Two rezoning requests heard at the August 20 regular meeting of the Henry County Board of Commissioners received unanimous approval.

  A planned development first rezoned in 2002 was granted a modification, with two corner lots being rezoned from commercial to residential. They are about one acre each and face one another at the intersection of Revere Drive and John R. Williams Parkway, on the east side of Hwy. 42 between McDonough and Locust Grove. The overall development has residential, commercial, office and industrial uses.

  The applicant’s representative stated that while most of the development has been in place for more than a decade, these two lots have drawn little or no interest as far as commercial use is concerned, since most of the commercial tracts are closer to Hwy. 42. He added that the developers felt it would be more appropriate to extend the existing residential development and it would be a better fit for the adjacent neighbors.

  The existing median wall on the road at the entrance to the subdivision will not be modified, the representative assured the board, thereby mitigating concerns raised by the homeowners association. A couple of residents opposed the request for safety reasons, but it was also pointed out that access to the lots would be solely from Revere Drive, which will reduce the safety concerns. The houses built on those lots will face Revere Drive and the homeowners will be encouraged to become part of the association.

  The other rezoning request was for a 30.9-acre tract at 469 Mount Bethel Road, north Hwy. 81 in Ola. The zoning change from RA (residential-agricultural) to R-2 (single-family residential) was to allow a new 29-lot subdivision.

  According to county staff, the Future Land Use Map calls for one unit or fewer per net acre at that site, and this request is in line with that. A representative of the applicant said that the lot sizes will be roughly the same as in the Stratford Place development to the east. Each lot will be on its own septic tank since sewer service is not available in that area.

  Two commissioners, Dee Clemmons and Vivian Thomas, expressed concerns about the lack of sewer and said it is an issue in several parts of the county. They urged officials to set up a future meeting with the Henry County Water Authority to discuss how to extend those services into parts of the county that are growing.

  No one spoke for or against this particular request during the public meeting, and it was approved unanimously as was the previous rezoning request.