Fayette | News

School board hears about possible F’ville annexation of 1,800-home development in county’s midsection

Tue, 10/31/2006 - 4:39pm
By: John Thompson

As the Fayette County School System struggles with redrawing attendance lines and other growing pains, a proposed development in the center of the county could cause them nightmares.

During the board’s work session Monday night, school consultant Jerry Whittaker presented the board a study of growth rate by elementary districts.

But Whittaker said the biggest impact could be the large undeveloped tract on Sandy Creek Road that could house up to 1,800 homes if it’s annexed into Fayetteville.

“It’s Bob Rolader and Brent Scarbrough that are looking to develop it, and they have said they would be willing to talk to us about a school site on the property,” Whittaker added.

He said the school system was told last year they would know something about the property by this Christmas, which has left school officials reluctant about purchasing a northern Fayette site for a school.

“That type of development would more than fill up an elementary school,” Whittaker said.

A massive development of that type of density would require annexation by the city of Fayetteville.

Asked about such an annexation, Fayetteville City Manager Joe Morton said the city had not been approached about that type of large development or the annexation of the area into the city.

Scarbrough and Rolader have developed several projects in Fayetteville, including a current city-facilitated project for waterfront homes on Pye Lake off Hood Avenue. In a three-way contract, the city received federal and state grant money to upgrade the earthen dam and to receive ownership of the privately-owned Pye Lake while Scarbrough and Rolader received the development rights to build 12 homes on the property.

In April 2005, the County Commission turned down national developer Del Webb’s proposal to develop on the land. The big real estate developer had assembled more than 1,200 acres along Sandy Creek Road to build just over 3,000 homes, an 18-hole golf course, along with a 25,000 square-foot amenities clubhouse for seniors 55 and over.

At the time, Fayetteville officials said they were not interested in annexing the same big tract for the senior development. The seniors project found a welcome in neighboring Spalding County instead.

login to post comments

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
City annexation is not a right.
Submitted by ptcjenn on Wed, 11/01/2006 - 11:46am.

What I can't stand is that yes, people have a right to own property and develop it - but nobody seems to stand up for ordinances that prevent stuff like this. You don't have a right to expect that a city will incorporate your land, or that water/sewer/etc. will exist to support a huge subdivision. I'm in Peachtree City and more retail is being discussed here apparently. I'm mad that I don't have time to attend all these meetings and stay informed and object in a timely manner. But I'm even angrier because isn't that what our commissioners or City council people are supposed to do FOR US? So that we don't have to?

I'm looking at Google Earth, and that nice big patch of green that's supposed to become a lake at some point is looking more and more like the perfect place for them to plop down a gigantic townhome/retail monstrosity.
Don't worry, it won't be illegal, they'll change the zoning first.

login to post comments
WOW!
Submitted by head_ragg on Tue, 10/31/2006 - 5:09pm.

That is an eye opener! This is the very thing people MUST get involved with to salvage what you can to have good schools! What I have seen of most people who live here is that they are good, and love their kids so much that they spend all their time running up n down the roads to work more than 8 hour days to give them a better life. Then, the little time they are home, they spend trying to take care of their kids as best they can. If they are guilty of anything it is self neglect. Both of themselves and what is best for them. They don't have the time to ride herd on the developers comming in to make a fast buck. It is so important to attend the county meetings on things like this and make ...sure.... these developers don't get to come in and build on postage stamp size lots! This is one of the prime place the battles for the schools starts. Somehow, people are going to have to make time to know what is going on, and if it is going to adversly effect them, to be there to say ...NO.. at the county meetings. I will say the county commisioners have looked out for the taxpayers much better than in a lot of other places. But, we all need to try to stay up on what is going on.

login to post comments
Sure enough, but if Dunn and Wells hadn't been so stobborn with
mudcat's picture
Submitted by mudcat on Tue, 10/31/2006 - 8:05pm.

We could have had something better there, but no, King Dunn and the other one would not even listen to their proposal. Now Del Webb is in Griffin - Griffin!! God help us.

And now the Good old boy developers are back at the trough with more cookie cutter houses, kids in school, traffic and higher taxes.

Thanks a whole pantload, Dunn.
meow


login to post comments
Mudcat I question your intelligence
Submitted by lawaboveall on Wed, 11/01/2006 - 2:41pm.

You are showing your ignorance on this issue. The Del Webb people met several times with Dunn, and three other commissioners one on one about this proposal. Wells has never met individually with developers in all the years she has served. Wells had all the information that was provided to the county staff and was fully informed on the scope of the project before the public meeting. To say that they did not listen is a gross misrepresentation of the facts, so save your breath. The issue that was brought before the commission at the public meeting was a request by Del Webb to have the staff study the changes to 12 county ordinances that would have been necessary to make this development possible. The commissioners knew what was proposed, understood what they need to have done (changing all these ordinances) and said, NO we will not change our ordinances, to accommodate this one project. It was not in keeping with the land use plan and would have gutted the plan. If you want to having senior housing, go to Griffin, no one is stopping you.

Having said that, I think that Rolader and Scarborough are the quintessential greedy developers and they could care less about the impact on the county as long as they make money. If the land stays in the county the density would be significantly less than this proposal. But that is not likely because Steele, Dell and the rest of the Fayetteville bumpkins will do anything that these two pirates want. It makes you wonder what they get out of it. If you want to thank someone, say thanks to Kenny boy and his minions, they are the ones who are ruining this county.

login to post comments

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.