Etowah and Horse Shoe residents who spoke up last week against rezoning in their communities got their wish Wednesday as several rezoning changes were rejected by county commissioners.
The Henderson County Board of Commissioners voted to uphold some proposed zoning changes outlined in the Etowah-Horse Shoe Communities Plan, but passed on others.
Commissioners decided to not expand commercial zoning in Horse Shoe; to leave several thousand acres of property in both communities as low- to medium-density residential development with rural commercial and light industrial development; and to not expand the local commercial zone in Etowah to the stretch of land along U.S. Highway 64 East to the Etowah-Horse Shoe Fire and Rescue station on Morgan Road.
Chairman Bill Moyer and fellow commissioners said they weighed their decisions based on citizen comments at last week's well-attended public hearing on the plan, in addition to documented public feedback the county received before and after that meeting.
Henderson County Planning Director Anthony Starr presented commissioners with long-term feedback from both communities before their vote.
Of the 52 meetings and phone calls with county staff before last week's public hearing, 38 people said they either supported the proposed zoning changes or had no opinion, while 14 were in opposition.
Results of feedback from 50 residents were nearly the same at an open house with county staff on Nov. 4.
A few days later, though, 13 of 18 people who spoke at the public hearing, or sent correspondence afterward, opposed the changes.
