Friday, October 6, 2000
Friday, October 6, 2000 |
|
Land use plan being updated Residential makeup of west side could be set for good By JOHN MUNFORD
If Peachtree City planners have their way, the recent rezoning for a new subdivision in the western area of town may be the last residential development in that area. City Council has already approved a rezoning for a subdivision with between 300-350 homes on the Katz property for John Wieland Homes. That leaves just over 150 acres of undeveloped property in the area, located north of the Katz property and extending to the city limits. While the Planning Commission is in the process of updating the land use plan, city planners are recommending that land be earmarked for office-institutional use. The commission will take up the recommendation from city staff as it continues updating the land use plan at its regular meeting Monday night. The Katz rezoning followed the city's current land use plan, which was last revised in 1995, said City Planner David Rast. The plan document called for that area to be single-family residential although the map was not updated to reflect that change, causing some confusion, Rast said. The two parcels south of the Katz property which are under construction the 220-home Cedarcroft subdivision and the 399-unit Summit Apartments were not planned for residential use. Both those properties were on the land use plan for commercial retail use, and they were zoned general commercial. However, the city previously allowed residential property to be built in general commercial zoning districts. Eventually, the landowners filed two separate lawsuits against the city that eventually forced council to accept the 63-acre Cedarcroft subdivision and 25-acre Summit Apartments, Rast said. Several months ago, the rezoning for Cedarcroft was made official, while the rezoning request for the Summit Apartments will be tackled by the planning commission Monday night. The apartment complex would be rezoned from general commercial to general residential-15 if council eventually approves the request from Summit Realty Company. Several residents who have criticized the residential development in the area cite the burden on local schools that the new homes will create. Though there is other undeveloped property in the area, it is all zoned for commercial development, including the proposed Wal-Mart and Home Depot retail center that has been proposed by Ram Development. Other smaller commercial tracts line Ga. Highway 54 between that area and MacDuff Parkway, Rast said.
|