A request before the Tyrone Town Council on Nov. 17 by Hobgood, LLC to rezone 20.17 acres on the west side of Ga. Highway 74 just south of the Rivercrest subdivision from Agricultural-Residential (A-R) to Heavy Mechanical (M-2) was withdrawn by the applicant. Hobgood representative Rick Sewell said a plan will be forthcoming at a later date once Hobgood and area residents confer on the idea of proposing a “higher and better use” for the site.
Sewell at the outset of the presentation said that over the past several weeks in meeting with planning commissioners and with the neighboring Rivercrest and River Oaks subdivisions the Hobgood perspective had changed.
“Through this we came to believe the (rezoning) plan we presented may not be the best plan for this property. There might be a higher and better use for this property. So we’re requesting that we withdraw the (rezoning) request,” Sewell said.
Sewell’s remarks were affirmed by homeowners’ association representative Eric Woods, who said that by working with Hobgood the property could become a commercial development that could serve area subdivisions and the entire town.
The brief presentation ended with the council voting unanimously to accept the request to withdraw the proposal.
At the Nov. 10 meeting before the Tyrone Planning Commission, Hobgood LLC representative Ed Wyatt said the family was asking that the 20.17-acre property be rezoned M-2 so that it is consistent with the neighboring property that is owned by the applicant. He said there were no current plans for the property, adding that the owners would like to show the property to perspective buyers as an M-2 property.
A number of residents at the Planning Commission meeting spoke in opposition to the request. Their reasons for opposing included factors such as the potential placement of unsuitable businesses on the property, a likely decrease in property values, degrading the quality of life, a reduction in air quality, an increase in traffic and noise and the uncertainty about what type of businesses might populate the area.
Commissioners on Nov. 10 agreed with town planning staff and voted 3-1 to recommend denial of the request. Commissioner Michael Sanak was opposed.
