The Walton County Planning Commission on May 1 approved a conditional-use request allowing outside storage of construction dumpsters at 5395 Highway 20 and forwarded the matter to the Board of Commissioners with conditions.

The commission’s approval came after the applicant, Alan Atha, described ongoing storage at the site and said the plan is limited to construction dumpsters. "My name is Alan Atha, and my plan is to continue doing what I've been doing for over a year now," Atha told the commission.

The commission placed several conditions on the approval: only empty dumpsters may be stored on the property; no transfer-station operations or on-site cleaning/washout of containers; storage limited to construction (C&D) containers only; a cap on the number of containers (the commission set a limit tied to testimony of a near-term maximum of 30); and restricted pickup/drop-off hours limited to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The approval will be considered next month by the Board of Commissioners.

Neighbors who spoke during public comment said they had concerns about early-morning truck activity and mixed trash. One resident told the commission they had seen trucks transferring waste at about "03:30 or 04:00 in the morning." Atha responded that the containers are empty on arrival and that he has motion-activated cameras and has not been notified of activity at "unreal hours." The applicant said existing fencing encloses the area used for storage and that he would add any additional perimeter fencing the county code requires.

Commission discussion focused on visibility, odor and water-resource concerns; one commissioner noted a nearby pond and urged strong conditions to protect neighbors and the environment. Commissioners also sought clarity that storage would remain temporary; Atha said the use is intended to be temporary until another site is developed and estimated a remaining duration of "maybe another year," noting the site already has been used about a year.

Because the Planning Commission took only the advisory action, the conditions and recommendation will now go to the Board of Commissioners for final action.