Three rezoning requests involving a total of nearly 400 acres and more than 600 home sites were approved January 22 by the Henry County Board of Commissioners.
The most citizen opposition came in regard to a 115-acre tract on Ola Road that was rezoned from RA (residential agricultural) to R-2 Sewer. The applicant proposed 134 lots with a net density of two units per acre.
Because the property is within 2,000 feet of the sewer line, the development is required by the Henry County Water Authority to connect to sewer, according to county officials. R-2 is the lower zoning tier that can be used for development because of the sewer requirement.
The county’s Zoning Advisory Board recommended denial of this request in November, but the request is supported by the Future Land Map designation of low-density residential for that site.
The property owner also owns about 50 acres adjacent to the site and has proposed to designate that land for a permanent conservation area that will not be developed. The applicant has raised the house size from the minimum 1,700 square feet to about 2,400 square feet.
Several people spoke in opposition, emphasizing their concerns about the impact on the nearby schools and their own property values.
The request was approved with 12 conditions.
An 86.5-acre site on Crumbley Road was also rezoned from RA to R-2 Sewer for a 100-lot single-family residential subdivision. The request was approved with eight conditions as recommended by the Zoning Advisory Board.
The plan includes at least 20 acres of open space and a 25-foot buffer around the entire property. Entrances are proposed on Selfridge and Crumbley roads.
An RS (residential suburban) zoning was approved for 168.5 acres on Flippen Road adjacent to I-75 at the underpass. This property has been operating as a cattle farm by the Broder family since the 1950s. The plan for the site includes 260 single-family homes and 130 townhouses along with a number of planned amenities. County staff said that the plan is in line with the Future Land Use Map, and the commissioners included the Zoning Advisory Board’s recommended conditions when granting approval. All three items passed with unanimous votes.
