Wednesday, January 16, 2002
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Wednesday, January 16, 2002 |
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Hands tied by moratorium, PTC planners offer no approvals By JOHN
MUNFORD
There were no approvals of any kind at Monday night's meeting of the Peachtree City Planning Commission. Naturally, that was largely due to the moratorium on development activity passed Thursday by the City Council. The moratorium keeps the Planning Commission from approving new concept plans, new landscape plans and new rezoning requests unless the council agrees to allow an exception for certain projects. But one rezoning could have been considered by the commission: a request for commercial zoning at the former entrance to the Wynnmeade subdivision off Ga. Highway 54 West. The applicant, Piedmont Properties, decided to postpone the issue for a month and the commission accordingly tabled it. Discussion of the moratorium's ramifications dominated the first part of the meeting, particularly because a freeze on landscape plan approvals could keep some businesses from opening. City Planner David Rast said the city plans to allow businesses to install landscaping and be issued temporary certificates of occupancy so they can open. Developers may also be allowed to post a cash bond in lieu of landscaping, he noted. But after the moratorium ends, the landscape plans must be brought before the planning commission for approval, Rast said. Developers would be required to agree in writing to abide by any changes in the city's landscape ordinance, which will be scrutinized by a committee in the coming weeks. The commission was also presented with the new layout for the Live Oaks subdivision which will be located north of Wynnmeade. Although the commission took no official action, there were questions about whether the plan would be subject to the moratorium. But some commissioners argued that the changes were moderate and improved the plan. Commission Chairman Wes Saunders said the changes coincide with the 12 conditions that were placed on the subdivision under its previous ownership when the commission approved the original plan. Saunders, one of the planning commission representatives assigned to the project, said he wanted the planning commission to be shown the changes. The new layout shrank the development from 107 to 89 homes, with no lots lying in the 100-year flood plain, a significant change from the previous plan. The plan also allows the Beaver Dam Park in Wynnmeade to remain intact, with provisions from the new developer, Ultima Development, to refurbish the park so it will be an amenity for both subdivisions. In the original plan, developers from Piedmont Properties wanted to develop the land where the park was located in exchange for land near the original Wynnmeade entrance that could have been used for a park. The new plan was devised after the land was purchased from Piedmont Properties by Ultima Development. Ultima official Bob Meyer said the changes were made to improve the subdivision. It was noted that Ultima wants a 30-foot undisturbed buffer between Live Oaks and Wynnmeade. The access road off MacDuff Parkway was also modified to go around the location for a new elementary school that will be located to the east of the subdivision. "I think that you have a much better plan," said Planning Commissioner Robert Ames. Wayne Roberts, president of the Wynnmeade Homeowners Association, said the group was "greatly pleased" with the new plan and he felt Ultima officials were willing to cooperate with the association.
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