County Commissioners to vote tomorrow on P.U.D. zoning application
Tomorrow evening, the Stephens County Board of Commissioners are scheduled to weigh in and vote on approval of what would be the county’s first Planned Unit Development.
As reported earlier this month, the Stephens County Planning Commision voted during its September 5 meeting to recommend that the Board of Commissioners approve a rezoning application by AK New Ventures, LLC.
Approval by the Board of Commissioners would change the zoning on slightly more than 42 acres of property adjacent to the Highway 17 Bypass near Mize Road, from its current Commercial General zoning to the county’s newly-created Planned Unit Development, or P.U.D., zoning district.
The county commission approved the addition of the new zoning designation in May of this year.
Stephens County Administrator Christian Hamilton explained what the Planned Unit Development zoning district encompasses and the purpose behind the new designation.
According to the documentation submitted on the rezoning request, the currently-undeveloped property, located at 2636 Toccoa Bypass, would be used for a mixed-use development including multi-family housing, commercial development, and a hotel.
Zoning on surrounding parcels of property range from Residential Single, Agriculture, Agriculture Intensive, and Commercial General.
In the request, the owner states that the proposed developments, if the rezoning is approved, would “consist of multi-family four-story housing, grocery/market/general store, convenience store and gas station, main street with parking, a quick service restaurant, commercial/retail space, a hotel, and single-family residential housing.”
According to the applicant, the multi-family housing portion of the development would be Phase One of the project and would include between 80 and 120 two- and three-bedroom units.
Phase 2 of the development would include commercial development on the outparcels, including a strip center and self-service hotel.”
Potential future phases include the addition of 150 single-family residential homes.
The total project cost specified on the rezoning application is estimated to be between $10 and $25 million, with a timeline of “three-plus years.”
According to the summary statement of intent, which is a required part of the PUD zoning process, the goal for this development is to “create new jobs, generate additional tax revenue, and bring housing and future industrial growth into the community.”
According to Hamilton, adherence to the statement of intent, or vision of the project, is a unique aspect of the PUD zoning designation.
The benefits of the PUD zoning designation would include a higher density than allowed by other zoning options. Under PUD zoning guidelines, specific allowances within the development would be worked out in unison with the Stephens County Board of Commissioners to align with the statement of intent.
Specifically, a maximum of 15 dwelling units per acre is allowed under the base PUD zoning guidelines, the property owner is proposing 14.22 dwelling units per acre, plus up to nearly 90,000 square feet of commercial space.
Earlier this year, both the Toccoa City Commission and the Stephens County Board of Commissioners voted to share funding of infrastructure development along the bypass, with each entity earmarking $125,000 to support this development and future developments with water and sewer capabilities.
Earlier this month, the Stephens County Development Authority was awarded a $478,400 grant through Georgia’s newly-created Rural Workforce Housing Initiative to support this proposed development, and future developments.
SCDA Chairman Brian Akin said the grant awarded to Stephens County is earmarked for work on the sanitary sewer lift station near the Toccoa Bypass and Mize Road to support the community’s efforts to improve workforce housing availability in the county.
Tomorrow’s Board of Commissioners meeting will take place at 6 p.m. in the courtroom at the Historic Courthouse, 70 N Alexander Street in Toccoa. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m and residents are invited to attend. WNEG News will provide a livefeed of the meeting on our Facebook page.
The Board meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the courtroom at the Historic Courthouse, 70 N Alexander Street in Toccoa. Citizens are invited to attend all meetings, and each meeting includes a public comment session where citizens have the opportunity to address the Board. Public comments are limited to three minutes. Meeting appearance request forms are available outside the entrance to the courtroom prior to each meeting. Sample forms are available here.