The Peachtree

City Planning Commission is expected to revisit the rezoning request for

Lexington Commons, the commercial and retail portion of a mixed-use project

that will be located at the intersection of Walt Banks Road and Ga. Highway

54.

Developers

want to reduce the overall commercial space of the project and increase

the number of lofts from 160 to 260.

At its last

meeting, the Planning Commission heard a presentation from the various

developers and consultants involved in the project. The commission decided

to continue the public hearing at its next meeting after several commissioners

said they weren't willing to approve the rezoning immediately.

There is a

rush to get the rezoning approved because of a Dec. 15 deadline to purchase

the property. After that date, the property would likely lose its specially

designed limited-use commercial zoning.

The rezoning

request involves several significant changes to the development plan for

Lexington Commons.

Jim Williams,

the city's director of developmental services, told the Planning Commission

that the main issues of contention between the developers and the city

involve the size of the largest retail stores, traffic improvements that

will be needed in the area and the buffering along Walt Banks Road and

Hwy. 54.

The developers

indicated they wanted to retain the size limits of the largest retail

stores, with the largest building housing a grocery store. Shrinking the

sizes could prevent the location of specialty businesses such as a chain

bookstore, they added.

John Perlman,

a commercial developer with Adams and Company Real Estate, said it was

important for the stores to be visible from the roadway through the buffering.

The Planning

Commission questioned the appropriateness of having a hotel and a child

care business at Lexington Commons. Jeff DeHart of Scout Properties replied

that they needed to generate traffic from outside the area to draw customers

for the retail stores.

It is estimated

that between $50 million ad $60 million will be spent on Lexington Commons,

which will be located adjacent to a new subdivision with 130 single-family

homes.