Which would you rather have,

smaller lots and a huge park, or bigger lots and far less greenspace?

That's the thorny question

the Fayette County Commission tackled last Thursday.

In the end, the County Commission

decided unanimously to give approval to the county's first C-S conservation

subdivision, which allows homes to be developed on lots as small as an

acre, but preserves a large amount of greenspace.

"This is the prototype

for this type of development in the county," said Commissioner Linda

Wells.

The tract of land in question

was a 185-acre site on Flat Creel Trail, between Tyrone Road and Sandy

Creek Road, about midway between Peachtree City and Fayetteville. Since

1941, the land has been in the hands of the Kirby family. For the last

few years, the Kirbys have been looking for the right developer to sell

the property to, and settled on John Ryckeley.

Ryckeley explained that he

could currently develop 76 homes on the site under the R-70 zoning, without

asking for a rezoning request. But he decided to seek the C-S zoning to

try a new type of development. Under the C-S zoning, Ryckeley will still

build the same number of homes, but they will be grouped on a smaller

fraction of the total parcel.

With some lots as small as

an acre, Ryckeley will be able to leave 82 acres as permanent greenspace,

in addition to preserving a pecan grove on the property that will be used

as a picnic area.

"I'm also going to

build sidewalks and walking paths throughout the subdivision," Ryckeley

said.

The homes in the development,

dubbed Annelise Park, will be between 2,500 and 2,800 square feet and

retail for $425,000-$750,000.

"I've looked at the

property and C-S is a better way, and there will only be 20 one-acre lots,"

said Commissioner A.G. VanLandingham.

But the new way of developing

did have its detractors. Nearly 20 people stood in opposition to the development.

Many of the arguments leveled

against the proposed subdivision included increased traffic on Flat Creek

Trail, and a 117 percent increase in housing units in the area.

But Commission Chairman Greg

Dunn disagreed.

"There's going to

be the exact same number of homes no matter how it's developed,"

he said.

Commissioner Herb Frady agreed,

and said this was a way of allowing development, but still preserving

property.

The commission also said this

did not set a precedent for one-acre developments in the county, since

there was a stringent set of guidelines for developing a conservation

subdivision.

"We will be monitoring

closely how this is developed," Dunn said.

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