The city of

Senoia is getting serious about preserving its greenspace.

Burned by developers

in the past, the city is looking at rewording one of its zoning categories,

R-40-Greenspace option. The category was created to try and preserve the

city's trees and gave developers the ability to build on smaller lots.

"We've

got to do something, because I don't want everything looking like the

current developments," said Councilman Robert Belisle during Wednesday's

workshop meeting.

Belisle would

actually like to see the greenspace zoning be changed into a different

zoning district, instead of the developer merely having an option to use

it.

But in the

short term, the City Council instructed city planner Bill Johnston to

change the wording of the current zoning category.

The open space

allows for a density of 1.1 homes per acre, but the council wants it changed

to .9 homes per acre.

"Actually,

it will be an increase for the developers, since right now you can get

a buildable area of .75-.80 homes per acre after you take out the roads

and other things," said Belisle.

The council

also wants Johnston to eliminate several items that are currently allowed

to be counted as greenspace, such as floodplains, detention ponds, wetlands,

land that slopes more than 25 percent and utility easements.

Johnston plans

to have the rewritten ordinance ready for the Planning Commission to discuss

at their Sept. 16 meeting.

Once the ordinance

is changed, Belisle would like to see the city look at establishing other

zoning districts the could include cluster homes and areas for senior

citizen communities.

But, he believes

the rewritten ordinance has to be approved soon, since the city is looking

at dropping its development moratorium after the beginning of the year.