Friday, May 16, 2003

The Parks at Durham Lake rezoned to PD-06

By ALISA KING
Special to the Citizen

During Monday's Fairburn City Council meeting, the Council approved proposed rezoning from Planned Development (Bear Claw Golf and Country Club) PD-01 to Planned Development (The Parks at Durham Lake) PD-06.

This planned development district is located on Virlyn B. Smith Road at its intersection with Tell Road.

According to Jim Williams, City Administrator, when Bear Claw Planned Development was originally zoned, it included about 91 acres owned by Sunrise Builders. Subsequently, Sunrise decided to pull out of the Bear Claw planned development and do a completely separate planned development of its own.

Williams claims that Bear Claw didn't adequately define or present in detail their future development three years ago and that they got away with getting it approved somehow.

"From now on," Williams stated, "future developers would need to go through the Land Commissioner and City Council with the proper detailed information pertaining to their future planned development and/or proposed rezoning.

"Developers will have to carry out with their planned development without adding to it without proper consent of approval," Williams continued. "If developers do not comply, they will not be issued another permit on that particular property."

The Parks at Durham Lake PD-06 land use will be single-family detached residential with lot sizes varying from a minimum of 5,000 square feet to more than 15,000 square feet. It shall be developed in accordance with the Overall Site Plan.

There shall be no more than 241 dwelling units on the tract. Of those, no more than 13 will be on lots of from 5,000 to 6,000 square feet (5 percent of the lots); no more than 106 will be on lots of from 6,000 to 8,500 square feet (44 percent of the lots); at least 45 will be on lots of from 8,500 to 10,000 square feet (19 percent of the lots); at least 46 will be on lots of from 10,000 to 12,000 square feet (19 percent of the lots); at least 27 will be on lots of from 12,000 to 15,000 square feet (11 percent of the lots); and at least four will be on lots of 15,000 square feet and larger (2 percent of the lots).

In addition, to the 241 lots, the planned development will have an amenity area with a community building, at least one tennis court, and an outdoor pool.

Mr. John Owens of 6895 Tell Road opposed the rezoning due to some unanswered questions pertaining to the density, price range of the new homes and his recently raised property tax. Owens claimed that his property tax went up $30,000 because of the new homes in the area.

Jim Williams explained to Owens that the density was about two to three units per acre and the homes cost anywhere between $140,000 and $250,000. "And as for his property tax," Williams stated, "there's nothing that could be done about that. The development plan has already been approved for better or for worse."

For the future, City Councilmen do plan to evaluate all PD-06 zoning ordinances to make sure that they written as adequately as possible.