Community members at Tuesday night’s town hall were the first to learn about an updated concept for Turner Church Road. The proposed Wade Farm development would now be an age-restricted subdivision.
The proposed builder, David Weekley Homes, is looking to make their introduction to Henry County after extensive experience on the north side of Atlanta. The company is the nation’s largest privately-owned homebuilder.
Wade Farm Age-Restricted Subdivision
This spring, David Weekley Homes sought rezoning for 152 acres on Turner Church Road in McDonough. At the time, they were proposing a conventional subdivision. Lot sizes would have varied between 8,000 and 9,000 square feet. The request had 281 lots. The city council held off on making a decision about the request, so the applicant could hold a community meeting.
Such community meeting took place at McDonough City Hall on Tuesday, August 1. A room full of about 40 residents heard the applicant’s latest plan. Now, they are presenting a proposed age-restricted subdivision. Age-restricted subdivisions provide housing for those ages 55 and older. Maintaining that age cap is enforced through federal policy.
Age-restricted housing does not add students to the local school district. Seniors also drive less contributing fewer vehicle trips to the roadways. For these reasons, age-restricted housing is often viewed favorable over a conventional subdivision.
Changes to the Proposal
The largest change from spring to now is the shift to an age-restricted subdivision. There have been revisions to the site layout as well. The proposed number of homes is now 326 lots. The increase is caused by the addition of ”villas” or duplexes. They would be located in the center of the property. There are 42 such units.
The applicant added villas following discussions with the city. McDonough officials requested they consider providing an affordable option in the project. Right now, the projected price point on the villas would be in the high $300s to low $400 thousands. The applicant is looking to further revise this product so the price point can be lower. Comparatively, the price point for detached homes would be in the mid to high $500 thousands.
Because the project is for seniors, all homes would be a single-story ranch style. Some may have upstairs bonus rooms at the option of the home buyer. Home sizes start around 1,500 square feet. The builder expressed the home sizes average 2,200–2,300 square feet. This average is based on communities under construction in north metro Atlanta.
The minimum lot size for detached homes remains 8,000 square feet. The lots would be 60’ wide.
Next Steps
There is not currently an estimate when the property will next go before the city council. It must undergo a public hearing before the city can consider rezoning the land. The concept is also subject to further revisions after Tuesday’s town hall. Reasonably speaking, it will likely be a few months before the property next comes to the city council.
Featured image shows the Wade Farm concept site plan, dated August 2023. Moore Bass Consulting photo.
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