By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com

It may be back to the drawing board or the legal briefs for developer John Callaway in Tyrone.

Last week's rebuff by the Tyrone Planning Commission sent the message again that the town does not want a large commercial development within its borders.

Town leaders had initially denied Callaway's request to change the land use map for a 53-acre tract at the intersection of Ga. Highway 74 and Tyrone Road to reflect commercial activity as the preferred future use instead of the current residential-conservation category.

Callaway had said the site would be ideal to create a village-type development that would set new standards for development in the area.

Included in the development would be a 51,000-sq. ft. grocery store, along with smaller shops such as ice cream stores and cafes that would be built along a heavily landscaped street to give the impression of a typical village or small town.

There would be five outparcels on the Hwy. 74 side of the development that could possibly be used for fast food restaurants or other small businesses, but Callaway promised that he would listen to the types of tenants the town wanted.

After the town turned down his request earlier this spring, the Town Council asked the Planning Commission to see whether another land use category might be suitable for the property. While the Planning Commission has been looking at the situation, Callaway filed suit against the town, claiming the zoning category is not correct.

Town leaders have kept mum about the project until last Thursday night when the commission recommended keeping the land as residential property after getting direction from Town Attorney Brad Sears.

The item appeared on the agenda as it previously had when the Town Council had rejected it.

Planning Commissioner Mary Ann Koerber said she was confused, because she thought they were supposed to be discussing other land map categories for the property.

Sears said Koerber was correct and said the commission could recommend leaving the property as it is or changing parts of the property to different categories, such as office on the northern part of the property.

Attorney George Rosenzweig, who represented Callaway, said his client still thought commercial was the best use for the property.

“The die was cast for development along 74 when it was four-laned,” he said.

Town Manager Barry Amos disagreed with the attorney and said that there is already residential development in the town next to the busy state highway.

The commission agreed and voted to keep the property as conservation-residential, which requires a three-acre minimum lot size.

After the unanimous vote, the commission then rejected Callaway's second proposal to build a strip shopping center on property across the street from his original proposal.

Commissioner Lee Wright, who was the lone supporter of Callaway's initial proposal for a village square development, said he couldn't support this one.

“I'm very disappointed. There's no green space like the first one,” he said.