The McDonough Planning Commission meets on Tuesday, March 10, at 6 pm. Meetings are held at McDonough city hall and are free and open to the public to attend.
This is one meeting residents need to attend! Several major rezoning requests are listed on the agenda.
Public Review Session
Three agenda items will appear in public review session. This is the planning commission’s second look at the request where they will accept public comments and make a recommendation to the city council.
One of the requests—a special use permit for a youth worship center—is not discussed in more detail below.
The cases are scheduled for a public hearing and final decision by the city council less than a week later on Monday, March 16, at 6 pm.
Campground Road annexation & rezoning
The proposed annexation and rezoning for 183.18 +/- acres off Campground Road is quickly coming to a close. The application was first submitted in April 2019.
The proposed development would build 293 lots, a decrease from a previous high of 410. The number of lots was decreased following an objection by the Henry County Board of Commissioners.
Moving Henry Forward enumerated our opposition to the application for annexation in a blog post earlier this week. The number of lots would not change if the property was developed in unincorporated Henry County, but the BOC would require larger lots than what’s proposed.
Highway 155 RaceTrac service station
The second rezoning request is for the proposed RaceTrac service station on Highway 155 near Interstate 75. The applicant is requesting a rezoning from C-2 (central commercial) to C-3 (highway commercial).
The property is located at 716–726 Highway 155 South between the I-75 interchange and King Mill Road. The project would re-develop fifty-year-old structures into a modern day business.
Workshop Session
The planning commission will also preview two upcoming rezoning requests and a concept plan review. Generally, the MPC conducts public review and the city council holds a public hearing and votes on requests one month after the workshop session.
Symphony Park
The McDonough city council last discussed Symphony Park in November but the rezoning request was postponed before having a public hearing and vote. The project consists of 107 acres located behind (south of) Publix at Lake Dow.
The concept site plan, depicted above, includes 250 apartment units, 196 single-family residential lots, and 53 townhouses for a total of 499 units. The project would include road access off Travis Drive and through the Publix at Lake Dow shopping center.
QuikTrip service station
A new rezoning request is for a property recently annexed into the city in August and November 2019. Now, the applicant is requesting rezoning from C-2 (general commercial) to C-3 (highway commercial) for a QuikTrip service station at the northeast corner of I-75 and state route 20 / exit 218.
Active followers of the blog will remember the property was originally proposed for a Dunkin Donuts, multi-tenant commercial building, and Valvoline oil change business. It would appear those plans have now changed.
McDonough Senior Housing & McDonough Workforce Housing
Finally, the MPC will be presented a preview of the concept plan review for McDonough Senior Housing & McDonough Workforce Housing. This is a continuation of Hawks Landing located south of McDonough High School.
In 2004, the subject property was annexed into the city of McDonough and rezoned to support apartments up to fourteen net units per acre. The zoning conditions require a concept plan review be presented to the council and approved before construction can commence.
In April 2019, the first phase of the concept plan entitled “Hawks Landing†was approved by the city council. Hawks Landing is planning 252 apartment units on thirty acres. Now, plans for the remaining forty-nine acres will be presented.
The meeting agenda is available on the city website.
I don’t understand why the zoning and Henry County Commissioners continue to let businesses, homes and apartments to build in this county! Look people, our roads are in need of repair and something done about congesting in every area of the county!!! The schools are overcrowded, you don’t have enough bus drivers to get the kids to school on time or home until after 5:00?? Now,I see you are trying to hire school teachers. Oh yes, I see that the county may not have enough water to supply any continued building?
Really, how many residents of the county does it take to keep telling everyone involved with the county officials to stop the building until these issues are resolved?
The proposed developments are located in the city of McDonough. The county commissioners have no part in their approval or denial.
Furthermore, state case law does not allow the city council to consider traffic congestion when making zoning decisions. Only the Georgia General Assembly has the power to change that.
The Henry County Board of Education has a classroom utilization study underway that will guide the project list for next year’s education SPLOST program. The current education SPLOST program focused on renovating every school in the district, an accomplishment rarely seen that should be celebrated and commended.
Finally, the city of McDonough is not in danger of running out of water for its residents and businesses. The city has a sufficient water supply and has purchased property for a future expansion of their water reservoir when needed. The sixty-day moratorium that is currently in place is to update state permits that cap how many properties the city water system is licensed to service.