A pitch to build 110 age-restricted senior apartments next to the Kedron Village shopping center will be voted on Monday night by the Peachtree City Planning
Commission.
NorSouth wants to build on a 5.6 acre tract on Newgate Road that was previously zoned for 21 luxury townhomes.
The commission’s vote is one of recommendation only. The City Council has final say on all rezoning matters.
Several city council members have expressed hesitation over the NorSouth senior apartment project, which would be restricted to persons ages 62 and up. The apartments are targeting seniors who earn no more than about $30,000 a year, and some have questioned what would happen if the company is unable to fill the complex. The income limit is set due to a requirement of tax credits allowed for the project that are granted on the construction end to keep rents affordable. Anyone earning more than the income limit can rent one of the apartments at full market price, NorSouth officials have said.
NorSouth representatives have said they have never had a problem finding tenants for its similar properties. The company also provided a tour of its Atlanta area developments for council members, planning commission members, city staff and the public.
Also on Monday’s planning commission agenda is a review of proposed changes to the city’s telecommunications tower ordinance. Two weeks ago council enacted a moratorium on all new tower applications pending the ordinance changes and an updating of the application process.
The application process changes will also be discussed Monday night.
Under the city’s current ordinance there are precious few cell tower sites in the seven mostly residential areas where new ones are needed. Those areas were identified by three cellphone companies: AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.
Of the available sites, most are owned by either the city or the Fayette County Board of Education. There are also opportunities for perhaps two new towers to be built on the Flat Creek Golf Course.
All towers must be at least 200 feet away from any adjacent residential property and any roads; they also must be at least 50 feet from all non-residential property.
Under current city ordinances, towers can only be built on property zoned general industrial, light industrial, open space or agriculture reserve.
The city has reached out to the cellphone companies in an effort to determine instances where companies can co-locate on new towers. The companies have indicated they want to build monopole towers instead of the traditional lattice-type towers.
The new towers would be no higher than 200 feet because above that level they have to be specially lit according to a requirement by the Federal Aviation Administration. The companies want to avoid having to light the towers out of concern they will draw more attention to them from an aesthetic point of view for nearby residents.
