A residential request on 120 acres on Greentop Road in north Coweta to be rezoned from rural conservation to single-family infill-medium density (RI-B) was heard at the May 20 meeting of the Coweta County Commission and was continued until the June 5 meeting.
The rezoning proposal included up to 226 lots and homes with a minimum of 1,800 square feet. The development is adjacent to the city of Newnan on the south side. If approved, the development will be served by Newnan Utilities.
Several area residents attended the meeting while a number of others reserved their comments for the June 5 meeting. Those speaking were opposed to the development, citing reasons such as increased traffic and the need for a lower density than what was being proposed.
Project representative Dennis Drewyer during the hearing said the ordinance requires 50 percent of the lots to abut greenspace while the proposal calls for 90 percent. Drewyer added that plans exceed the 35 percent required greenspace while secondary greenspace is shown at 60 percent rather than the required 20 percent.
Drewyer said that due to issues such as buffers, open space, setbacks and parks it is likely that 10 percent of the 226 lots will be lost.
The current proposal showed only one point of ingress and egress.
One of the 12 conditions that accompanied the recommended approval by the planning and zoning department dealt with ingress and egress points since a minimum of two are required under the ordinance. Until such time as the “future connectivity” is approved by transportation and engineering and installed, the development shall be limited to 49 dwelling permits, the recommendation said.
Drewyer agreed to that condition, adding that the developer is planning for a second entrance to the subdivision.
County planning director Robert Tolleson in the planning review said that “although the subject property is not included in the area designated for medium density development character, other policies guiding development decision-making support medium density in this location.
“The Comprehensive Land Use Plan 2006-2026 supports development at medium density at the edges of existing villages, towns and cities to foster a compact development pattern. The compact development pattern supports efficient maintenance and operation of public sewer facilities as well as other public facilities. The subject property has access to a street with adequate capacity, public water and is adjacent to the city limits of Newnan. City of Newnan sewer service is feasible.”
It was noted during the meeting that the RI-B zoning category incorporated into the zoning ordinance in 2007 had only seen one project request. That request was for a project in Sharpsburg which was denied by commissioners.
While amenable to having the public hearing, the applicant near the beginning of the meeting requested that the hearing be continued until the June 5 meeting when all five commissioners could be present. Commissioner Al Smith was unable to attend the May 20 meeting.
