Tignall poultry house ordinance passed to regulate, not prohibit

In passing an ordinance sharply restricting commercial poultry houses within the city of Tignall recently, Mayor Richard Gammon says the intention was not to prohibit chicken operations from the city limits, but to regulate them.

There are no commercial poultry operations in the city, but, he said, "The citizens of Tignall were concerned they might be located inside the city limits, so we passed an ordinance not to prohibit them, but to set some pretty strict guidelines as far as setbacks from property lines and housing."

The ordinance requires a 1,000- foot setback from any dwelling unless waived by the dwelling's owner. A 500-foot setback is required from any property line.

The ordinance also requires owners of planned commercial poultry houses to notify all adjoining property owners in writing 30 days prior to construction, even if the operation meets setback and other requirements.

Although there were no poultry operations in the city yet, the growing numbers in Wilkes and adjacent counties, especially Oglethorpe, made Tignall citizens feel that an ordinance was wise. "It was done as a preventative measure," Gammon said. "We felt like it just wasn't appropriate for them to locate inside city limits."

The ordinance only affects properties within the city limits of Tignall.

Reader Comments

No comments have been posted. Be the first!

Other Stories With Comments:
Article	Comments
The Office Cat	1
Family escapes death in semi hit-and-run	1
Feed a family of four for $10 a week	1