Bartow County’s population is almost double what it was when he passed away almost 20 years ago. Though many may recognize his name, which adorns the county administrative and judicial center, most current local residents probably know little of what transpired during Frank Moore’s tenure as Bartow County commissioner.

The 1980s were a tumultuous time in Bartow as county leaders attempted to prepare us for the onslaught of growth they knew was headed our way. Prior to then, there were few ordinances concerning zoning, land use, environmental protections or even stray animals.

A family might build their dream home, only to have a pig farm or mobile home park pop up next door a couple of years later, ruining the value of their home and destroying the quality of life they previously enjoyed.

Maybe it’s that independent streak we inherited from our Scots-Irish ancestors who helped settle this part of the nation, but Bartow County residents can be a little feisty and were split almost right down the middle over the issue of implementing Frank Moore’s proposed regulations and ordinances.

While residents in and near Cartersville, and to a lesser degree other cities, were generally in favor, the backlash from the country folks was strong. It all came down to the sentiment they shared that no one had the right to tell them what they could or couldn’t do with their property. It was understandable, as many of the people in the county were lifelong residents who were still living on the land their parents and grandparents had farmed or logged since the 1800s.

My wife and I had purchased the land we still live on back in 1983 and began construction of our home the next year. We were generally in favor of implementing the new zoning and land-use-planning regulations so as to protect our new humble abode but chose to not say much as our part of the county was a hotbed of protests against Moore and company.

Things in the county soon escalated with threats of violence, charges and countercharges flying back and forth. One local businessman, who owned a mobile home dealership, helped to spearhead an organized attempt to stop Moore’s plan. There was a recall attempt against Moore that failed, and Moore’s re-election bid in 1984 was extremely nasty.

Moore survived 1984 and another nasty re-election in 1988, and the changes he envisioned were gradually implemented. In the years since, many of those who had so strongly opposed Moore’s plans have softened their stance and in hindsight now realize that many if not almost all of the changes were needed. It’s hard to imagine Bartow County today without Moore’s zoning, land use and environmental ordinances in place.

Despite our rapid growth, the past 20 years have been fairly smooth for county government with expansions of the water and sewer systems, additional green space and recreation facilities, and a new conference center, along with other new government buildings among the improvements made.

The land-use issue raised its head a few years ago when the management of Toyo announced a desire to build a tire manufacturing facility in an area officially designated to be agricultural and residential. Approval of the rezoning and change in the land use map needed for Toyo was a tough choice for Commissioner Clarence Brown, as the county desperately needed this new plant and the jobs it would provide. Considering current high levels of unemployment, in retrospect Brown’s decision was the right one.

The reason for this look back is that Bartow County’s leadership team, especially the person who replaces Commissioner Brown upon his retirement, will soon face more tough decisions. Many of the newcomers to our quickly growing county expect certain things that we have yet to embrace here. If you take a look at the counties to our south, such as Cobb and Fulton, you’ll find things like tough restrictions on noise and more stringent sign ordinances.

As the recession winds down and residential growth picks up steam again, we’ll see more instances of new homes being built next to existing agricultural operations. Farmers, who were used to cranking up their tractors before sunup and working to well after dark, will find their new neighbors complaining about the noise. Those who settle next to cattle operations or chicken houses will probably complain about the stench.

We had a small taste of this recently out in the Taylorsville area when residents of new housing developments there complained about the noise and potential danger coming from a nearby outdoor shooting range. This resulted in a new county ordinance governing the location and operation of shooting ranges.

The farmers and others who are the subject of the complaints will likely claim that they were here first and the newcomers should have expected the noise and smell before they built their homes nearby. While that sentiment is understandable, eventually some level of compromise will be needed, and new regulations will be put in place.

While it’s doubtful new ordinance proposals will push county residents to the level of heated disagreement seen in the 1980s, things could get a little messy from time to time. That, my friend, is the price of growth, when old meets new.

Follow me on Twitter @chuckshiflett and check out my statewide columns at The Backroom Report.