News | Tyrone

Planners OK office space on Jenkins Road

Mon, 04/10/2006 - 9:30am
By: Ben Nelms

A motion to rezone an eight-acre tract on Jenkins Road passed March 30 at the Tyrone Planning commission on a 3-0 vote. The recommendation to designate the property from AR (Agricultural Residential) to OI (Office institutional) came after presentations at several commission meetings.

Earlier questions had arisen over the number of buildings planned for the site, the location of those buildings on the property and concerns over drainage and stormwater runoff. There has been some comment on the property, but realize that we are only talking about zoning at this meeting, said Commissioner Buddy Hay, who chaired the meeting.

Representing the owner, Tom Hardy of Omni Consulting said he understood that concerns relating to the septic system and stormwater were valid issues, indicating that they just want to get to the site plan process, referencing concerns such as stormwater runoff and how it might affect site and adjacent property.

“The owner said if she just had two good acres she’d be willing to develop it,” Hardy said. “We’ve identified approximately five good acres. Right now we want to build the first building.”

Responding to questions about the area of the sloping property to be developed, Hardy said he wanted most of the development to occur at the front of the property, holding it to five or five and one-half acres.

“We believe we’ve presented enough to show that we can do this,” he said. “The owner just wants one building right now.”

The current concept plans shows four buildings situated on the property.

During the discussion, Commission Kevin Edwards said he had visited the property, concluding that he did not see why rezoning to OI would be a problem. There is some concern about the stormwater runoff after the grading is completed and with the side of the property nearest the school, but those issues can be addressed during the site plan process, he said. Edwards said he had contacted Hopewell Methodist Church and was told the church had no overall problem with the rezoning. He also spoke with the school board and cited their concerns over septic lines and the potential need for sufficient grading on the property.

Commissioner Ken Matthews said he also walked the property. He expressed similar concerns about drainage and stormwater runoff but concluded that those would be addressed during site plan discussions.

Providing his report, Town Manger Barry Amos said the developer agreed to restrict development to the southern portion of the property. He said the proposal fits nicely with OI zoning, though conditions need to be placed at the time of the zoning. Amos recommended that development be restricted to 50 percent of the property. The proposal started with two buildings, then four, he said, and it will be eight buildings before you know it.

The rezoning request was approved contingent on several conditions recommended by town staff relating issues such as buffers, privacy fencing and the extent of development allowed on the property.

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the IQ of the town manager and planning commission
Submitted by did not know on Mon, 04/10/2006 - 4:33pm.

It is ashame these people were not picked on "what they know" as opposed to "who they know"! This property is ...IN THE MIDDLE.. of the 3 schools! There is no other schools in Fayette county that has ..an office park in the middle! The schools have always been built together with as little busniness around as possible. Now these wizards of wisdom want to put an office park in the middle! I can think of several real problems with this that they never bothered to put in the equation. 1. this is an open invitation to every pedifile, child molester etc. to be ...IN THE SCHOOL AREA ... with a perfect excuse. We already have a law officer at Sandy Creek and Flatt Rock to help with the saftey of the children. 2. Because the traffic on that road is the heaviest except for 74 of anywhere in Tyrone, the county has put a moritorim on any building there except for Churches, but Town trumps county, so even with the county trying to help our traffic, we are going to bull straight ahead anyway! The congestion is already so bad that if there is rain, even the busses are late! Why would these people risk the saftey of our children and stress out our traffic problems more?
It is an 8 acre track of land for $20,000.00 and acrea. When it was suggested to the the real estate woman wanting to buy it by members of the town council,that she go buy a flat piece of one of the many cow pastures, she wined that the land of 74 was about 40,000.00 and acrea. I don't know about your math but 8 x 20 + 160 and 40 x 5 + 200. On the flat cow pastures there is no extra cost of filling in the land. I have walked that land and it is Tyrone's answer to the Grand Canyon! It would cost far more that 40,000. to make it buildable. The only thing you can possibly think is that she intends to do it as cheaply as possible, which would mean cutting corners. Once it is rezoned commerical, it will take on a life of it's own. Once again some people in power in Tyrone, have shown how ..STUPID!... they are.!

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I might also add
Submitted by did not know on Mon, 04/10/2006 - 4:40pm.

If you don't care about anything else, think about it this way...it will make your propery values go down! One of the first things people consider when they move is the schools. Who the hell wants to move to an area with an...OFFICE PARK.. in the middle of the schools? I have heard a rumor that someone told the group that owns it, that if they donated the land to the school, it would be a big tax rightoff. Could this be a way to jack the price up and force the schools and the church to buy the land that they have refused todo in the past as the...Grand Canyon... that is, as been considered a liablity in the past rather than an asset?

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Where
Submitted by Daniel Ross on Mon, 04/10/2006 - 3:18pm.

Where will these buildings be placed on Jenkins? What school does the author mean by "the school"? When will construction begin on the building because that will surely mess up the already messed up traffic even further on Jenkins Road. This article leaves the reader with more questions than answers.

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office park in the middle of Birch, Flatt Rock and Sandy Creek
Submitted by too bad on Tue, 04/11/2006 - 8:46am.

Mr Ross,
They oked an office park on land directly across from Birch Elem., next to Flatt Rock Middle's track and school buss turn, and catty corner to Sandy Creek High. They have been told by the school system of the concerns of errosion, if the land is not handled correctly, Flat Rock could lose part, or all, of their track and bus turn. Apparently, they don't care about; the empact on the traffic, what it could cost the schools if these people make a mess out of it and ruin the children's track, or for that matter the saftey of the children. We will have the only schools in Fayette with an office park in the middle.

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Office park in middle of our schools!
Submitted by did not know on Tue, 04/11/2006 - 9:21am.

I doubt the person on the planning commitee walked that propery, he is very stout and it drops over 90 feet less than half way back. If.. he did, he rolled to the bottom and 911 was needed to hoist him out of that gulch! I walked it and had to hold on to the trees and underbrush to get back up it! To think anyone could make that land usable without spending a TREMENDOUS amount of money is a joke. There are underground springs that start at the front, and feed into a creek at the bottom of the gulley. This feeds into a creek and two lakes on Charley Bagwells property, as well as the new Wieland 'River Oaks', all this could to be ruined. It is a recharge area for our drinking water. The land as I stated earlier is Tyrone's answer to the Grand Canyon. For once, I have to agree with Mr Amos, if they ok this, the girl says 2 buildings,"before you know it, it will be 8". The Town Council still has to vote on this, at the their next meeting. They have the abiltiy to throw this whole thing in the trash can where it should be. PLEASE COME TO THE NEXT TYRONE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING AND TELL THEM ..1. You don't want more congestion, trying to get your kid to school on time. 2. You don't want an excuse for a drug dealer, or pedifile to be in the area where your child is at school. 3. You don't want to have your tax dollars try to possibly rebuild the track and buss turn at Flatt Rock.

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My missquote
Submitted by did not know on Tue, 04/11/2006 - 9:31am.

Mr Amos said in the above story, "The proposal started with two buildings, then four, he said, and it will be eight buildings before you know it." IF THIS PASSES THE TOWN COUNCIL...IT WILL TAKE ON A LIFE OF IT'S OWN. Please come to the Town Council meeting and tell them you don't want this. Remember, people look at the schools too when they go to buy a house, this could affect your property values. I don't see how this could do anything except take away from, not add to the schools.

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office park in the middle of Birch, Flatt Rock and Sandy Creek
Submitted by too bad on Tue, 04/11/2006 - 9:55am.

I don't understand why they would disreguard so many negative ways this could impact our schools, environment, and property values just because ONE person wants a piece of property cheap at so MANY OTHERS EXSPENCE?

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office park in middle of schools
Submitted by did not know on Tue, 04/11/2006 - 10:00am.

You summed it up in a nut shell..."ONE person wants a piece of property cheap at so MANY OTHERS EXSPENCE"...nothing is cheap, someone has to pay for it, one way or another...this time it will be the taxpayers and children.

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