Wednesday, December 24, 2003
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Wednesday, December 24, 2003 |
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PTC: Ban on higher density remains By J. FRANK LYNCH An offer to fund the relocation of Rockaway Road so it intersects with Ga. Highway 74 at Holly Grove Church Road wasn’t enough to convince a majority of the Peachtree City Council to grant developer Bob Adams an exemption to the city’s multi-family moratorium last week. Adams had sought the exemption for the wedge of land known as the “Stephens Tract” at the very tip of Peachtree City’s southern border to build a community of single-family homes and attached townhomes or cluster homes to market to seniors and empty nesters. Under the city ordinance, the attached homes are considered multifamily. Adams said he needs the extra density to make a profit on the project, since much of the acreage is wetlands and unbuildable. The Tyrone developer has built hundreds of such homes in Peachtree City through the years for the same market, retirees who don’t burden the school system, he told the council. Some of his new-home subdivisions like Village on the Green went up on property originally zoned for apartments, preventing the possibility of denser multifamily housing in the city, he said. But even though several councilmen praised Adams for his work and said they knew him personally, they could not be swayed. “This is nothing about Bob Adams,” said Murray Weed. “I live in a Bob Adams home!” But Weed continued, “There is no such thing as being a ‘little’ pregnant, and there’s no such thing as lifting a ‘little’ moratorium.” Adams said if he could present drawings of his project to the city for consideration, councilmen might better share his vision for the property. But procedure in such matters calls for getting a waiver to the moratorium before any plans can be submitted, essentially to prevent unnecessary waste of City Hall time. “If we can find a way to look at this plan, that’s all I want,” said Mayor Steve Brown, who’s support for Adams’ project was mostly hinged on the Rockaway deal. Weed, who is employed as city attorney in Hapeville, said allowing Adams or any developer to circumvent the process opens the potential for them to establish “vested rights,” the claim that they have contributed too much time and effort to a project to have it halted. “This is all pie-in-the-sky, it’s all speculative,” said Weed. “Would you deny that your property has value to you now?” Weed asked Adams. “It’s not too valuable, no,” said Adams. “It’s valuable only if it’s zoned multifamily?” Weed asked. “To me, yes,” replied Adams. “Then why did you buy it?” continued Weed, with Adams explaining that his purchase was pending the outcome of the council’s decision. “I’m handicapped here,” Adams implored, pointing out that as it is zoned now, for industrial usage, the land can’t even accommodate regular detached homes. “I thought the city would be reasonable and that attached homes would not be seen as multifamily,” he said. But there were other issues as well about Adams’ plan, notably from the Airport Authority which generally opposes any plans to build residences in the approaches to Falcon Field. The Stephens Tract is about two miles south of the airport. Councilman Annie McMenamin, considering one of the final items of business in her last council meeting, expressed discomfort about the type of housing proposed and all the things that would surround it. “I have the greatest respect for Bob Adams, but it’s not the right fit,” she said. “I just couldn’t imagine putting seniors in that area” beneath the airport’s runway approach. As for the Rockaway Road realignment, “That’s no consideration,” she said. “That’s why I’m asking for just the chance to present the plans,” Adams said again. But again, Councilman Steve Rapson took the time to explain the reasons why that couldn’t happen. “There’s no point in having staff go work with you if we’re just going to vote against it.” Then Rapson added, “And I’m never going to consider lifting a moratorium just to get a road built.” Weed made the motion to deny the exemption request, and McMenamin seconded. It passed 4-1, with Brown against.
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