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Tyrone planners dislike Wieland rezoning request

By LEE WILLIAMS
lwilliams@TheCitizenNews.com

In one-two punch, the Tyrone Planning Commission unanimously denied a land map amendment request for 217 acres off Kirkley Road that puts a roadblock in the developer’s request for a new John Wieland Homes subdivision.

At the same time, the commission’s said “No” to the developer to get a rezoning request approval for the same 160-subdivision dubbed Tyrone II.

The Commission held a public hearing for a land use map amendment and the rezoning of 217 acres bordered by Ga. Highway 74 South, Kirkley Road, Mann Road and Davidson Mineral Products. The property is adjacent to Wieland’s upscale single-family Southampton development.

Wieland requested a land use map amendment from 1.1 (Conservation) to 1.1, 1.4 (Multi-Family) and 6 (Parks and Recreation Conservation), and a rezoning from AR (Agricultural Residential) to DR-15 (Multi-Family) to make room for Tyrone II, which would feature a minimum half-acre lots.

After listening to at least five residents who voiced opposition to the proposal, the commission cast the 3-0 vote.

However, the meeting held at 7 p.m. April 28 at Town Hall was Round One. The Tyrone City Council is expected to take up the matter during its meeting on May 19.

The council, which has the final say, could overturn or affirm the commission’s decision during Round Two.

Scott Auer, of John Wieland Homes, unveiled the proposal and told the commission the presentation had been assembled based on commission feedback received from previous meetings. He said the subdivision would be environmentally friendly.

Auer said the proposal would protect wetlands, lakes and streams, buffers, maintain natural buffers and water recharge areas, just to name few.

Auer said the subdivision would feature 2,800-square foot and up single family homes with a starting price tag of $300,000. The minimum lot size would be a half-acre, he added. A recreational area would be included.

Despite the pledge to create an environmentally-friendly subdivision, Ines Arnsberger-Hatch, Mary Fordham, George Hart, Carrie Klarl and Gordon Furr spoke out against the development.

Mary Fordham agreed the proposal would not be good for the area. “We chose this place because of the easy access to the interstate as well as the wonderful country atmosphere, which is fading fast,” Fordham said. “I would like to see at least two acres, and I am very concerned about the traffic in the area. I’m not opposed to progress, but sometimes I feel there has to be a limitation on how we use progress.”

Arnsberger-Hatch told the commission she felt the smaller lots would detract from the community. “My property and a lot of properties are over an acre and anything less than that in this area would bring down home values,” Arnsberger-Hatch said.

“I think there is enough of that in this area.”

Hart, who owns a farm in the area, told the commission runaway growth was his chief concern. He believes the land use map should stay put.

“I’m very worried about the helter skelter growth that’s going on in this area,” Hart said. “This goes against that land use plan.”