CLARKESVILLE — The Habersham County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to extend its temporary moratorium on new residential developments through Feb. 17, 2026, giving staff time to review growth policies and zoning standards as the county continues revising its Unified Development Code (UDC).
County Attorney Angela Davis emphasized that the moratorium is narrowly focused and not a blanket halt on construction.
“It’s limited with respect to suspending acceptance of applications for any preliminary plat approvals for residential developments of five or more lots and rezoning requests as residential single-family, residential multifamily, and planned development zoning districts,” Davis said. “It is not a cessation of all development activity but these limited areas of development as proposed in the ordinance.”
No residents spoke for or against the measure during the public hearing.
Planning and Development Director Mike Beecham said the February expiration date allows the county’s Planning Commission to complete its review of a comprehensive update to the zoning and subdivision ordinances, developed in partnership with consulting firm CPL.
“I’ve got it tentatively scheduled for the Planning Commission’s November meeting,” Beecham said. “It’s a pretty large document — I expect it will take at least two meetings to go through everything before it comes back to you.”
The moratorium, first enacted as an emergency measure in September, is intended to give officials time to reconcile those updates before accepting new large-scale residential proposals. It will automatically expire on Feb. 17, 2026, unless lifted earlier by the commission.
Rezoning Request
Commissioners also voted to approve a rezoning request from applicant Joshua Bramlett to change 2.68 acres at 159 Hardyville Road from light-intensity to medium-intensity use.
Beecham said the property’s location at the busy intersection of Midway Crossing and Historic U.S. 441 made residential zoning less practical.
“It’s a very busy road — as currently zoned, we don’t feel that light-intensity is appropriate for that,” Beecham said. “I’d be very leery of building my house at that corner if I owned it.”
The parcel lies within the county’s Gateway Corridor Character Area, which allows a mix of residential, office, and commercial uses. Portions of the site fall within the City of Demorest’s jurisdiction, which Beecham said has agreed to provide sewer service.
“The surrounding area is largely developed with single-family homes, offices, and commercial uses,” Beecham said. “Given the location, we believe the proposed office and commercial uses are appropriate for the corridor.”
Property owner Josh Bramlett told commissioners his intent is to make responsible use of the property while complementing nearby development.
“The goal is to be good stewards of the land,” Bramlett said. “With the high traffic in that area, we want to most efficiently use the parcel for business.”
Fire agreement with Demorest
Following the zoning approval, commissioners unanimously approved an intergovernmental
agreement with the City of Demorest for Habersham County Emergency Services to assume full fire protection duties beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
Emergency Services Chief Jeffery Adams said discussions with Demorest began in mid-2024, with both sides working toward a fair and reproducible framework. The city and county have operated under an automatic-aid agreement since 2014.
Under the five-year pact, Demorest will pay the county $655,396 annually, including $120,000 in credits—$90,000 for the city’s fire engine and $30,000 per year to lease its station. After the fifth payment, ownership of the engine will transfer to the county.
County crews will staff the existing Demorest fire station, relocate two medic units and a captain there, and close the Robertson Loop station owned by Habersham Medical Center. All Demorest fire personnel will be eligible to apply for county positions.
Adams credited months of coordination among county staff, Demorest officials, and consultant Thad Dixon of Southeastern Power Consulting, who also assisted with the county’s ISO evaluation. The agreement, drafted by Davis, passed without objection.
