Adams Homes seeks 48 homes on 19.3 acres

By DAVE HAMRICK
dhamrick@thecitizennews.com

Finding space for an “empty-nester” subdivision in Fayetteville appears to be a difficult task.

After giving up last year in its attempt to establish a low-maintenance neighborhood for seniors on Beauregard Boulevard, Bob Adams Homes is asking City Council to approve a change in zoning to allow a similar subdivision on the south side of Ga. Highway 54, east of Burch Road Office Park.

Council will discuss the proposed Stone Ridge subdivision in its work session tonight and business meeting Monday, with plans to decide on the rezoning Monday, June 19.

But the city Planning Commission is unanimously recommending denial, and residents of the area are strongly opposed to the notion of putting 48 homes on 19.3 acres at the site.

“It's far too dense for this area,” said Bob Davis, who lives next to the property in question, expressing a feeling that was repeated by six other residents during the Planning Commission's meeting last week.

The proposed development is actually even more dense than the 48 homes to 19.3 acres would suggest. A small pond on the property will take up some space, and so will streets, and part of the land is unusable because it's in the flood plain of Gingercake Creek. The homes actually would occupy about 14 acres, each lot less than a third of an acre.

But that's not necessarily a bad thing, argued Beverly Holder, representing Bob Adams Homes. If the parcel received a similar zoning to other neighborhoods in the area, it could have about 34 homes, Holder pointed out. But in Bob Adams communities, there are fewer people per household, so that while a normal community of 34 homes would have 93 people, the proposed 48 homes would have only 72 people, she said.

Eighty-four percent of residents in Adams communities are 50 or older. “It is a specific type of community that requires a maintenance-free life-style,” she said. That's why the homes are on smaller lots.

City resident Dan Rossi warned that approval of such a dense neighborhood would fly in the face of new Atlanta Regional Commission goals of reducing suburban sprawl, but Holder said the proposed community is exactly in line with what ARC and Gov. Roy Barnes are recommending.

“This far exceeds the open space levels in the state recommendations,” she said.

But other residents argued that all of the open space in the Adams proposal is unusable anyway, because it's in the flood plain.

Planning Commission members said the neighborhood as proposed might be a great thing for Fayetteville, but not in its proposed location.

“We're trying to encourage higher density neighborhoods closer to the center of town,” said commission member Kevin Bittinger. “This is on the outskirts of the city. This might be a great development closer to the city,” he said.

The city's land use plan calls for medium- to low-density residential development on part of the property in question, and office or commercial development on other parts.

“This isn't in accordance with our land use plan,” said Planning Commission member Segis “Al” Lipscomb, adding, “You can't guarantee that there are going to be retirees living there. I think this is unsupportable.”

Council meets tonight and Monday at 7 p.m. at City Hall.