JOHN COFFELT Contributor

The Coffee County Board of Zoning Appeals rejected a request by Julian and Avila Munoz for a special exception to locate a children’s party venue at their home on Norton Branch Road.

Julian Munoz told the BZA that he and his wife are exploring using the roughly 2,000 square-foot detached garage as a youth birthday party venue. He said that events would see usually fewer than 50 guests. 

“We thought of this idea so that kids could enjoy the property as well,” he said. 

Neighbor Jinan Robinson, of Gossburg Road, told the BZA that the vast majority of the community spoke out against the special exception.

“The roadway does present a problem,” Robinson said. “It’s a very narrow strip to get to Norton Branch from Gossburg.”

In addition to traffic concerns Robinson, and others from the area who attended, voiced fears about parking and if the site would be appropriate for the proposed business.    

BZA member and Coffee County Schools Transportation Director Tim Morris said that Norton Branch was narrow and difficult to navigate in a school bus.

According to BZA Chairman Kevin Sipe, the board by statue has the authority to decide the special exception in this case. County codes allow certain uses within particular zones. Special exceptions are limited additional uses that are decided on a case-by-case basis, guided by a list of previsions that help clarify the appropriateness of the use in the zone.   

“If the board doesn’t feel that he has addressed these seven issues – because it’s on him…to prove that he has handled this,” Sipe said.

The motion to disapprove the request passed unanimously with BZA member Dennis Hunt absent.          

Forest Mill Cemetery granted special exception

The BZA granted a special exception to Forest Mill Cemetery allowing 0.9 acres to be used for a future expansion.  

Forest Mill Cemetery Trustee John Yates said the cemetery expansion anticipates future growth in the county. 

“We’ve been hearing from other community cemeteries that they were getting full and were landlocked,” Yates said.

A private donor has funded the purchase of the land for the cemetery.

“It’s run through donations,” Yates said. “We’re very fortunate to have people who donate.”

Gates said that an acre can hold about 600 graves. The cemetery’s 2.1 acres has 1205 gravesites laid out. Currently,  

A cemetery is a special exception use in the RS-1 residential zone where Forest Mill Cemetery is located. It is also in the Manchester Urban Growth Boundary and will require a final plat to be approved by the Manchester Regional Planning Commission.