A requested rezoning of more than 40 acres at Atlanta Highway and Cleveland Road for a combined single-family housing and commercial development appears headed for approval at the Aug. 6 meeting of the Athens-Clarke County Commission.
But even if commissioners grant the rezoning request, the project can’t move forward until the developer gets access to sanitary sewer service. That service is currently not available at the property, but the developer has been working to obtain easements across adjacent property for access, commissioners learned at an agenda-setting session this week for their August voting meeting.
As envisioned, the project will comprise 227 single-family housing units in a mix of attached townhomes and individual dwellings. The proposed development also will include 11,000 square feet of commercial space at the intersection of Atlanta Highway and Cleveland Road.
The rezoning request comes as Athens-Clarke County officials are grappling with a projection from county planners that the county’s population will grow by 30,000 residents between now and 2045. That would push the county’s population to nearly 160,000.
“We need to recognize how much growth is going on,” Commissioner Melissa Link said. The issue could become particularly acute in the western end of the county, where the subject property is located, as redevelopment of the declining Georgia Square mall proceeds, Link added.
Mayor Kelly Girtz, who will not have a vote at the Aug. 6 meeting unless the 10-member commission gets knotted in a tie vote, weighed in on the proposed development, saying it would be “a welcome addition” to the area. One positive aspect of the proposal, Girtz said, is its proximity to the Caterpillar plant where the company builds excavators.
The plant is located almost directly across Atlanta Highway from the proposed development, which could serve as a convenient housing option for some Caterpillar employees, Girtz suggested.
The mayor also suggested that the small lots proposed for the residential project could be an attraction for homebuyers who aren’t interested in yard maintenance.
Nearby property owners, in what has for years been a traditional large-lot single-family residential area, have been critical of the proposed development.
But commissioners learned from an engineer working on the project that neighborhood opposition has softened as the project has shifted to become a single-family residential project, with no multi-family component.
Nearby residents also have softened their opposition as the prospect of being able to tie into the sewer lines needed for the proposed development has emerged, commissioners were told. Those residents currently rely on septic tanks, which can become problematic or even fail after years of use.
Commissioner Jesse Houle, whose district includes the property involved in the rezoning request, suggested the project could be “a great opportunity to get sewer” service into the area.
In other planning-related action, commissioners expressed some mild concerns about the future direction of the proposed rezoning of 35 acres on McClung Road, if the zoning change is granted next month.
The property is located across U.S. Highway 29 from the 180,000-square-foot Trail Creek Village shopping and commercial center, anchored by the massive Kroger marketplace.
In a report on the proposal, the county’s planning staff took positive notice of the fact that the proposed development would put residents near both shopping and employment opportunities and would also be close to educational opportunities at Athens Technical College.
The development proposed for the site comprises 12 buildings containing 330 apartments, in a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations. A clubhouse, outdoor play area, and preserved green space also will be part of the proposed project.
Looking toward the future of the proposed development if the rezoning is approved, Link and Commissioner Patrick Davenport expressed concerns about transportation infrastructure.
The Athens-Clarke County Planning Commission, which reviewed the proposal last month, is recommending that the development include a public road connection from McClung Road to the rear of the property.
The planning commission, which serves the county commission in an advisory capacity, is recommending that construction of the road be made a condition for county commission approval of the rezoning.
Davenport suggested traffic-calming measures such as speed tables might be needed to slow traffic along a road that could eventually connect the proposed development with other roads in the area. Link suggested the project should include adequate bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
Public comment on both rezoning proposals will be heard prior to any vote at the county commission’s Aug. 6 meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. at City Hall.
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