By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

John Wieland Homes has amended its rezoning proposal for a new subdivision, reducing the number of proposed homes from 400 to 300.

But city leaders say the plan may need to be reduced still more.
The company is asking Peachtree City to rezone the 100-acre tract known as the Katz property from its current agricultural category to general residential-4, which allows a maximum of four homes per acre.

Doug Dillard, attorney for Wieland, said the firm decided to cut 100 homes from the original proposal largely due to input from the West Village Task Force.

“We think this is consistent with the recommendations of [the task force],” Dillard told the City Council recently.

Council voted to table the proposal, sending the matter back to the Planning Commission because the change to the plan was so significant. But the Planning Commission will be expected to act on the matter at its next meeting, Sept. 11. Council will then take that recommendation into consideration at its meeting Sept. 20.

Councilman Robert Brooks indicated he wouldn’t automatically dismiss the proposal.

“Your proposal, to some extent, has merit,” Brooks said. “I wouldn’t say I would reject it out of hand.”

Mayor Bob Lenox said he thought the new proposal “might be a tad heavy” on the number of homes.

Dillard said residential use of the property is a “good alternative” and the current agricultural zoning designation equals a taking of property rights from the owner, Lee Katz.

“This provides the city with a good land plan and provides for transitional uses,” said Dan Fields of John Wieland Homes. “The city’s land use plan doesn’t want industrial property located next to residential property.”

Fields said the proposal still includes a 100-foot tree buffer between the subdivision and the railroad track that borders the eastern side of the property.

“We’re not going to timber that like it has been done to the south of us,” Fields noted.

Fields also said that council recently approved a rezoning to GR-4 for the Cedarcroft subdivision, which is at the southern border of the Katz tract. He argued that council could use the same designation for the Katz property and impose conditions on the rezoning that no more than 300 homes be built.

Dillard also said the company is willing to submit the new plan with conditions regarding buffering, access to the property and construction of a road to the property.