After nearly

two years of court cases and zoning votes, developer Steve Entrekin will

be able to build homes on Rockaway Road in Senoia.

Monday night,

the Senoia City Council turned back its April 2 vote to deny annexing

and rezoning nearly 120 acres. The council voted 4-1 to approve the first

reading of an annexation ordinance and took the first step toward ending

one of the most contentious periods in recent Senoia zoning history.

Entrekin owns

two tracts and will place more than 120 homes on the 134 acres. The developer

is asking for the R-40 open space development zoning, which allows him

to have half-acre lots, but he would have to reserve 25 percent of the

acreage as open space.

City planner

Bill Johnston recommended the council approve the zoning back in April

since development north of the city is planned for residential use and

the market tendency is toward smaller lots.

Entrekin said

the homes would be at least 1,800 square feet in size and start at $200,000.

The controversy

started nearly two years ago, when Senoia notified Coweta County it wanted

to annex the property.

The matter

eventually wound up in the Georgia Supreme Court, where the court ruled

in the county's favor and against the annexation.

But after the

decision, the city went back to the county and agreed that any lots in

the development bordering the unincorporated area would be 1.6 acres,

to match the county's minimum size.

After the city

and county agreed, the matter came before the City Council in April, and

council turned down the request, much to the surprise of Mayor Joan Trammell.

Monday night,

Councilmen Robert Hannah and Darren Ratajski reversed their earlier votes

and said they were satisfied that internal issues in the city, such as

the inspection process, had been resolved to allow the development.

"I never

said I was against annexation. I just want to make sure we take care of

our own first," said Hannah.

Entrekin said

he does not believe the homes will be fully occupied until 2004.