Friday, September 26, 2003

Union City reduces lot size for churches

By LINDSAY BIANCHI
Special to The Citizen

Union City doesn't call itself "The Progressive City" for nothing. At their meeting last week, Mayor Ralph Moore and the City Council reviewed a number of concerns and proposals affecting growth and commerce in the area.

After the City Council agreed to placement of a new automated teller machine in City Hall to help with cash payments of fines and other official transactions, the subject turned to several zoning issues, including:

A text amendment to remove the three-acre lot size for places of worship and assembly was addressed first. The roster of religious institutions was added to the list sharing the same conditional uses as Office-Institutional and Neighborhood Commercial Districts, which have a smaller lot size.

A 30-day grace period was granted by the Council to the American Housing Group, Inc., to give the firm more time to solve questions of sewage before plans can be passed for a new subdivision on Dodson Road.

John Prayer of 6125 Dodson Road in Fairburn spoke in opposition to the project.

"My main concern is the high density. It looks like we've got a wildfire coming down Dodson Road," said Prayer. "It started in Highpoint and it keeps coming all the way to Fairburn. We're getting downgraded big time by this high density housing. RMD 1 is the lowest rate of single family homes you have other than condos. It's going to lower the value of my property. I just can't believe it's happening."

Prayer went on to ask, "Do my property values mean anything? What is your tax base going to be if 90 percent is RMD1?"

Jerry Morlock of 6020 Dodson Road spoke up for his neighbor calling the development "ridiculous." With the request tabled, Dodson Road inhabitants will have to wait and see what comes next.

Ed Borg of Fleet U.S.A. was approved for rezoning and annexation for 6.2 acres of property located on Jonesboro Road. Fleet asked for the property to be rezoned from Fulton County M-1 to Union City General Commercial, in hopes of building a new and used car lot. The plans for the annexation and rezoning were approved unanimously.

Development plans for both Lakeview Phase 2 and Ravenwood Phase 3 were amended by altering the design of clustered homes to detached individual dwellings. The two developments being built by the Benchmark Group of Companies were also passed unanimously.

Bright-Meyers received approval to rezone 6.9 acres of Jonesboro Road Rear to general commercial. Finally a text amendment including a timeframe for reviewing sign permits was approved.

Finally, $21,600 was allocated for monthly expenses and appraisal fees for the South Fulton Municipal Water and Sewer Authority.