Palmetto City Council voted 5-1 Thursday to approve the rezoning and annexation of the 98.6-acre property belonging to the Hugh Johnson estate. Located along the west side of Ga. Highway 154 on the north side of the city, the property is the location for the proposed development of a 144-unit subdivision.

The rezoning portion of the proposal requested R-1 Residential Zoning (Conservation Subdivision/Open Space Development Overlay District). The proposed 98-acre development would include 40 acres of open space, said estate representative Donna Black, with Scarbrough & Rolader Development. She said the potential development will include homes on one-half acre lots with prices from the low-to-mid $200,000 range and a minimum of 2,100 square feet. Black said her company would not be the builder.

Referencing comments at an earlier meeting by City Administrator Bill Shell, Black said development plans include connecting water lines in the new subdivision to the system at Carlton Woods subdivision. Carlton Woods property is situated at the southwest corner of the Johnson property.

The council passed the rezoning and annexation measures by a 5-1 vote. The lone dissenting vote was cast by John Miller, who along with council members Greg Rusch and Jeff Yasson had surfaced concerns about the city’s existing building codes and regulations and the need for taking a fresh look at updating them. Those concerns, also expressed during the hearing by city resident Steve Kopelman, related to promises by various developers who later do not keep their promises. After the meeting, Miller said he also voted against the measure because he had general concerns about the cost of the anticipated near-term developments to existing citizens, the overall quality of development within the city and the availability of existing resources to serve citizens.

“Currently, we are the path of least resistance for South Fulton developers due to our lack of existing regulations,” Miller said.

Fulton County initially turned down the proposal on the Johnson property, but came back to approve it once the estate agreed to a 100-foot buffer and subdivision access via Johnson Road, Black said. Plans call for the second entrance to intersect Johnson Road approximately 400 feet from Hwy. 154. That section of road will be paved by the developer, she said. In addition, a 10-inch water main will be laid along Hwy. 154 to the subdivision.

Planning & Zoning Board members voted 4-0 to recommend the annexation.

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