The Board of Commissioners of Ben Hill County, Georgia, under the authority of article IX, section II, paragraphs I and IV of the Constitution of the State of Georgia and the amendments thereto, hereby ordains and enacts into law the following sections.

An ordinance regulating within the unincorporated area of Ben Hill County, Georgia, the location; height, bulk; number of stories and size of buildings and other structures; the sizes of yards, courts, and other open spaces; the density and distribution of population; and the uses of buildings, structures, and the land for trade, industry, residence, recreation, agriculture, forestry, conservation, sanitation, protection against floods, public activities, and other purposes, creating districts for said purposes and establishing the boundaries thereof; defining certain terms used herein; providing for the methods of administration and amendment; defining the powers and duties of the board of appeals; providing penalties for violations; repealing conflicting ordinances; and for other purposes.

This ordinance shall be known and may be cited as the "Zoning Ordinance for Ben Hill County, Georgia".

This ordinance shall govern the use of all land and the developments thereof within the unincorporated area of Ben Hill County, Georgia.

The purpose of this ordinance shall be to promote the proper location, height, bulk, number of stories and size of open spaces, the density and distribution of population, and the uses of building, structures, and land for trade, industry, residence, recreation, agriculture, forestry, conservation, sanitation, protection against floods, public activities, and other purposes so as to lessen congestion in the streets; to secure safety from fire, panic, and other dangers; to promote the public health and the general welfare; to provide adequate light and air; to prevent the overcrowding of land; to avoid undue concentration of population, to prevent urban sprawl; to facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks, and other public requirements; to promote desirable living conditions and the sustained stability of neighborhoods; to protect property against blight and depreciation; to secure economy in governmental expenditures; to conserve the value of buildings and to encourage the most appropriate use of land, buildings, and structures throughout Ben Hill County, Georgia; and for other purposes.