CLEVELAND, Ga. — Shop owners hoping to set up along the road into Helen got some room to move this week, after county leaders meeting in Cleveland, Ga., loosened a pause on growth along the corridor. The White County Board of Commissioners, in a unanimous vote, changed the six-month moratorium covering new commercial projects along Helen Highway, the stretch also known as Georgia 75.
The pause was adopted earlier in 2026 to stop new commercial building along the corridor. Since it took effect, at least one would-be owner asked about opening inside a building that is already standing. Commissioners said the goal was always to halt construction, not to keep existing structures empty.
Under the change, anyone who wants to run a business out of an existing building on the corridor can now apply for a business license. That means a vacant storefront or older commercial space along the highway can be filled again, as long as the owner is not putting up something new.
The freeze on new commercial construction is not going away yet. It stays on the books through Feb. 8 under the resolution the board passed earlier, giving the county more time before ground can be broken on fresh projects along the route that carries visitors toward the alpine village.
The same session also moved the county’s library plans ahead. Commissioners signed off on the terms of a $500,000 Community Facilities grant from USDA Rural Development that will help pay for the new White County Library.
With the terms approved, the county can begin accepting the federal money and keep the library building project moving forward.
