John Wieland Homes won the support of the Wood Creek Homeowners Association for its plans to add 77.5 acres to the subdivision, but couldn't convince the Fayette County Planning Commission.

Wieland representatives Dan Fields said the company is willing to reduce its original proposal from 47 to 40 homes, but that still doesn't conform to the county land use plan, commission members said.

The firm's rezoning request will go before the county Board of Commissioners Jan. 28 with a Planning Commission recommendation to deny. The county planning staff also recommends denial. Commissioners will meet at 7 p.m.

"I'm still uneasy with the number of lots," said Planning Commission member Al Gilbert.

Fields pointed out that Wieland's plan for the addition, at Redwine and Bernhard roads, would provide lots more than an acre in size, consistent with several neighborhoods nearby. But those neighborhoods were developed under the county's planned unit development rules, said zoning administrator Kathy Zeitler, and although the lots are about an acre, the total density of the subdivisions is more in keeping with the land use plan, which calls for two-tenths to a half unit per acre.

Wieland's plan for 40 homes on 77.5 acres would provide a density of eight-tenths unit per acre, she said.

"The real thing that we've got to consider is what is it that would negatively impact the neighborhood... nothing," said Fields.

Ralph Simmons, president of the homeowners' association, spoke in favor of the proposal, saying 80 percent of those responded to an association survey were in favor as well.

But Mike Scott, who also lives in the neighborhood, pointed out that only 62 of Wood Creek's 217 homes responded to the questionnaire. He presented a petition from 15 residents opposed to the plan.

Wieland's plan includes allowing residents of the new section to use the pool area and other amenities in Wood Creek rather than building new amenities for the new section. Scott also pointed out that Wieland promised to add 1,700 square feet to the amenities area, plus lights and furniture, and to allow fishing privileges in a nearby lake, in exchange for homeowners' support.

"Yes, we did work to find amenable ends," said Fields. "If we can't look for win-win situations in this county, we have a problem."

Planning commissioners suggested instead of rezoning the property, Fields should apply to have it added to the Wood Creek plat and developed as a PUD. But if he did so, it wouldn't qualify as presented, they said. "It wouldn't qualify as a PUD the way it's laid out," said commission member Fred Bowen.

The group voted unanimously to recommend denial.

Michael and Teresa Holman's plan to put four homes on 17.2 acres on McBride Road fared better, though neighbors objected.

The Holmans are asking for a change from A-R (agricultural-residential, requiring minimum home sites of five acres) to R-80 (single family homes on three acres or more) zoning for the property, with plans to have family members move in.

Tim Toms said other residents of the area with similar plans have stuck with five-acre zoning, and the Holmans should, too. "We built our houses out in the country," he said. "It can be developed as it's currently zoned without any hardship to the owners."

But the land use plan calls for lots as small as two acres in the area, said commission chairman Bob Harbison. Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend approval of the zoning change.

The group also unanimously recommended approval of Henry and Barbara Dickerson's plans to add 3.95 acres to their 2.2-acre lot in Woolsey Creek subdivision. The extra land, sandwiched between the subdivision and Lake Horton, became land-locked when the lake was built recently.