City approves annexation, rezoning for Dews Pond subdivision site
Citizens voice concern over traffic congestion in the area
It was a busy agenda Monday night for the Calhoun City Council, with the approval of several rezoning requests — two of which also included annexation requests — as well as a beer package license and road closing for an event.
The first annexation and zoning change approved was for a 37 acre parcel (056A-061 and a portion of 056C-051) off Dews Pond Road requested by Brent Stepp Construction Company to be changed from county agricultural to city planned residential development.
Also discussed at a recent meeting of the Gordon County Commission, the rezoning and annexation is intended for a planned 100 plus home subdivision with a single entrance and exit on Dews Pond Road, which is a county roadway.
“We do have control over access to Dews Pond Road,” County Administrator Jim Ledbetter said during a recent county commission meeting. “We’ll have to get a traffic study and we’ll also have to approve the engineering plan and design before we can in good conscience issue a driveway permit. It’s already very crowded. Traffic backs up to or past this location already.”
Though there was no direct opposition to the development during the public hearing Monday night, the Gordon County Board of Education sent a representative to speak out against the annexation.
“The board opposes any future annexations that erode our county’s tax base,” said Dr. Amy Parker, Director of Communications for
Gordon County Schools. “These annexations directly impact revenues that provide services to students of Gordon County Schools and it’s for this reason the board will continue to oppose these types of requests.”
In response, Mayor Jimmy Palmer said “the city has helped the county on several things,” citing a recent sewer project as well as services along the South Highway 41 corridor. He added that the city would welcome a conversation with the county school board at any point.
From members of the public, there was plenty of concern over
potential added traffic strain so close to the Lovers Lane and Harmony Church Road intersection on Dews Pond Road. There was also some concern expressed by several nearby residents about potential water runoff problems associated with such a large development.
Dews Pond Road resident Dale Bentley was one of many county residents to speak saying he’s “not against this project or the annexation,” but worries about traffic and water caused by any future added homes on the site.
Danny Dobson, a 43 year resident of an adjoining property told the council he worries about the effects the development may have on the quality of his well water.
Debbie Owens, who also lives on Dews Pond Road, said the city and county need to improve Dews Pond Road before any new developments are allowed to be built.
Mayor Palmer said that conversation with the county has already been planned and some measures are already in the works to help improve traffic flow in the area, and that water issues should be taken care of by hydrology studies and state requirements developers must follow.
“The development will happen in two or three phases over a two or three year period,” Stepp said.
The request for both the annexation and rezoning were approved by a 4-0 vote, with Councilwoman Jackie Palazzolo abstaining due to her employer — Gordon County Schools — being opposed to the measure.
Also requested by Brent
Stepp Construction Company was the annexation and rezoning from county agricultural to R1-A for 4.22 acres at Amakanata Road. That request was also approved 4-0 without a vote from Palazzolo.
A zoning change request from residential to general purpose industrial by FB&F Holding Company, LLC for approximately 17 acres at 130 Executive Drive (Parcel C58-047) was also approved. That request was passed by a 5-0 vote.
Yet another request for rezoning by Kiersten Lurer for a Verizon Wireless tower on 10,000 square feet for 22.48 acres at a location on Highway 53 (Parcel CG34A-065) was approved by a 5-0 vote.
A beer and package license license request by Henry Patel for 312 N. Wall St. was also approved 5-0.
A request by Echota Baptist Church was also approved 5-0 by the council to block the road beginning at the mailbox by the front steps of the church, College Circle, to the stop sign behind the church at Short North Wall Street from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sat., March 27 for a Community Easter Egg Hunt.