Variance packs council meeting with contention

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ELLIJAY, Ga. – Disputes arose in Ellijay this week during a meeting of the Ellijay City Council over a variance request at 50 Depot Street. Could this variance bring trains to Ellijay?

The council discussed the request from Michael Duke, owner of the business at 50 Depot Street. However, Duke does not own the land on which his building sits. This detail was the core of the debate as Duke leases the land from the well-known CSX Railroad company. In order to purchase the land, Duke needed the variance request approved.

Many arose in opposition of the request as nearly 45 to 50 people attended the meeting with the vast majority there for the variance request. Fifty Depot Street is behind Southern Customs on River Street and in front of the Cajun Depot Grill, also on Depot Street.

The item for discussion focused on the land size being on 0.28 acres. With streets on all sides, the landlocked business would not be able to be approved with the minimum being 0.5 acres required. However, discussion rose to include the future of the project at that location as Duke plans on renovating the building to become the “Ellijay Express Railroad.”

With hopes to see railroad tourism similar to that of Blue Ridge, Duke is looking to possibly move in that direction in the future. This became the main focus of discussion by those in attendance.

One of those in opposition was Dennis Haynes, who said he owned the Cajun Depot Grill. In full opposition, Haynes claimed approving the request and allowing the changes would take parking from him, which he has used for numerous years. A deal, Duke stated, was in place before he took ownership of the building. Haynes went on to say that losing the property would put his restaurant in “definite jeopardy.”

Stating the loss of parking would be detrimental to his business to the point of shutting down, Haynes asked the council to deny the request.

He was not the only opposition. However, two others spoke saying they loved the idea and wanted to support the project in a different location. Mike Kirkpatrick and Pamela Thomas Jones both called the project an amazing idea, but for somewhere else. Kirkpatrick told the council he owned lots on Depot Street and wanted them to deny the request due to it being “ill-conceived” in planning for parking and traffic concerns.

Kirkpatrick went on to say that though he wants success for the city and for this project, the council should consider the problems and undue stress they would be putting on local business owners from the congestion such a business would cause.

Pamela Thomas Jones spoke on behalf of her father, Bob Thomas, who owns the property where Southern Customs sits. Jones also echoed the sentiments of the project being a great idea. However, she fervently requested the council not to approve the variance in the meeting. While she did not outright ask for denial, Jones instead plead for the council to look further and deeper at the issue by performing studies and investigations into the effect the business would have on the area.

Based on the need for requirements to approve a variance request, Jones quoted the city’s own ordinance in the meeting while saying that the city needed to understand there are already parking issues in the area as discussed in their meeting from the other speakers.

Duke spoke again saying that they are already looking to improve safety to the lot, he also mentioned he did not want to “block any parking” from the other businesses in the area. He mentioned there were already signs asking people not to park in the depot lot until after a certain time, and he wanted to continue alongside those in Ellijay to increase safety and promoting “what’s right for Ellijay.”

Ellijay Mayor Al Hoyle put the discussion to the agenda item saying that the issue at hand was a variance of minimum lot size. Despite the conversation of the project and the future of the business, Hoyle stated that they were there to discuss minimum lot size.

Throughout the discussion, it became clear Duke owns the building and leases the property. The topic at hand allowed him to purchase the property from CSX Railroad, but it appears that much of the business decisions would not necessarily be stopped by denying the request.

Regardless, the council officially, and unanimously, approved the request. Despite some concerns from the council as to what could have been done earlier in the process for mediation they did allow the variance with the lot being locked in position and unable to increase lot size through additional tracts. So, with the approval, the owner of the building can also become the owner of the property under the building.

Some in opposition to the request walked out of the meeting as soon as the vote finalized. After this, Ellijay can look to the area for changes in the near future. Duke told the council during the meeting that the Blue Ridge line is already set to send some of their engines to Tate, via Ellijay, for repairs and maintenance. However, if Duke follows through with the plans mentioned in the meeting, citizens of Ellijay may see more trains on our tracks sooner than we think.

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