Duties Would Include Zoning, Annexation; City Considers Buying Shop. KINGSLAND - The City of Kingsland could soon see the formation of a new Planning and Zoning Commission after five people volunteered to serve on such a committee during the Kingsland City Council meeting last Thursday.Meanwhile, Mayor Sharon Crosby told the city council, that after speaking with City Office Manager Wendy James, the city may have enough money to possibly buy the former bus maintenance shop at the Kingsland School campus.When the city council was discussing annexing the new Dollar General store into the city limits during its May meeting, City Attorney Thomas Burns suggested that rather than looking solely annexing the Dollar General, the city create a planning and zoning commission to consider future development of the city and possible areas for annexation.Typically, a zoning commission designates zones or areas within a city for commercial/retail, industrial and/or residential development. It can also consider areas just outside the city limit for future annexation. Burns suggested during the May meeting that the commission look beyond simply trying to annex the Dollar General, but instead consider future retail/commercial development along Hwy. 79 inside and outside the city limits. After reviewin state law, Burns said the city could form a five-member planning commission that could consist of up to two city councils members and three members from the community. He noted that state law does allow residents from within a couple of miles of the city limits to sit on such commissions since future annexation could impact them.Crosby said the formation of a planning commission was recently discussed at a Kickstart Kingsland community development meeting, and she brought it up during last Thursday’s regular monthly meeting of the Kingsland City Council.She said during last week’s meeting that three people had agreed to serve on a planning commission, including Kelly Taylor and Linda Burns as community representatives and city…
