The Peachtree

City Council has approved the rezoning of a three-acre tract on Ga. Highway

74 north near McWilliams Drive for office institutional use.

The property

will be combined with a tract next door for the development of an office

complex that will be designed to appear residential in nature. The previous

zoning for the land was agriculture-reserve, but council was told at its

meeting Thursday night that the owner could have sought a high-density

multifamily zoning. That's because there are several similar projects

nearby, explained Jim Williams, the city's director of developmental services.

Council also

turned down a resident's request for a limited use residential designation

on a lot zoned for estate residential on Carriage Lane.

Thomas Haynes

sought the rezoning so he could build a house for his son on his property.

But Haynes was told he could build a guest house on the property without

the rezoning, as long as he doesn't rent the home or use it for financial

gain.

Maintaining

the current zoning of estate residential would prevent the guest house

from being sold separately from the main house, Williams said.

Several neighbors

spoke in opposition to the rezoning, many indicating they have no quarrel

with Haynes. But the rezoning, which would have split the property into

two separate tracts, would open the door for others to do the same, the

neighbors argued.

Several council

members said they were worried about creating a precedent by allowing

the lot to be subdivided with the requested rezoning.

Haynes said

he planned to build the second home regardless of council's decision,

since he can build it as a guest house without the rezoning.

Haynes questioned

why a plat of the street indicated one lot had been subdivided. Williams

said that action was not approved by council and the owner of that lot

cannot legally sell it separately.

Back

to News Home Page |