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SHERIFF TOTALS Bentons Brantleys Burgays Cabaniss Cox Culloden Dillards Evers Forsyth High Falls Kelseys Middlebrooks Proctor's Russellville
SPLOST TOTALS Bentons Brantleys Burgays Cabaniss Cox Culloden Dillards Evers Forsyth High Falls Kelseys Middlebrooks Proctor's Russellville
By Rk rd Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
The owner of a Bolingbroke-
based auto business withdrew
on Tuesday; Nov. 6 his request to
move his company to Bolingreen
Drive.
On behalf of Unique Auto Sales,
Steven Rowland of Macon-based
Rowland Engineering asked
Monroe County Commission-
ers to re-zone 90.11 acres of a
124-acre tract from residential to
commercial and also asked for a
conditional use variance in com-
mercial zoning to make way for
the business to re-locate its main
lot from its present location on
Rivoli Road to Bolingreen Drive.
Rowland said business owner
Justin Campbell wants Unique
Auto Sales to remain close to
1-75 and said the company would
build a 25,000 square-foot service
facility along with a 20-acre
fenced parking lot to store as
many as 1,000 vehicles.
A number of nearby residents
opposed the re-zoning.
Sleepy Creek resident Mike
Bilderback, a former county
commission chairman, said
Rowland's re-zoning request
was an example of "spot zoning"
Bilderback instead suggested
Unique Auto Sales re-locate to
one of the Development Author-
ity of Monroe County's industrial
sites. Commission chairman Greg
Tapley replied that Campbell had
previously met with the Develop-
ment Authority but was unable to
strike a deal.
Pate Road resident Jordan
Burnsed, a security advisor for
Fortune 100 companies, said
the business could bring crime,
including vehicle theft, to the
area, Burnsed said preventing
crime would require substantial
light pollution. He also said he
was concerned about vehicle
emissions and the possibility that
Campbell's business could expand
considerably once it re-locates.
Burnsed also said he was con-
cerned about 600 tractor-trailers
per month turning out onto
Pate Road, saying the road is not
equipped for that type of traffic
and noting that the Pate Road
bridge over 1-75 was damaged by
fire several years ago.
Field Springs Court resident
Kerry Howell said the Pate Road
exit does not have any com-
mercial property, noting that
not having an entrance ramp
onto 1-75 North from Pate Road
prevents fast food restaurants and
gas stations from locating there.
Howell, who said his only elected
political experience is serving as
the secretary for the North Rivoli
Farms homeowners' association,
said Unique Auto Sales' re-
location would be the first step to
south Monroe County leaving the
rural, residential feel for which it's
known.
North Rivoli Farms Drive
resident Susan Slappey, whose 25-
acre tract backs up Unique Auto
Sales' proposed facility, said she's
concerned about her property
value dropping.
Jerry Lumley, an attorney
representing the Glen Merry and
North Rivoli Farms homeown-
ers' associations, agreed, saying
commercial business does not fit
with surrounding neighborhoods.
Lumley said he also feared the
business would create noise and
could disrupt emergency vehicles
from easily accessing Bolingreen
Health & Rehabilitation, located
just south of the site.
After about 40 minutes of
discussion, Rowland asked to
address the board a second time,
saying he had been notified by
Campbell, who was in the room
but did not speak publicly, that he
wanted to withdraw his re-zoning
request. If Campbell's request had
been rejected by commissioners,
he would have had to wait a mini-
mum of one year to re-apply.
The Monroe County Planning &
Zoning board failed to take action
on Campbell's request at an Oct.
29 meeting, leaving the final say
up to commissioners on Nov. 6.
e
e
By Richard Dumm
forsyth@mymcr.net
Monroe County Commissioners denied
on Tuesday, Nov. 6 developers' request
to lower the lot width requirements for a
proposed subdivision at the intersection of
Hwy. 41 South and Sanders Road.
On behalf of the project's developers
Three Oaks Construction and Develop-
ment and New Atlantic Realty, Steven
Rowland of Macon-based Rowland Engi-
neering asked commissioners for variances
in residential zoning allowing the 105.49
acres within the proposed subdivision
to have minimum lot frontage widths of
120 feet, instead of the required 150 feet,
and a minimum paved radius of 48-feet
and right-of-way of 60 feet for cul-de-sacs
instead of the required 60-foot radius and
75-foot right-of-way, respectively. Rowland
said the proposed radius and right-of-way
for cul-de-sacs meets the international
fire code standards and said the county's
zoning ordinance size requirements are
"overkill."
Rowland told commissioners that homes
within the proposed subdivision would
be a minimum size of 2,400 square feet
to 2,800 square feet and would be valued
at about $400,000. Rowland added the
proposed development will have an under-
ground septic system.
Three Oaks Construction and Develop-
ment owner Matt Gilbert said the num-
ber of homes in the subdivision would
decrease from about 87 to about 70 if the
variance requests were denied. Rowland
initially asked for a variance to decrease
the required one-acre minimum lot size
as well, which would have increased the
total number of lots to 98, but the devel-
opers withdrew that request after objec-
tions from nearby residents at an Oct. 29
Monroe County Planning & Zoning board
meeting.
A number of nearby residents opposed
the variance requests.
Sanders Road resident David Rowntree,
whose home adjoins the subdivision, said
he's concerned about the density of homes
in the 105-plus acre tract, which could
increase traffic in the area and also could
pose water run-offissues that could flood
his low-lying property.
Lorraine Woods Drive resident Bowden
Oakes said his water pressure isn't good
now and said he's concerned that 87 more
homes would create additional water
strain.
we all gonna take a bath just once a
week?" Oaks asked in jest.
Field Springs Court resident Kerry
Howellsaid there was no hardship in this
instance that necessitates granting the
developers a variance. Howell, who labeled
south Monroe County "a rare treasure"
noted that the county's zoning ordinance
was just updated one month earlier and
said altering its regulations immediately
after its approval would set a bad prec-
edent of which future developers could
take advantage. Howell also said he took
offense to an earlier comment District 4
commissioner George Emami made about
how commercial tracts are necessary for
county property taxes, saying residential
landowners pay plenty in taxes.
"South side of Monroe County, we carry
our weight;' Howell said of the county's tax
burden.
Jerry Lumley, an attorney representing
the homeowners' associations of Glen
Merry and North Rivoli Farms, apologized
for an earlier criticism of the county's zon-
ing notification procedures that tweaked
District 3 commissioner John Ambrose.
After about 45 minutes of discussion,
Ambrose, in whose district the proposed
subdivision would be built, motioned to
deny the developers' variance requests,
which was seconded by District 2 com-
missioner Eddie Rowland. Commissioners
then approved by a 4-0 vote to deny the
variance requests. District 4 commissioner
George Emami abstained.
The Monroe County Planning & Zoning
board previously denied the request at an
Oct. 29 meeting, but commissioners had
the final say on Nov. 6.
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