By DAVE HAMRICK
dhamrick@thecitizennews.com

A pair of local veterinarians in coming months will build a 3,000-sq. ft. emergency clinic for pets on Ga. Highway 54 east of Fayetteville.

Bowing to the wishes of about 50 local pet owners, the County Commission last week unanimously approved a change in zoning for 1.57 acres just west of Banks Road, from a residential category to O-I, office institutional, for the hospital.

Drs. David Selleck and Mike Younker said they want to move their animal emergency clinic from Riverdale to Fayette, where most of its clients are.

“We feel this is long overdue in Fayette County,” said Selleck in presenting the plan recently.

The clinic would be open nights and weekends, staffed with at least one veterinarian. All of the county's veterinarians will be offered a chance to participate in the clinic, said the pair.

Only small pets will be admitted — no farm animals.

Other planning and zoning matters approved by the commission last week include:

A proposed change in the standards for telecommunications towers, to be sure tower builders can't pile up dirt into a mound and use that to increase the allowed height of towers.

Proposed amendments to the county development regulations. The regulations cover a variety of technical requirements for developments, and county engineers have spent about a year rewriting them, strengthening or clarifying the language.

Nancy Cooper's request for a change in zoning from A-R (agricultural-residential) to M-1 (industrial) for her 6.18-acre tract on Ga. Highway 85 south, just north of Price Road, was withdrawn. Cooper had planned to sell the land to Richard Lawrimore as a new location for his Atlantic Tape Company Inc., currently on Ga. Highway 54 east of Fayetteville.