development firm is reevaluating its plans for a

subdivision on 178 acres on Ga. Highway 92 south

this week in the wake of County Commission denial

of the company's rezoning request to allow 49

homes.

Citing

environmental concerns, dissatisfaction with the

proposed subdivision layout and concerns over

density, commissioners last week unanimously

rejected the request from TCG Holding LLC.

The

company, on behalf of property owner Addie

Oakley, asked the board to change the zoning of

the property from A-R, an agricultural category

requiring minimum home lots of five acres, to

R-80, a subdivision category allowing lots as

small as three acres.

company spokesman pointed out that the

agricultural zoning allows homes as small as

1,200 square feet, whereas R-80 requires at least

2,500 square feet.

Homes

would sell for $300,000 in the proposed

subdivision, he said, adding that curb and

gutter, required under R-80 but not under A-R,

also would make the subdivision more desirable.

Two

property owners nearby also spoke in favor of the

rezoning.

But

most of the homes in the surrounding area are on

estate sized lots much larger than three acres,

said Commissioner Linda Wells, adding that the

property backs up to the Flint River and some of

the homes would be too close to the river for

environmental comfort.

"I

don't see any reason why we should take this and

make this basically the standard for that area

out there," she said.

Denial

of the petition puts property owner Addie Oakley

in a bind, said her son, James. In her 80s, the

owner has decided, "It's time to let the

farm go," he said, adding that it's not

practical to hand the land down to heirs, because

then it would have to be chopped up into smaller

parcels.

The

owners have to wait six months before petitioning

for another zoning change, but the developers

can, if they choose, build a subdivision with

five-acre lots, putting about 32 homes on the

land.

In

other zoning business last week, commissioners

approved a set of revisions to the county land

use plan and map written by the planning staff

after months of research and examined during

several months of Planning Commission workshops

and hearings.

Among

substantive changes commissioners agreed to, the

land use plan now contemplates

office/institutional uses for property along the

south side of Ga. Highway 54, just east of

Fayetteville. The previous plan called for light

industrial growth there.

Property

farther back from the road will be listed for

residential uses in the new plan, instead of

industrial as before.

Areas

formerly listed as industrial near Brooks and

Tyrone also will now be listed as low-density

agricultural. The areas around those properties

haven't gone in the industrial direction that

county officials thought they would when the plan

was written years ago, said planning director

Chris Venice.

In

other business,the commission approved more than

$1 million in water system expenditures.

The

group approved a bid of $501,685 from United

Metering to install new water meters that can be

read by radio. A $333,954 bid to increase the

pumping power of the Crosstown Water Plant also

was approved, along with $184,994 to complete

phase six of the county's loop water line.

The

group approved $53,425 to fence the Horseman's

Run water tank site. Plans are also to place a

sign at the site to alert future homeowners that

a tank is to be built there.

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