Friday, December 29, 2000
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Friday, December 29, 2000 |
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Wetlands ordinance is proposed By JOHN THOMPSON Coweta County is getting serious about protecting its wetlands. Coweta County planner is recommending the Coweta County Commission approve a wetlands protection district ordinance at its Jan. 16 meeting. The ordinance would protect wetlands from any alterations that could significantly affect or reduce their function. The district would overlay all t in Che landoweta County and be used for all development within the county. After an applicant applies for development, the county engineer will review the site plan and inspect the site. The ordinance specifies that no development will be allowed to proceed until the engineer is satisfied there are no wetlands on the site or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued a permit to allow the development to proceed. The ordinance does allow several uses of wetlands, including fishing, hunting, bird watching, hiking, boating, horseback riding and canoeing. Another key component of the ordinance is that it allows the County Development Engineer to issue temporary emergency permits to work within wetlands to maintain or repair public roads or other facilities that serve the general public as long as it does not enlarge or materially change the facility. The ordinance also prohibits the use of wetlands as retention areas for toxic or hazardous waste or other contaminants, as well as stormwater detention facilities.
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