In order that the purposes of this ordinance as defined in section 1 may be accomplished, there are hereby established within Ben Hill County, Georgia, zoning districts identified as follows:

4-1.1.

Gf general farming. The purpose of this district is to permit agricultural uses, to encourage the maintenance of the rural countryside, to preserve forests and other undeveloped lands away from areas of population growth, and to allow residents to retain their traditional ways of life. The preferred land use in the district is agricultural, either active in the form of crops, or passive in the form of forest management or pasture lands. The GF district should be utilized as a land use designation where a more intensive use of the land is unlikely to occur in the near future. The requirements of the district are designed to encourage the maintenance of a rural character until more intensive development is feasible.

4-1.2.

R-R rural residential. The purpose of this district shall be to allow for residential development on lots of one acre in appropriate areas designated in the comprehensive plan in unincorporated Ben Hill County. With health department approval, such districts may use individual water supply and sewerage disposal systems. Minimum gross floor area per dwelling unit in this district shall be a minimum of 800 square feet.

4-1.3.

R-1 single-family residential. The purpose of this district is to provide single-family residential areas with minimum lot sizes of one acre (43,560 square feet), said areas being protected from the depreciating effects of small lot development and excessive density and from the encroachment of these uses which are incompatible to a desirable residential environment. With health department approval, such districts may use individual water supply and sewerage disposal systems. Minimum gross floor area per dwelling unit in this district shall be a minimum of 1,200 square feet.

4-1.4.

R-22 single-family residential. The purpose of this district is to provide single-family residential areas with minimum lot sizes of 22,000 square feet, said areas being protected from the depreciating effects of small lot development and excessive density and from the encroachment of those uses which are incompatible to a desirable residential environment. Consideration for designation for the district requires a minimum of public water service.

4-1.5.

M-R multiple residential. The purpose of this district is to provide orderly development of higher density residential areas for one, two, three and multifamily dwellings, with minimum lot sizes of 6,000 square feet, said areas being protected from the encroachment of those uses which are incompatible to a desirable residential environment. Consideration for designation for this district requires a minimum of public water and public sewer service.

4-1.6.

M-H-P manufactured housing park. The purpose of this district is to provide for the development of property that is suitably located and planned for manufactured housing park use. Property developed in this district is to remain in single ownership for rental or leasing purposes only. Manufactured housing parks shall be developed only in strict accordance with the manufacturing housing park provisions of this ordinance.

4-1.7.

P professional. The purpose of this district shall be to create an area in which residential, professional, educational, and institutional uses can be compatibly mixed while maintaining a healthful living environment for the residents of the district and at the same time preventing the development of blight and slum conditions. The minimum lot size in this district shall be 6,000 square feet.

4-1.8.

C-C community commercial. The purpose of this district is to provide for and protect areas that can accommodate a variety of sales and services that are commonly needed by the Ben Hill County citizens.

4-1.9.

G-B general business. The purpose of this district shall be to provide for and encourage the proper grouping and development of uses which include a wide variety of sales and services that will best accommodate the needs of the county and the traveling public in order to reduce highway traffic congestion, traffic hazards, and blight along the public streets and highways of the county.

4-1.10.

WLI wholesale-light industrial. The purpose of this district shall be to provide and protect areas for those wholesale and light industrial uses which do not create excessive noise, odor, smoke, dust, and which do not possess other objectionable characteristics which might be detrimental to surrounding neighborhoods, or to the other uses permitted in the district.

4-1.11.

H-I heavy industrial. The purpose of this district shall be to provide and protect areas for those industrial uses which cannot comply with the regulations of the WLI district.

R-15, R-9, R-6, and R-6-M zoning classifications/districts were created by previous Ben Hill County Zoning ordinances and currently exist on the Official Zoning Maps of Ben Hill County, Georgia. As of the adoption of this resolution, and into the future, no parcels may be zoned in accordance with these districts/classifications as they no longer exist in Ben Hill County's future land use plan.

4-1.12

R-15 single-family residential. The purpose of this district is to provide single-family residential areas with minimum lot sizes of 15,000 square feet, said areas being protected from the depreciating effects of small lot development and excessive density and from the encroachment of those uses which are incompatible to a desirable residential environment.

4-1-.13

R-9 single-family residential. The purpose of this district is to provide single-family residential areas with minimum lot sizes of 9,000 square feet, said areas being protected from the depreciating effects of small lot development and excessive density and from the encroachment of those uses which are incompatible to a desirable residential environment.

4-1.14

R-6 residential. The purpose of this district is to provide residential areas with a minimum lot size of 6,000 square feet, said areas being protected from uses which are incompatible to a desirable residential environment.

4-1.15

R-6-M residential. The purpose of this district is to create an area that, in addition to conventional housing, allows mobile homes as a matter of right in a conventional subdivision. Lots in this district must have a minimum of 6,000 square feet. These districts shall be protected from the encroachment of incompatible uses which are detrimental to a sound residential environment.

(Res. of 9-6-2022)

The boundaries of each district are shown on maps entitled "Official Zoning Maps of Ben Hill County, Georgia". The street classifications (local and collector streets and arterials) within Ben Hill County, Georgia are shown on the map entitled "Major Thoroughfare Plan, Ben Hill County, Georgia". The official zoning maps and major thoroughfare plan shall be dated and certified by the chairman of the county commission and the county clerk and said maps and all explanatory matter thereon accompanies and is hereby made a part of this ordinance.

Accurate copies of the "Official Zoning Maps of Ben Hill County, Georgia," and the "Major Thoroughfare Plan, Ben Hill County, Georgia", shall be on file in the office of the zoning administrator at all times. Said maps shall accurately show all map amendments made in accordance with the provisions of this ordinance. It shall be the duty of the zoning administrator to ensure that the "Official Zoning Maps of Ben Hill County, Georgia" and the "Major Thoroughfare Plan, Ben Hill County, Georgia", displayed in his office are kept up-to-date and accurately show all amendments.

(Res. of 9-6-2022)

When uncertainty exists with respect to the location of boundaries of any zoning district as shown on the "Official Zoning Maps of Ben Hill County", the following rules shall apply:

4-3.1.

Unless otherwise specifically indicated, where district boundaries are indicated on the zoning map as approximately following the centerline of a street right-of-way, highway, railroad right-of-way line, stream bed, or riverbed; such centerlines shall be interpreted to be such district boundaries.

4-3.2.

Boundaries indicated as approximately following platted lot lines shall be interpreted as following such lot lines.

4-3.3.

Where district boundaries are indicated on the zoning map as approximately following the corporate limit lines, then such corporate limit lines shall be interpreted to be such district boundaries.

4-3.4.

Where district boundaries are indicated on the zoning map as being set back from the centerline of a street right-of-way, road, highway, railroad, stream, or river, and parallel thereto, then such district boundaries, unless otherwise specifically indicated, shall be interpreted as being at the scaled distance from the centerline of such street, road, highway, railroad, stream, or river as being parallel thereto.

(Res. of 9-6-2022)

The use provisions of section 5 of this ordinance shall govern the use of all properties, regardless of any inconsistency or conflicting provision of section 4.

R-15, R-9, R-6, and R-6-M zoning classifications/districts were created by previous Ben Hill County Zoning ordinances and currently exist on the Official Zoning Maps of Ben Hill County, Georgia. As of the adoption of this resolution, and into the future, no parcels may be zoned in accordance with these districts/classifications as they no longer exist in Ben Hill County's future land use plan.

(Res. of 9-6-2022)