The Buchanan City Council met during a called meeting on Tuesday and resolved an ongoing zoning issue along Business Highway 27.

At previous meetings, the council had heard concerns from residents of the Westmoreland Estates subdivision that the aesthetic and property values of their homes were being negatively influenced by a property at 3052 Business Highway 27. The property was originally zoned for residential use, but it currently has tall barbed-wire, chain-link fencing enclosing storage containers and light industrial equipment.

Last month the city issued a stop work order and zoning citation to the property’s owner, Matthew Slay, who asserts that he filed an application to have the land rezoned to match its current use. In court, a judge advised that before enforcing the zoning citation, the city should allow Slay an opportunity to file a second application to have the property rezoned.

Slay then filed a second application requesting the council to rezone the property to match its current use. In accordance with city zoning ordinances, the city council held a public hearing on the rezoning, which took place during their regular meeting on July 8.

During the public hearing, residents from Westmoreland Estates stated that Slay’s property did not fit in with the surrounding homes and that silt and clay from the property had been flowing into the subdivision’s streets. Slay addressed the council on his own behalf during the hearing and stated that he did not intend to anger or upset nearby residents, but that he had already invested a significant amount of money into the property.

Due to city zoning ordinances, the council could not vote on Slay’s rezoning application until their next meeting. On Tuesday, the board voted to deny the rezoning application.

Also during the called meeting, the council voted to authorize Mayor Benjamin Biggers to sign an intergovernmental agreement necessary for the proposed 2008 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax that will appear in a referendum before voters in November.

If approved by voters, the SPLOST will allow the county to collect a maximum of $30 million in sales tax revenues over the next six years with 3.6629 percent, $1,098,970 to be distributed to Buchanan.

According to the intergovernmental agreement, Buchanan will spend its SPLOST revenues on a public utility project, a transportation project, an economic development project, a water and sewer improvement project, the retirement of previously incurred general obligation debt, a municipal facilities project, a recreational project and a public safety project.

The council authorized the mayor to sign the agreement, which must be received by Haralson County Elections Superintendent Vaughn Gable before Aug. 1, on the condition that if two or more members of the council disagree or have a question about the SPLOST, the council will hold a called meeting before the due date.