In a meeting where almost every

item drew public comment, Fayette County's Planning Commission last week

voted to recommend approval of two new subdivisions, but denied requests

for commercial and office zoning.

And although its request was approved, Integrated Science and Engineering

got less than it wanted for 42.3 acres on New Hope Road. Commissioners

followed a staff recommendation and approved R-72 zoning, which requires

minimum two-acre lots, instead of the requested R-50 category, which allows

one-acre lots.

If the County Commission goes along with the planning panel's recommendation,

the resulting subdivision will have about

20 lots instead of the 31 requested. As currently zoned (agricultural-residential),

it could have only about seven or eight homes on five-acre lots.

Residents with property adjoining the proposed subdivision on all four

sides expressed opposition to the R-50 request. Charley Reagan, who said

he has no plans to ever sell his ten acres on the west side of the ISE

property, argued for leaving the zoning at A-R.

But Joel Lindsey, who owns land to the south, said the two-acre lots allowed

under R-72 "would be more suitable to what I think is going to develop

in the future."

Commissioner Al Gilbert argued for granting the R-50 request, and voted

against the motion to approve R-72. "New Hope Road has been one-acre

zoning all the way down," he said. "In fairness, this area

is one-acre." But commissioner Fred Bowen said the property is surrounded

"I think the staff's R-72... is a very fair compromise," he

said. "The neighbors feel comfortable that is something they could

live with."

His motion passed 3-1.

Starr's Mill LLC's request for community commercial zoning on 80 acres

at Ga. Highway 74 and Redwine Road drew a unanimous "no" vote

from the Planning Commission. (See related story)

Commissioners unanimously recommended approval of Curtis Burton's request

for R-45, which allows one-acre lots, for a 36-lot subdivision on 55 acres

on Ga. Highway 279, angering a group of about 20 neighbors who showed

up to argue against it. "It's

really overpopulated as it is right now," said Don Mabry, who lives

in nearby Lafayette Estates. "Traffic is really terrible there."

Velma Kelley of the nearby Dix-Leeon subdivision, said she was concerned

that homes in the proposed subdivision be comparable to those in existing

neighborhoods.

Commissioners said a staff-recommended condition that the homes be at

least 2,000 square feet would assure that. The commission's recommendation

also includes a condition that the developer take special care with storm

water runoff.

The group unanimously voted to deny a request to remove a 1.9-acre building

lot from Fayette Villa Estates, on Ga. Highway 54 at Brittany Way, and

change its zoning to O-I (office-institutional). The

county has special rules in place that allow office zoning for properties

fronting Hwy. 54, but commissioners said they have no intention of applying

those rules to land that's already part of a platted subdivision.

"I feel very sorry for people who have property on 54," said

commissioner Bill Beckwith, "but it's not fair to people who have

property in a subdivision that is platted."

Commissioners unanimously approved a request for R-45 zoning for a one-acre

tract on Hewell Road. Owners W. R. Clifton and D. B. Scroggins Jr. said

they want to put a single home on the land.

All of the rezoning requests will be heard by the County Commission in

its meeting Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at the County Administrative Complex.