By DAVE HAMRICK
Staff Writer

Developer John Wieland said last week he will drop his plans to add 77.5 acres and 40 homes to the 218-home Woodcreek subdivision on Redwine Road.

County commissioners last week denied Wieland's request to modify the Woodcreek PUD (planned unit development) zoning to allow the addition, opting instead to change the property's zoning to R-75, which allows single family homes on minimum two-acres lots. Under the approved zoning the land, at Redwine and Bernhard roads, could have a maximum of 29 homes after subtracting the lake, flood plain and streets from the usable acreage.

“It's not economically developable as R-75,” Wieland told The Citizen following the unanimous vote. “Let somebody else buy it.”

Wieland argued that PUD would be the proper zoning for the land, currently owned by E.A. Brown. The category is designed to allow flexibility in lot sizes in exchange for creative use of green spaces. Wieland said the presence of a lake on the property makes two-acre lots difficult to arrange.

But commission Chairman Harold Bost pointed out that PUD zoning requires a minimum of 100 acres and said Wieland's request to add the property to Woodcreek was merely a ruse to get around the minimum acreage. “Adding to a PUD just so it would have enough acreage is a back door approach,” he said.

Woodcreek residents were split in their opinions on the plan, in which Wieland would have paid for improvements to the neighborhood's clubhouse, pool and other amenities to compensate for the additional users.

“It just fits with what's currently there,” said William Leslie of Stonehaven Drive, one of four residents who spoke in favor of Wieland's plan. “It's just the completion of the neighborhood in like-kind houses,” agreed Tom Oatney, also of Stonehaven Drive.

But Carol Traetto of Woodcreek Lane said Wieland's plan would put too many homes on the land, contributing to overcrowding in local schools. “I'm also concerned about the traffic on Redwine Road,” she said.

Five other residents, including Traetto's husband, Chuck, spoke in opposition.

Commissioners agreed that Redwine Road is too heavily traveled. “We're five to ten years away from building any highways that would relieve the traffic problems we've heard about tonight,” said Commissioner Glen Gosa.

And Commissioner Greg Dunn backed up Bost's contention that the plan to combine the property with Woodcreek was improper because Wieland refused to connect the neighborhoods by road. “You truly don't want this to be a part of your PUD,” he told residents who favored the plan, “because you don't want a road to connect them.”

County officials said Woodcreek residents may end up with a church for a neighbor. At least two churches reportedly are considering buying the land.

In other zoning action last week, commissioners:

” Unanimously approved Joseph Giovinco's request to remove a 10,000-sq. ft. maximum restriction for 3.6 acres at Sumner Road and Ga. Highway 54. The land is zoned for offices, and architect Don Cobb, representing Giovinco, said the owner needs to build a larger medical office building than that. He promised that the architecture will be in keeping with the surrounding residential area.

” Allowed John and Charlotte Hendershot to revise a subdivision plat on Busbin Road, dividing a lot into two. The request was approved unanimously.

” Unanimously approved Don Galimore's request to change the zoning of 10 acres on Tillman Road from R-70, which allows homes on lots of two acres or more, to A-R, which requires a minimum of five acres.

Galimore said he wants to put a home and farm on the land.