Wednesday, February 14, 2001
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Wednesday, February 14, 2001 |
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Planners: What next for Starr's Mill area? By DAVE HAMRICK
Fayette County's Planning Commission Thursday will start thinking about whether a recent controversial shopping center rezoning on Ga. Highway 74 should bring changes in the land use plan for the area. County commissioners in December approved Starr's Mill LLC's Plantation Centre, which includes 21.8 acres of retail development and 5.8 acres of offices. The company is donating an additional 52 acres to the county for green space. Peachtree City Mayor Bob Lenox has called the action the worst rezoning decision in Fayette history, saying the change will force the county to accept more commercial development in the area, while its land use plan calls for low-density residential development. At least one commercial rezoning already has been submitted, across Hwy. 74 from Plantation Centre on the southeast corner of Redwine Road. Developers are calling for 36,000 square feet of retail space on the five-acre site, with entrances on both 74 and Redwine. That request will go to the Planning Commission March 1 and the County Commission March 23. Meanwhile, the Plantation Centre rezoning did cause the planning staff to take another look at the land use plan, county planning director Chris Venice said this week. But because the Plantation Centre project is "contained" by the green space buffer on the west and south and the offices on the east, changes to the land use plan may not have to be too drastic, she said. "We'll start [by discussing] some O&I (office and institutional) and probably a change in some residential densities," Venice said. After the Planning Commission gives its input, "We'll determine exactly what we need to be looking at," she added. The group's work session will be at 7 p.m. in the Zoning Department at the County Administrative Complex. All Planning Commission meetings are open to the public, but the group does not normally receive public comment at work sessions. In addition to discussion of the Starr's Mill area, the group will consider more changes to Fayette County's tree protection ordinance. Among new restrictions being considered are tougher restrictions on timbering operations. Buffers around the perimeter of property being timbered, and rules stating that a certain number of trees must be left standing, even in the center of a clear-cut parcel, are among the provisions. If the changes are approved, timbering companies also will be required to gravel the entrance to any timbering site, to prevent trucks from tracking mud onto roads. And if they do track mud, they'll have to clean it up. County engineers presented the proposed changes to the county Planning Commission last month, and commission members suggested some modifications, which will be worked into the document for further consideration at Thursday's meeting. If the Planning Commission approves changes to either the tree ordinance or the land use plan, its recommendation will go to the county Board of Commissioners for final action.
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