Columbus, Georgia
Georgia's First Consolidated Government
Post Office Box 1340
Columbus, Georgia, 31902-1340
(706) 653-4013
fax (706) 653-4016
Website: www.columbusga.gov/planning
Staff Report
REZN 11-10-5370
- Applicant
- Philip Thayer
- Owner
- Midland Downs Development, LLC
- Location
- 7364, 8997 and 9163 Macon Road
- Acreage
- 125.5 acres
- Current Zoning Classification
- RE1 (Residential Estate1)/ SFR3 (Single Family Residential 3)
- Proposed Zoning Classification
- PMUD (Planned Mixed Use Development)
- Council District
- District 6 (Allen)
- PLANNING ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
- Approval based upon the fact that it is consistent with the future land use map
of the Comprehensive Plan and compatible with existing land-uses. The Planning
Advisory Commission confirmed the recommended Major Amendments, which are
attached.
- PLANNING DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
- Conditional Approval based upon the fact that it is consistent with the future
land use map of the Comprehensive Plan and compatible with existing land-uses.
The Planning Department concurs with the recommended major amendments, which
are attached. The recommended condition is: Smoke and noise disclosure
statements shall be included in all real estate documents.
- Fort Benning's Recommendation
- Fort Benning concurs with the rezoning request but recommends that smoke and
noise disclosure statements shall be included in all real estate documents.
- DRI Recommendation
- None.
- General Land use
- Planning Area B
Land Use Designation: Single Family Residential
- Environmental Impacts
- The developer will need an approved drainage plan prior to issuance of a Site
Development permit.
- City Services
- Property is served by all city services.
- Traffic Impact
- The proposed development is not expected to have a negative impact on the
transportation network. The developer has partnered with the city to construct
a road that extends Yarbrough Road to US Highway 80. Said road will alleviate
pressure on Lynch, Yarbrough, and Garrett Roads as it creates an alternate
route to US Highway 80. Garrett Pines and Garret Lake subdivisions, as well as
the proposed PMUD, will be less likely to commute internally back to Lynch,
Yarbrough, or Garrett Roads as they will have a more proximate route to US
Highway 80. The only traffic that may travel toward Lynch Road internally may
be school traffic in an attempt to reach the new middle school or Mathews
Elementary.
Also, the intersection of Highway 80 and Lynch Road/Technology Parkway is
currently being improved to add turn lanes and signalization. This will also
help to alleviate congestion along Lynch Road.
- Surrounding Zoning
- North ? SFR3 (Single Family Residential 3) / HMI (Heavy Manufacturing
Industrial)
South ? SFR2 (Single Family Residential 2) / RE1(Residential Estate 1)
East ? HMI (Heavy Manufacturing Industrial)
West ? HMI (Heavy Manufacturing Industrial)
- Reasonableness of Request
- The proposed zoning classification is compatible with existing land uses.
- School Impact
- Elementary age students would attend Matthews Elementary (PK-5), which has 503
students (capacity: 575). Middle School age students would attend Midland
Middle School (6-8), which has 774 students (capacity: 875). High school age
students would attend Shaw High School, which has 1194 students (capacity:
1350).
There is currently a new middle school proposed for the northeast corner of the
intersection of Yarbrough Road and Garrett Road. The property has been
purchased by the MCSD.
The MCSD has also purchased property south of Old Pope Road with access to
Midland Road and Highway 80. Said property has been designated by MCSD as a
potential future campus, which may include a high school, middle school, and/or
elementary school.
A determination has not been made as to the impact of this development on the
proposed neighboring schools.
- Buffer Requirements
- The proposed development shall meet the
buffer requirements for Master Planned
Developments as defined in the UDO.
- Attitude of Property Owners
- Seven (7) property owners within 300 feet were notified of the rezoning
request. The Planning Department has received two inquiries about the rezoning
request.
The rezoning applicants, Councilor Allen, members of the Midland Homeowners
Association, and various residents in the area held a meeting on December 14,
2010 to discuss the project and address any issues or potential impacts.
- Additional Information
- Major Amendments: YES (see attached). There are a total of 3 major amendments,
all dealing with buffer reductions. Two of the requested amendments are buffer
reductions related to neighboring future land uses. A request has been made to
reduce the required buffer from 100 feet to 0 feet because proposed single
family residential lots will be abutting proposed single family residential
lots in the adjoining Garrett Pines subdivision. Another request is to reduce
the aforementioned required buffer from 100 feet to 50 feet on Calumet Road,
which will allow for more buffer flexibility on US Highway 80. The final
request is to reduce the required 100 feet buffer on US Highway 80 to 50 feet.
However, the developer has stated on record that the average width of the US
Highway 80 buffer will be 100 feet, but there are locations within the buffer
due to waterways that will not be able to maintain the 100 feet.
Planned Unit Developments are required to have 25% open space, the proposed
development will have over 80% open space as a trade off in exchange for the
requested amendments. Said open space in a PMUD is more restrictive in what
qualifies as open space than in the other Planned Unit Developments. Some of
the possible open space possibilities are passive parks, conservation areas,
and floodplain/water control/drainage management. The proposed reduced buffers
allow the developer to be flexible with his open space, which is proposed to be
almost 48%, almost double the requirement.
In June of 2006 the City Council conditionally approved the rezoning of 35.16
acres of the eastern portion of the subject property for single family
residential.
Since that time, Thayer Properties has partnered with Will Burgin (owner of the
western portion of the proposed development) to combine their properties and
propose developing a Planned Mixed Unit Development (PMUD). Said PMUD includes
approximately 260 single-family units and 200 multi-family units. The
development will have a commercial center at the intersection of Calumet Road
and US Highway 80.
- Attachments
-