EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated after the Courier inquired why no documentation of a beer and wine ordinance could be found.

In a split vote the Long County Commission adopted a new fee schedule for planning and zoning charges for owners and builders in the county. The proposed fees range from $50 for a privacy fence to $14,000 for multi-family housing units of more than 20 units.

The fees were approved by a 4-1 vote at the commission’s April meeting. Commissioner David Richardson voted no after asking several questions about fees for commercial chicken houses. The fee for commercial chicken houses is $1,500 and Richardson’s District 1 includes several commercial chicken houses.

Another new fee is that for residential subdivisions; Long County has been experiencing a boom in these developments. The fee for a new subdivision of more than 100 lots will be $4,900.

Public hearings are planned before implementation of the new fees; they will be held between April 16 and May 7.

In another land use matter the commissioners are moving to implement impact fees for new construction in Long County and have named a citizens advisory committee for impact fees.

Members of the advisory committee on impact fees are Leroy Lott, Jason Smiley, Kerry Hunt, Jimmy Shanken, Leona Breningstall, Lillian Simmons, Aubrey Berry and Danny Norman.

Near the end of the April 2 meeting the commissioners decided to hold a public hearing amending its beer and wine sales ordinance.

However, after the Courier inquired this week why no documentation of the ordinance could be found, Interim County Administrator Chuck Scragg explained that a new beer and wine ordinance would be drafted based on several models to formalize the practice Long County has followed for licenses. Current license holders will be grandfathered in and as the annual licenses expire they will be renewed conforming to the new ordinance. Scragg told the Courier an ordinance had likely existed, and would have been adopted in the 1940s, but that no documentation could be found.

The county will be holding public hearings on numerous issues, including a beer and wine ordinance, but no dates have yet been set. The next regular commission meeting will be held May 7.

Commission Chairman Robert Parker said, “We have to go through the motions with this.”

The commissioners adopted a 106-page comprehensive land use plan that will be sent to the Coastal Regional Commission and then to the state Department of Community Affairs for approval. The document is part of the required state planning and implementation process.

The community vision expressed in the joint county-city plan is that, “Long County will strive to be good stewards of the public trust, health, safety, and welfare of its citizens while recognizing that the primary function of local government is to serve the best interest of all in Long County by providing a great place to live, work and play.”

Ludowici’s vision is for “A friendly, vibrant, affordable, economically and ethnically diverse progressive city where citizens feel safe, enjoy their neighborhoods, and have access to their city government.”

The Rev. Robert Long, a former chairman of the commission, and the Rev. Hermon Scott outlined their plans for the National Day of Prayer May 2. The commission approved plans for the event starting the morning of May 2 on the courthouse steps. The courtroom will be used in case of inclement weather.

Parker can be contacted by email at joeparkerjr@hotmail.com.