A 217-unit apartment complex will be built at Ga. Highway 74 and Kedron Drive, but if Peachtree City officials get their way, few travelers on Hwy. 74 will notice.

The City Council and property owner Eric Edee came to an agreement last week which allows Edee to develop the entire 21 acres of his property for apartments, but provides for extensive roadfront green buffers 60 feet along Hwy. 74 and 50 feet along the rest of the perimeter.

Council voted 4-1 to approve the rezoning after a public hearing at the regular council meeting. Annie McMenamin dissented, commenting that there is uncertainty about whether the agreement will be adhered to, and that she had previously said she would not vote for multifamily rezonings.

A number of conditions were made a part of the rezoning approval. Besides the buffer sizes, the city's planning staff asked that the project conform to the site plan submitted with the rezoning application. The site plan allows the actual living units to be moved farther back on the property, leaving green spaces at the entrance for amenities and services. Edee and attorney Doug Dillard told the council that the apartments would have the "look and feel" of expensive houses, with built-in cabinetry, high-grade carpets, designer lighting and trims, and spacious units.

Also required is a traffic study to determine whether a traffic signal should be installed at Kedron and Hwy. 74, or whether Kedron Drive should be extended to Senoia Road (old Hwy. 74). Dillard said the developers already have a traffic study under way; preliminary indications are that a signal will be needed at Hwy. 74 and Kedron, he said, "and we are willing to participate in the cost of that signal."

Another condition from the city is a noise/vibration impact study because of the proximity of the apartment complex to railroad tracks. The apartment construction must be fire-safety coordinated for design standards and materials, city planners noted.

Descriptions of the size and proposed rental charges for the units appeared to conform to another city requirement in the rezoning package. Edee said the plans are for 100 one-bedroom units from 696 square feet to 952 square feet (larger units to have sun rooms), renting for $720 to $920; 80 two-bedroom units, 1140 to 1259 square feet, $960 to $1150; and about 37 three-bedroom units of a minimum of 1384 square feet, renting for $1075 to $1175 per month.