Applicants proposing two new apartment complexes off state route 20 — one on either side of I-75 — will present their requests to the zoning advisory board later this week. The zoning board meets on Thursday, March 10, beginning at 6:30 pm.
Zoning board meetings are open to the public. Each request will have a public hearing before the board votes on it. During the public hearing, each side (those for and against the request) have a total of ten minutes to present their case.
In each request, the applicant is seeking both rezoning of the property and an amendment to the future land use map. Following the zoning board meeting, the board of commissioners will hear the requests at a later date to make a final decision.
State Route 20 near McDonough Parkway
The first request consists of 21.4 +/- acres located across the street from the Henry County Recycling Center. The property presently has a mixture of zoning districts:
- RM (multifamily housing),
- OI (office-institutional),
- C-1 (neighborhood commercial), and
- M-1 (light manufacturing).
The applicant is requesting to rezone the property to RM. They are proposing a new apartment complex with 267 units. Proposed unit breakdown consists of:
- 117 one-bedroom units (44% of units)
- 126 two-bedroom units (47%)
- 24 three-bedroom units (9%)
Tellus Partners of Atlanta, GA is the project developer. The company focuses on multifamily development in the southeast. McDonough looks to be their first Henry County project. Editor’s note: Since this article was first published, Tellus Partners has proposed two additional apartment complexes in Stockbridge and Locust Grove.
Georgia DOT has an upcoming widening project in the property’s vicinity. The project will widen highway 20 between I-75 and Phillips Drive from two to four lanes. The project is presently buying right of way and plans to start construction within the next year.
Planning staff are recommending approval of the request with ten conditions. Some of them include the following:
- The first floor of all residential buildings shall have an all-brick and / or stone exterior on all sides. Each upper floor exterior of all buildings shall also be brick and / or stone, with up to 20% of an accent material.
- Amenities shall include, but not limited to, a resort-style swimming pool, fitness center, open air pavilion with fire pit and grilling area, children’s playground and dog park.
- The number of total dwelling units shall not exceed 267 units.
State Route 20 near Westridge Parkway
The second request consists of 25.73 +/- acres across from Publix at Westridge. The property has a commercial designation as part of the larger Westridge development. The applicant is seeking the RS (residential suburban) zoning district to construct a combo of townhomes and apartments.
The proposal includes 229 apartments and 18 townhomes. The project’s net density is 13.7 units per acre. By comparison, Henry County allows up to 16 net units per acre in high-density residential development. Davis Development, Inc. of Stockbridge, GA would develop the project if Henry County approves it.
The future land use map supports future commercial use on the property. This matches the original master plan for Westridge. Following staff review, they are recommending denial of the rezoning request.
Featured image shows the future land use map in the vicinity of state route 20 and McDonough Parkway. Photo credit Henry County.
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