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Sun City plan given thumbs down by county commission

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What's next?

That's what many residents and one very large developer are thinking after last week's move by the Fayette County Commission to nix discussion on the proposed Sun City Sandy Creek project.

"We have every intention of still pursing this development in the county," said McRae Communication's Phil Corley, who represents Pulte Homes.

Corley said he was meeting with the developers yesterday to discuss the next move. One of the possibilities is asking the county to rezone the property to Planned Residential Development, which allows four attached homes per acre with sewer.

Pulte and its Del Webb subsidiary had preferred to build the homes detached, but company officials said they were studying all the options.

The fall-back classification also does not allow a golf course, but Pulte officials said they could seek a variance.

Commission Chairman Greg Dunn has a different view on the company's tactics.

"I really think they're going to approach the city about annexation," he said earlier this week.

During last week's County Commission meeting, the commissioners cut off debate after five minutes on a proposal to change the county's ordinance to allow the community to set up shop in the county.

Commissioner Linda Wells said the county could be setting a dangerous precedent by asking staff to start working on a text amendment for a Planned Age Qualified Community, a zoning category that does not currently exist in the county's zoning rules.

"Most developers make a point of trying to follow our ordinances. If we do this, we'll be inundated with requests for people wanting to write their own ordinances," she said.

Del Webb, a division of Pulte Homes, has assembled more than 1,200 acres along Sandy Creek Road to build just over 3,000 homes, an 18-hole golf course, along with a 25,000 square-foot amenities clubhouse for seniors 55 and over.

"We've been looking at the Southside of Atlanta for more than a year and Fayette County is a perfect fit," said Todd Terwilliger, vice president of land acquisition for Pulte Homes' Georgia division.

The development as originally proposed would feature homes from 1,100 to 3,000 square feet. Terwilliger added the homes would be tailored to the active senior lifestyle.

The intent of a Planned Age Qualified Community (PAQ) is to provide adequate housing options as households decrease in size and increase in age.

But Terwilliger never got to make his presentation, because the commissioners made it clear they did not want to change their ordinances.

"This is a wonderful project for the people who sell it and live there. But it's just way too dense," said Commissioner Peter Pfeifer.

Dunn agreed and said it would be like placing the population of Tyrone in the middle of the county.

The chairman added the proposed text amendment would change at least 12 of the county's existing ordinances.

But Commissioner A.G. VanLandingham thought the county needed to study the issue further.

"We haven't given staff a chance on this," he said.

But he was the only member of the commission who voted against Wells' motion to not allow staff to further look at the text amendment.