Friday, February 1, 2002
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Friday, February 1, 2002 |
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Fairburn Council split over 214-home plan By JOHN
THOMPSON Another new development is coming to Fairburn, complete with townhomes and a commercial area. But the rezoning of the property at Ga. Highway 138 and Vickers Road Monday night proved unusual as the normally solid Fairburn City Council split on the decision. The development is on 76.8 acres and features 214 units. Planned for the site are 102 single family detached homes and 112 townhomes, along with 8.5 acres of commercial space and 20.87 acres left as open space. Developer Pat Gilly told the City Council the development would be an asset to the city, with the homes starting at $140,000 and the townhomes starting at $100,000. He pledged to have architectural accents, such as brick or masonry, on the homes and said the townhomes would be fee simple, privately owned structures, instead of rental units. Gilly also said he would seek the council's advice for what types of businesses the leaders would like to see at the site. But Councilman Harvey Melear was not convinced the development would be in the best interests of the city. Melear criticized Gilly's plan for the site and said it looked like a "mill village." "I promise you it will be the best looking mill village you've ever seen," said Gilly. Melear also said the proposed open space is a ravine, and not buildable. "You're taking every available building space and not leaving any areas for trees," Melear said. Councilman Gene Wiggins also had problems with a report from the town's engineer, who said that issues with an entrance on Hwy. 138 should have been settled before the rezoning application was brought before the council. In the end, Wiggins and Melear voted against the proposal, while Councilmen Roy Farr, Doug Crawford, Glenn Higgins and Frankie Arnold supported the project.
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