Developers

would be allowed to build smaller home lots in exchange for more open

green space under a new ordinance under consideration by county planners.

Members of

the county Planning Commission took a look at a first draft of the ordinance

last week and will study the document this month before discussing it

in detail next month.

Under the draft,

developers who want to take advantage of the concept would have to submit

a "yield plan" showing that their plans for "conservation"

subdivisions would yield no more homes than the current zoning would allow

without the special consideration.

Open spaces

could be used only for passive recreation such as trails and paths, picnic

areas and horse stables for the use of subdivision residents only, and

any improvements would be limited to 5 percent of the open space.

The green space

would have to be owned by a mandatory home owners association or donated

to a land trust, a conservation organization or the county.

Senior planner

Pete Frisina designed the draft to meet the requirements of Georgia's

green space program, which the county recently joined. The program provides

state money targeted toward setting aside 20 percent of the land in metro

Atlanta counties for green space.

"What

I'm trying to do is cater this thing to support this green space program

we're involved in," said Frisina.

Not yet included

in the proposed ordinance, but something he hopes to add, Frisina said,

is a section providing incentives for developers to retain historic structures

on properties being developed.

"I want

to make allowances for historic structures an encourage developers to

use them as community centers," he said.

Frisina said

he also is working with county attorneys to word a section on what happens

if green space is owned by a homeowners association and the association

dissolves.

He also presented

commissioners with a map showing all of Fayette's stream corridors, considered

the most logical places to establish green space using local and state

funds to buy property.

The wetlands

are cheaper and easier to buy, he said, and also lend themselves well

to walking trails.

Preserving

20 percent of Fayette's 19,000 acres won't happen overnight, he cautioned.

"It's going to be a lifetime of doing this," he said.