County OKs housing development zoning
A major hurdle has been cleared to make way for a large housing development in the Sonoraville community with the county’s approval of a zoning change request.
A request by Darryl Edwards to rezone 129.94 acres at 6624 Fairmount Highway from A-1 agricultural to R-3 suburban density residential was approved in a 3-2 vote by the Gordon County Board of Commissioners Tuesday night following a lengthy public hearing.
In October, an earlier request to rezone the property was ultimately tabled by commissioners and soon after withdrawn by Edwards so changes could be made to the plans.
Prior to Tuesday’s hearing, the County Zoning and Planning Commission recommended denial of the request by a 2-1 vote, but didn’t hold quorum.
Back before the board, developers returned with a significantly reduced plan from 524 units in a plan that included some town homes, to a 395-unit development with only single-family homes.
The applicant, however, did ask for a variance from a 10,000-square-foot minimum lot size down to 8,000 — but with average lot size still over 9,000 for the overall plan. According to developers the reasoning is to allow for more green space around the development.
Attorney Brandon Bowen, who represented the applicant, as well as developer Darin Hardin and Joe Ingram of Starlight homes all spoke on behalf of the project’s development team.
According to Ingram, the homes will likely start in the $300,000 range with some over $400,000 — including
our closest development we have
to this site is in Bartow County, and we’re envisioning much of the same here. i think it’s 1,650 up to 2,800
square feet.”
Joe Ingram of Starlight homes
a likely home owners association fee of around $900 a year.
“Our closest development we have to this site is in Bartow County, and we’re envisioning much of the same here,” Ingram said. “I think it’s 1,650 up to 2,800 square feet.”
Comparing the Sonoraville site to the Bridlewood Farms subdivision near Kingston, Ingram said the plan calls for a pool and cabana, as well as sidewalks.
Speaking out in favor of the development — as he did in the
October meeting — Jim Perkins, a senior manager at a local flooring manufacturer, said he believed such housing is vital to economic development in the area to help with staffing.
Hamilton Healthcare representative Todd Harrison shared Perkins’ sentiments saying that with the company’s forthcoming investment with a new facility in Gordon County, he’d like to see future employees be able to live in the community.
Nearby residents and their representatives turned out as well to speak out against the zoning.
Local attorney Bill Thompson said his clients Kenneth and Faye Prather’s property value and quality of life would suffer if such a development was allowed next door — citing density.
“No one has taken a position that a subdivision shouldn’t be built,” Thompson said. “But it needs to be consistent with what’s there and that is more consistent with R-1.”
R-1 zoning requires larger lot sizes, allowing for less density of housing.
Thompson also cited concerns with traffic and driveway location safety onto Fairmount Highway.
Nearby resident Jerry Weaver expressed concerns about standing water on the property.
“Most of that land stays under water ... about 10 acres right in the center,” he said.
Residents Jennifer and Melvin Burchett shared the same concerns about water, as well as the closeness of the potential homes to their residences.
Ultimately a motion for approval was made by Commissioner Bruce Potts with a second from Commissioner Bud Owens — to include the requested lot square footage concessions.
Potts and Owens were joined by Commissioner Kevin Cunningham voting in favor of the rezoning, while Commissioners Becky Hood and Chad Steward offered votes against.
Before the vote, Potts explained his vote while fighting back tears.
“I don’t make that motion flippantly,” Potts said, explaining that some of the residents who came to speak out against the development he thinks of like family. “Everybody in every meeting has said — even people on the committee — ‘we need housing ... but.’ Well, we need housing and me spending a lot of time assessing the two pages of rationale brought me to this motion, and so I
just wanted to share that. If it does pass, it doesn’t help people I’ve been lifelong friends with, but I made it based on what I think is best for our future.”
According to developers, from now until the first home is occupied may take anywhere between 16 and 24 months with anywhere from two to four phases of construction.
Also approved was a request by Jim Calhoun to rezone 10.74 acres at 3330 Nicklesville Road from A-1 agricultural to I-2 heavy industrial for a wooden pallet operation. With the stipulation that the zoning revert back to A-1 if the business ceases to exist, the measure passed unanimously without public comment.
In other business, a request by the Sheriff’s Office to surplus a Glock 45 9mm pistol was approved to be presented to retiring Deputy Randall Gibson, as allowed by a provision allowing peace officers to retain their weapon and badge upon retirement.
Also unanimously approved was a measure to declare
surplus furniture items and equipment being removed from the soon-to-be renovated 1961 main courthouse building. That renovation is set to begin on May 2.
Finally, the board unanimously passed a budget amendment dealing with paving.
“This is not new money being spent,” County Administrator Jim Ledbetter said. “We’re cleaning up some entry items so we can keep paving roads.”
Ledbetter cited the use of paving money last year to buy two new dump trucks, as well as money spent repairing flood damaged roads.
“This budget amendment is basically to transfer the line items from paving over to LOST and SPLOST, then that will shore up the paving account,” Ledbetter said, adding that the county will get at least $498,000 from FEMA to help with the costs incurred by those March 2021 floods.
The next meeting of the commission is scheduled for Tuesday, May 3. All meetings are open to the public.