Concerns about eight new driveways emptying directly onto South Jeff Davis Drive were what motivated the Fayette County Board of Commissioners to deny a rezoning request for a new residential development.
The property in question was a 10.56-acre tract sandwiched between two large existing subdivisions, Jeff Davis Plantation and The Woodlands, and homeowners from both of those neighborhoods came to the meeting to express their opposition to the request that would allow eight lots with frontage on South Jeff Davis Drive.
Steve Moore from Moore Bass Consulting spoke for the property owner, outlining the plan to have all of the lots at least an acre, some as large as 1.8 acres. He said that the request is consistent with the land use plan and there are compatible zoning around the property, so it is appropriate.
The county’s planning commission had recommended R-50 zoning rather than the R-45 the property owner requested, along with a conditional buffer and a decel-accel lane along the entire frontage of the property. County staff recommended the R-45 with conditions to improve traffic safety.
Moore said the R-50 zoning would require 150-foot-wide lots so the applicant wants R-45. He added that he believed the concerns about sight-distance and traffic safety have been addressed.
Frank Love, who identified himself as the developer of Jeff Davis Plantation and a resident there, did not mince words when giving his comments on the proposal.
“As far as I’m concerned, this is a money grab,” said Love, whose own property is adjacent to the site. “A guy comes in, sees a lot of road frontage, and he doesn’t have to do roads and sidewalks – he doesn’t even have to do the driveways. He could require the builder to do them.”
Love questioned how the mandates involving the site would be carried out if approved by the county. With no covenants in place the residents of the proposed homes will not have to keep their property up to the standards of the surrounding neighborhoods, he said.
“He can just sell his lots and be done,” said Love about the developer. “He’ll count his money and skedaddle. I could have done this years ago but I just couldn’t do it.”
He said that when he developed Jeff Davis Plantation years ago, he was told that putting in sidewalks was a waste of money but he did it because he wanted to improve the area. He knows the latitude a developer can have.
“If this petition is approved, all the hard work done at Jeff Davis Plantation and The Woodlands will be undercut,” he said, adding that while the surrounding property is cheapened, property taxes will still go up.
“Two 5-acre tracts are already approved on this property,” he said. “Please leave it like that.”
Several who addressed the commissioners also commented on the potential problems from water runoff, especially if a number of trees are removed and the land is re-graded.
Tom Waller, who does live next to the property, is concerned about spot zoning.
“To stick eight houses in a nice area like this is cheap,” he said. “If you strip out the trees and put eight houses on that road, you are inviting disaster.”
Moore returned to the podium to address these concerns and said there is no plan for small or cheap houses. He said that the developers have been award of the drainage concerns for some time and will not make the matter worse, but hope to actually help the problem. He thinks that the proposal is better than the minimum required by county zoning for the adjoining subdivisions.
Commission Chairman Steve Brown said that he has no worries about the quality of the houses themselves, but he has a big problem with these driveways on a collector road.
“I think we’re just begging for trouble,” he said before making the motion to deny the request, which was seconded by David Barlow. Charles Oddo also expressed concern about traffic safety and wondered if the number of lots and driveways could be reduced.
The motion to deny passed 4-1, with Allen McCarty in opposition.
A separate public hearing was scheduled for Thursday night regarding a request for the addition of six lots to the minor subdivision plat. That agenda item was rendered moot by the denial of the rezoning request.
— By Monroe Roark
sports@TheCitizen.com
