been responsive to her concerns. Post also voiced concerns about having horses adjacent to her property.

“The danger of these unpredictable, large animals next to our house in unacceptable,” she said.

Post asked the planning commission to deny the rezone request claiming that her property has already been devalued and that the entire subdivision would be impacted.

“Who is going to buy our residential lot at full value with agricultural adjacent to it?” a tearful Post asked.

Twiss said Post is wrong about the impact of the stables on property values.

“When we bought the property, there were only three people in the area that had horses,” Twiss said. “Now, it’s fast becoming an equestrian enclave in Barrow County.”

Twiss likened the property to similar areas in Alpharetta which she said have only increased in value.

The commission approved Twiss’ request by a vote of 3-0.

In other business, the commission:

• approved a request to rezone 8.54 acres in the area of Rat Kinney Road and Hollis Road from AG to AR for a minor subdivision.

• approved a request to split 5.74 acres on Dooley Town Road into three tracts and rezone the property from AG to AR and R1.

• approved a request to rezone 2.82 acres from AR to R1 and split the land into two tracts.

• approved a correction to the Barrow County zoning map for property located on Jackson Trail Road. The correction will change the property zoning from AG to M1.

The rezone requests will go before the Barrow County Board of Commissioners on September 23. The board will meet at 7 p.m. in the board room of the Barrow County Administration Building located at 233 East Broad Street in Winder.