On Tuesday, the Troup County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved two home occupation applications to allow a husband and wife, Randall and Jan Webb, to operate their home offices out of their residence in Troup County instead of their former office location in Meriwether County.

Both businesses required home occupation certificates, since the Teaver Road property is zoned single family medium density. Timber, grading and septic tank businesses are not included in the list of standard allowed uses. According to Senior Building Official Jay Anderson, these types of businesses require specific consideration due to the nature of what they do.

“These businesses can seem to gravitate toward things that we don’t have in our residential home occupation uses, which is equipment, outside storage,” Anderson said. “That is another reason why it comes before [the Troup County Board of Commissioners] because that typical business would fall under these standards.”

However, the property in question was significantly larger than most requesting to operate business offices out of a location with 29 acres, and the applicants said that the use would not involve any additional traffic or storage, since the location would only be used for personal office space.

“I’ve lived here all my life, and LaGrange has hardly anything as far as tree services or what I do,” Randall Webb said. “Last week, we had a meeting talking about equipment going in and out of my driveway, [but] it goes from one job to another. We have a year and a half worth of timber to cut right now. All I’m trying to do is just get my office from Meriwether County to here in my residence.”

The approval came with standard conditions limiting traffic, outdoor storage, building expansion for commercial use and other similar items that could indicate a need for a dedicated commercial location. Webb said that he had spoken to his neighbors about his plan, and he said he and his wife were comfortable with the conditions.

“I don’t want to put any stress or strain on a business person, because I’ve been in business 50 years myself,” Commissioner Richard English said.

“If you put a strain on them, they could go out of business.”

Anderson said the county received no calls, comments or mail in regard to the rezoning, which was advertised. Commissioner Morris Jones asked that the county review the standard requirements for home occupation businesses due to concerns that even standard package delivery through companies like FedEx and UPS could surpass the limitations for large trucks listed in the ordinance.

The Troup County Board Commissioners will meet again on March 14 at 9 a.m. at 100 Ridley Avenue.