April 26, 2022–8:47 a.m.

STAFF REPORTS

The Rome City Commission has voted to table a rezoning request for the former Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital Property.

The Rome-Floyd County Development Authority is seeking to change the zoning from Office-Institutional to Heavy Industrial for a Class A industrial park on the 132-acre site.

Residents of the nearby Summerville Park neighborhood spoke and cited concerns about traffic, noise, and other issues they feel Heavy Industrial zoning could bring.

Commissioner Bill Collins also expressed concerns about the impact on the neighborhood.

“I understand what we went through to get that piece of land,” he said.  “I just don’t want to put Summerville Park in a position to be a scapegoat for a monetary gain.”

Commissioner Craig McDaniel said that a plan to have the site zoned for Light Industrial didn’t work out, and currently, the city has no land for industrial recruitment.  It’s all in the county.

“I see this as a quality of life issue,” he said.  “We’ve got to bring jobs here.  We’ve got to bring jobs back to this community.  I’ve got full confidence in the Rome-Floyd Development Authority.  I think this is the right thing for this community.”

Following the discussion, Commissioner Jamie Doss made the motion to table.

“This is just too important for us to be split down the middle,” he said.  “I also it’s too important just to say no because it’s got so much potential.”

McDaniel was the only commissioner to vote against tabling the

There will be more discussion before a vote will be taken at a later date.