It now

appears that the first case of mediation on an annexation

dispute on Rockaway Road between Senoia and Coweta County

will go the distance.

Monday

night, the Senoia City Council rejected the

recommendations of a mediator hired to try a reach a

decision between the county and the council.

According

to city Planning Commission member Jack Merrick, the

mediator recommended a lower density on the property than

the city wants.

The

mediation is a result of House Bill 489, which requires

cities and counties to work toward compromise solutions

on annexation disputes.

The dispute

started in April after the county received an annexation

notice from the city of Senoia.

County

planner Robert Tolleson told the commission the city

wants to annex approximately 55 acres on Rockaway Road,

near the Twin Lakes subdivision.

Currently,

the property is zoned Rural Reserve in the county, which

requires a minimum five-acre lot size. But Tolleson

explained that the owner of the property could apply for

an R-200 zoning, which allows a minimum lot size of 1.6

acres in the county.

If the

property was annexed into the city, the property would be

in Senoia's R-1 zoning category, which requires only a

one-acre lot size.

Since the

annexation would significantly increase the density of

homes allowed on the property, Tolleson asked the

commission to file an objection and asked for mediation

in the case.

"Sewer

is a big concern and I'm sure it's cheaper to pay city of

Senoia taxes than do 1.6 acres," said County

Commission chairman Lawrence Nelms.

Tuesday

night, the commission accepted the recommendations of the

mediator, but since both parties could not agree, the

dispute is headed to another mediation round.

If the

parties disagree again on the mediator's recommendations,

the matter will ultimately be decided in a local court,

which would suit Senoia city attorney Kemp Wright.

"It's

time a court decides this," he said.

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