Staff

Writer

A portion

of the property on the northwest corner of Ga. Highway 54

and Walt Banks Road is one step closer to development,

after approval of a proposed rezoning at Monday night's

regular meeting of the Peachtree City Planning

Commission.

Bob Adams

of Bob Adams Homes has put together a plan for 64 cluster

homes on about 18.4 acres, with 1.6 acres set aside for a

compatible office use. He requested a change from R-43

residential zoning to LUR (limited use residential).

The site is

the combination of two adjoining tracts that are part of

a larger parcel, about 73 acres, that city officials are

working to master-plan. Adams was turned down by the

Planning Commission last November when he wanted to put

42 homes on the 10-acre Lallande tract, but he has since

acquired an option on the 10-acre Scott property next to

it.

Adams was

scheduled to appear before the City Council last night

for a public hearing on the matter.

During the

Planning Commission meeting, he presented a plan for an

empty-nester/senior community which he said would have a

homeowners' association. A right-in/right-out entrance

from Hwy. 54 would be the sole access for the time being.

The plan

also provides for a possible link to the remainder of the

property on the corner, as various land owners and

developers are in ongoing talks with the city concerning

a master plan for the site.

According

to a report provided by city staff for the Planning

Commission, Adams' request for the Lallande and Scott

properties is consistent with the concept currently under

discussion for the entire site.

City

development director Jim Williams said that Adams' plan

would be a good one because it would send the overall

plan in a definite direction, away from the majority

commercial projects the city had rejected for the site in

the past.

Along with

its recommendation for approval, city staff attached a

number of conditions, including specific minimum

greenbelt space.

Possible

linkage to the Heard property to the south will be

reserved for such time as a concept has been agreed upon

for the entire corner, Williams said.

Three

adjoining residents spoke in favor of the concept, while

one resident inquired about possible clear-cutting at the

site and expressed her disappointment at another LUR

rezoning.

"It's

an improvement over past recommendations," she said.

"But I'm still not totally happy."

Adams

responded that his company has eliminated 880 possible

apartments in Peachtree City over the past ten years

through the use of LUR zoning. He added that the cluster

homes will have the same tree yield as would R-43, with

sewer instead of septic fields, which could necessitate

more cutting.

The board

added a condition for tree saving wherever possible.

Also, while the future linkage to an adjoining site is a

strong possibility, members of the commission expressed

their concerns over a 64-home development with only one

access.

Chairman

Julian Campbell Jr. instructed the board that, for legal

purposes, its vote concerned only the Scott property, but

if it was approved, a resolution should be drawn

reflecting agreement with the overall concept for the

Lallande and Scott tracts.

That was

also done.

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