Page 6D November 14, 2018
iR orter
By Rid rd I n us
forsyth@mymcr.net
The Monroe County Planning &
Zoning Board took no action on
Oct. 29 on an engineer's request to
relocate a Bolingbroke auto busi-
ness to Bolingreen Drive.
Steven Rowland of Macon-
based Rowland Engineering,
representing Unique Auto Sales,
asked the P & Z board to re-zone
90.11 acres of a 124-acre tract on
Bolingreen Drive from residen-
tial to commercial. Rowland
also asked for a conditional use
variance that would allow Unique
Auto Sales to relocate from its cur-
rent Rivoli Road address to Bolin-
green Drive. Rowland said Unique
Auto Sales, whose owner Justin
Campbell was in attendance at the
meeting, has outgrown its current
location and is handicapped by
its proximity to a neighboring
railroad track. Rowland said
Campbell was seeking a new loca-
tion that remained near 1-75 and
proposed a 25,000 square-foot
automobile service facility with a
fenced automobile storage parking
lot at its rear on Bolingreen Drive.
He said the Rivoli Road location
would then remain as corporate
office space for the company.
Rowland said vehicles being
shipped south would enter 1-75
at the Pate Road entrance ramp
while vehicles headed north
would do the same thing but
would turn around on Bass Road.
Rowland said he was not con-
cemed about a heavy increase in
traffic on Bass Road because he
said a widening of the popular
north Macon thoroughfare was on
the way. Rowland then joked in
reference to a recent Reporter ad
about property taxes increasing in
Macon-Bibb County and his ear-
lier failed attempt to get a variance
passed to allow for more homes in
a proposed Sanders Road subdivi-
sion that he was "trying to bring
residents to Monroe County and
send tin/tic to Bibb County."
Scott Wilson, a broker rep-
resenting the tracts owner, the
Charles Jones estate, said there are
over 500 acres at the site alto-
gether and said are already zoned
commercial.
While Rowland and Wilson
were the lone proponents of the
project to speak, a number of op-
ponents voiced their opinions.
Macon-based attomey Collier
McKenzie, representing the North
Rivoli Farms Homeowners' As-
sociation, said he was concemed
about the continued growth of
Unique Auto Sales. McKenzie
said once Campbell relocates to
the proposed site, he could easily
claim hardship later on should
he want to expand his business,
saying it would be too difficult to
move again. McKenzie also noted
that the proposed business would
back up to nearby subdivisions
Wadley Station and North Rivoli
Farms.
North Rivoli Farms Drive resi-
dent Rahul Vangala said he was
worried about the environmental
effects of the proposed facility,
saying harmful emissions and
micropaxtid .uuld ponute the
air. Another North Rivoli Farms
Drive resident, Frank Casey, said
he was concemed about semi-
trucks not being able to make
the tum from Bolingreen Drive
onto Pate Road and then directly
onto 1-75 South. Casey labeled
the venture "an industrial park
project" and suggested Unique
Auto Sales find an altemate loca-
tion. Pate Road resident Jordan
Bumsed said he was worried
that truck drivers wouldn't use
the preferred routes and would
instead cut through residential
areas. Bumsed, who' said he's a
security advisor for large corpora-
tions, said the parking lot would
create additional crime and said
preventing crime would require
"light pollution" at the site.
Field Springs Court resident
Kerry Howell estimated that 100
tractor-trailers every couple of
weeks would visit the business and
said the trucks turning out onto
Pate Road would create a safety
hazard.
Wadley Station Lane resident
JeffNewsome said he was con-
cemed about the proposed facil-
ity's dose proximity to Bolingreen
Health & Rehabilitation and said
the trucks could impede ambu-
lances going in and out from the
nursing home. Newsorne said he
also feared that once the business
was built there, it would prevent
any future residential growthin
the nearby area.
When Rowland was given a
chance to respond, he said Unique
Auto Sales is already generat-
ing traffic in Bolingbroke, and a
new facility further south would
eliminate that problem. He said
100 large trucks getting on and
off regularly at an interstate
interchange is "not a lot of traffic"
and said the fenced-in parking
lot would not cause more crime,
noting Campbell has "valuable
cars to protect." Rowland also said
the facility would have a 1,000 foot
buffer around it.
After about 35 minutes of dis-
cussion, P & Z member Jim Rol-
lins suggested deferring a decision
on the matter until a land use plan
was created for the tract. The P &
Z board then approved by a 5-0
vote not to make a recommenda-
tion to Monroe County Commis-
sioners, a decision that appeared
to displease many opponents of
the project.
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
The Monroe County
Planning & Zoning Board
denied on Oct. 29 a request
by a developer for a vari-
ance that would decrease lot
sizes in a proposed subdivi-
sion at the intersection of
Hwy. 41 South and Sanders
Road.
Steven Rowland of
Macon-based Rowland
Engineering, representing
Three Oaks Construction &
Development and New At-
lantic Realty, asked for the
P & Z board to wave county
subdivision requirements
for the 105.49-acre tract
that require one-acre lots
and no less than 150-feet in
width. Rowland requested
lot sizes to be as small as
0.6 acres and 110-feet in
width. Rowland also asked
that cul-de-sacs within the
subdivision be allowed a
minimum paved radius of
48 feet and a right-of-way
of 65 feet as required by the
International Fire Code.
The county currently re-
quires a paved radius of 60
feet and a right-of-way of
75 feet for cul-de-sacs.
Rowland said, ffthe vari-
ance request was approved,
the proposed subdivision
would have 98 available
lots of which 55 would be
.6-acre tracts. Rowland,
who noted that 33 of 43
lots in the initial phase of
nearby Glen Merry subdivi-
sion were tracts that were
less than one acre in size,
said the site would only
have about 70 to 75 homes
if his variance request was
denied.
A number of nearby
residents opposed Row-
land's request, starting with
Sanders Road resident
David Rowntree. Rowntree,
whose property borders the
back comer of the proposed
subdivision, said he was
concerned about having so
many homes on a 105-acre
tract. He said his home is
located in a much more
low-lying area than the
proposed subdivision and
said he was worried about
run-offonto his property.
He said a proposed hold-
ing pond would be right
next door to his home and
said he was also concerned
about traffic created by the
project.
Rowntree said, "I don't
think the ordinances need
to be changed for someone
to make a little bit of extra
mone) '
Macon-based attorney
Collier McKenzie told
the P & Z board he was
representing the North
Rivoli Farms Homeowners
Association as well as some
residents of Glen Merry.
McKenzie said allowing
a variance for smaller lots
would set a bad precedent
and said Rowland had not
shown any "unnecessary
hardship" that would merit
granting a variance.
HvW. 41 South resident
Randall Woodard said he
too was opposed, noting
that granite was located just
a foot below the surface in
the area. Another Hwy. 41
South resident Justin Jer-
emias said his family moved
to the area because of the
wooded home aesthetics
and didn't think cutting
down trees to build more
homes in the proposed
subdivision fit the look of
the surrounding homes.
Field Springs Court resi-
dent Kerry Howell said the
variance request was only
a "moneymaking venture"
Howell said nearby home-
owners represent a large tax
base to Monroe County as
well and said he was espe-
cially appalled by an earlier
claim made by Rowland
that curbs and gutters could
be left out of the subdivi-
sion if the variance request
was denied.
When Rowland was given
a chance to respond, the en-
gineer said detention ponds
are put in place to protect
downstream properties like
Rowntree's, adding that the
proposed ponds would be
dry with no standing water.
He also said the subdivision
would be built under all
county and state require-
ments and said the subdivi-
sion would be maintained
by a homeowner's associa-
tion. Rowland added that
the unnecessary hardship
that caused a variance to
be necessary is the subdivi-
sion's being split by Sanders
Road, which caused gas and
power lines easements to
bi-sect the tract.
Matt Gilbert of Three
Oaks Construction &
Development then asked
to speak, saying his com-
pany was not trying to be
divisive for the surrounding
neighbors. He said the pro-
posed homes will be sold
at prices ranging from the
high $300,000s to the low
$400,000s. Gilbert said he's
not a "greedy developer" as
opponents had labeled him
and said Howell, an attor-
ney by trade, liad "sensa-
tionalized" the effects of the
variance request. Gilbert
also said internet provider
Hargray Communications
could provide high-speed
internet in the area if98
homes were approved for
the site. That claim didn't
impress many of the op-
ponents with North Rivoli
Farms Drive resident Frank
Casey saying Forsyth
Cablenet will begin servic-
ing North Rivoli Farms and
Glen Merry starting later
this week. Jennings Lane
resident Wendell Home
then asked attendees for
a show of hands of how
many people opposed
the re-zoning, and nearly
100 people or most of the
persons in the room raised
their hands.
After about 45 minutes of
discussion, P & Z member
Chuck Benson then mo-
tioned to deny Rowland's
request, which was second-
ed by Michael Brewster. The
P & Z board then approve&
to deny the variance reques
by a unanimous 5-0 vote
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
The Monroe County
Planning & Zoning Board
denied on Oct. 29 a request
by a McDonough man to
build an RV (Recreational
Vehicle) park at the corner
of High Falls and Buck
Creek roads.
Brian Marshburn applied
to re-zone a 15.29-acre
tract from commercial
to a manufactured home
district for the purpose of
operating a campground.
Marshbum also asked for
a variance because the
county ordinance requires
a tract to be at least 25 acres
in order to have a camp-
ground.
Marshburn told the P &
Z board his proposed facil-
ity, which he said would
cater to larger, luxury RVs,
would have between 69 and
89 pull-through spaces as
well as 18 to 19 cabins. He
said the facility would have
an on-site manager and a
full-time employee during
the day. Marshburn told
the P & Z board he also has
a contract to buy the High
Falls Hideaway motel prop-
erty, and the same manager
would run both facilities.
While Marshburn was
the lone attendee in favor
of his proposal, numerous
High Falls residents turned
out to oppose the project:
Buck Creek Road resident
Anthony White said Buck
Creek Road can't handle
increased traffic and added
that he was concerned
about visitors living at
the park instead of just
passing-through as Marsh-
burn said it was intended
to occur. White also noted
Marshburn wouldn't be at
the site to ensure it was be-
ing run effectively.
"We live here. You don't"
White said matter-of-factly.
Boxanlde Road resident
Jan Knecht told the P & Z
board that a similar pro-
posal to put a campground
at that site was rejected by
the county a decade ago.
Buck Creek Road
resident Brenda Lee, whose
property is adjacent to
the proposed project site,
said High Falls already has
several campgrounds and
said that the High Falls
Hideaway property already
brings "riffraff" to the area.
Lee urged the county to
clean up High Falls, saying
the county's code enforce-
ment officer "needs to be
fired."
"They're not doing their
job" Lee said.
Buck Creek Road
resident Michael Smith
noted Marshburn's envi-
ronmental plans for the site
were a decade old and said
a re-zoning to a manu-
factured home district
would make it possible for
permanent mobile homes
to be put there and not
just travel trailers. Smith
said he wanted an updated
environmental plan done
before the P & Z board
considers approving the
measure.
Buck Creek Road
residents Robert and Irene
Muckenfuss said they're
concerned about water
runoff from the proposed
facility coming onto their
nearby property. Irene
Muckenfuss added that she
feared the project would be
detrimental to her property
value.
Steve and Susan Wade,
who own an adjacent RV
park, said they weren't
aware of a plan for fenc-
ing or for a retention pond
at the site and said their
own park often becomes
flooded after heavy rains.
Steve Wade said he's also
worried about crime stem-
ming from the proposed
park, saying it takes he and
his wife living at their park
full-time to keep order.
Jimmy Wade, the land
manager for the Har-
din, Newton and Wright
families, who own a
nearby tract, said he had
no issue with Marshburn's
business plan but said
he was concerned about
the location. He said the
number of proposed units
and sewage resulting from
it seemed more than a
15-acre tract could handle.
Bill Hardin, who owns an
adjacent tract, said he flew
in from Houston to oppose
the campground and said
there's too much granite
under the surface because
of the dose proximity to
the 1-75 interchange. South
Lee Street resident Mary
Aiken Wright, another
nearby landowner, said she i
too opposed the project.
When Marshburn was
given a chance to rebut
his neighbors' complaints,
he noted his proposed i
campground is right next
to High Falls Park, a major
recreational area. He said
he plans to do updated
soil testing at the site to
ensure its safe to build
there and said he didn't
want to spend thousands
of dollars on engineering if.
his proposal was rejected.
Monroe County zoning
officer Anita Buice noted
it's county policy not to
require soil and septic stud-
ies until after approval is
granted and noted the state
would regulate environ-
mental issues.
After about 45 minutes of
discussion, P & Z member
Michael Brewster mo-
tioned to deny the request,'
and the motion was sec- :
onded by Chuck Benson.
The P& Z board then cast
a unanimous 5-0 vote to
deny Marshbum's rezoning
request.
