Drawn by scenic horse farms, Ga. homebuyers discover the true sights and smells of rural living

The postcard-like beauty of horse farms in rural Milton, Georgia, has lured many new residents to the area in Fulton County north of Atlanta. They have built expensive new homes in this rural setting, but upon moving in, some were surprised to learn horse farms are still farms, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The town of 20,000 has about 90 percent of its land zoned for agriculture; at the same time, the average price a home is more than $800,000, reports Doug Nurse. "As city officials are finding out, some Milton residents are more enamored with the visual aspects of a rural environment than with the inevitable byproducts," he writes. Farm such as Yellow House Farm may look perfect (in an AJC photo by Phil Skinner) but they still produce smells and sounds new residents find less than appealing.

The growth in Milton has put farmers and the new residents at odds, especially since the agriculture zoning "allows a wide variety of uses that doesn't fit the increasingly suburban nature of Milton, such as chicken farms, pig farms, kennels and horses," Nurse writes. Recent conflicts include the fight between one homeowner and a neighboring farm's horse arena. In response, the city is set to begin its first comprehensive plan which may change much of the zoning to residential. (Read more)