Union City Planning Commission July 30 voted to recommend the rezoning of 58.53 acres on Buffington Road near Ga. Highway 138 from General Commercial (GC) to Residential (R-1). The move came after a lengthy discussion and a defeated vote to table the request.

Heritage Creek Development Corp. representative Wayne Kendall began the presentation with a review of what he described as a long and arduous process that needed a resolution. Kendall said his company had been before planning commissioners and the city council on several occasions to present the proposal. His current request is to have the property rezoned from GC to a PUD (Planned Unit Development) for homes ranging from 1,800-2,200 square feet and priced at more than $200,000. Kendall said a PUD classification would provide for 25 percent greenspace.

Citing what he said was legal precedent, Kendall said city ordinances did not prevent instituting conditions on developments that would satisfy planning commissioners and the council.

“You need a single-family home ownership program in this city and that’s what we’re trying to bring you,” Kendall said.

Also speaking in favor of the request was Lattimore Park Homeowners Association President Maria Mitchell, who said her community was initially opposed to the Heritage Creeks plans but was now in support of it.

Speaking later, city attorney Dennis Davenport presented an alternative view to the one Kendall expressed. Davenport was emphatic that commissioners not confuse including development conditions with attempts to put have two separate zoning classifications, such as commercial and residential, on one piece of property.

At the end of the discussion, Commissioner Vince Williams made a motion to table the rezoning request for 30 days to review the variables involved in the discussion. The motion failed on a 1-4 vote, followed by a motion by Commissioner Jo Croom to recommend rezoning from GC to R-1. That motion passed by a 4-1 vote. Heritage Creek has the option to consider a further rezoning request to PUD.

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