Dellinger Wants To Rezone Cartersville Ranch To Mine Ochre

Photo credit: Shutterstock

A local property owner is petitioning Bartow County to allow him to mine ochre on his property.

James Dellinger has submitted a request to the county to rezone 211 acres from R-1 (residential) to M-1 (mining) to perform surface mining, said Bartow County Zoning Division Manager Brandon Johnson.

Dellinger owns the mineral rights to the property while Cartersville Ranch LLC, which is where the property is located, is the surface rights owner, Johnson added.

The property sits north of Highway 20 west of Cline Smith Road in unincorporated Bartow County.

Johnson said the proposal is to mine ochre, which is a common mineral in the area.

“Surface mining does not involve blasting or drilling,” he said. “The usual method is digging on the surface with an excavator or similar machine.”

Two public hearings will take place on the request. The first is set for 6 p.m. Dec. 1 with the Bartow County Planning Commission. Another public hearing will take place at 10 a.m. Dec. 3 when Bartow County Commissioner Steve Taylor will take up the request.

Dellinger and Cartersville Ranch had been in a legal dispute over who owns the mineral rights on the land. The Georgia Supreme Court ruled in May Dellinger owns the mineral rights, as he made ad valorem tax payments on the land, according to The Daily Tribune News.