A southeast regional homebuilder, Smith Douglas Homes, is looking to build in McDonough. They are proposing a single-family home and townhome subdivision off highway 155 at Farris Drive.
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[mepr-show rules=”12686″ unauth=”message”]Farris Drive Townhomes
Smith Douglas Homes has applied to rezone 42.6 acres from RA and C-2 to R-5. The property is located on the west side of highway 155, south of Farris Drive. They are proposing 210 housing units.
Their proposal includes the following:
- 100 rear-entry townhomes,
- 40 front-entry townhomes,
- 42 rear-entry single-family detached homes, and
- 28 front-entry single-family detached homes.
Their concept site plan depicts townhomes on the interior of the site. The single-family detached lots would be on the perimeter. This is adjacent to the existing subdivisions. Vehicle access points would be off both highway 155 and Farris Drive.
The R-5 zoning district has traditionally permitted single-family homes. Henry County adopted a code revision in 2023. The revision now permits cluster homes and townhomes within the R-5 zoning district.
Smith Douglas Homes was founded in 2008. Their Atlanta portfolio is concentrated in northwest Georgia. This may be their first Henry County project.
Future Land Use Map & Staff Recommendation
The county’s future land use map, adopted in fall 2023, supports urban residential development on the subject property. This is a new map category added in last year’s update. It supports development between 4–12 net units per acre. The proposed Farris Drive subdivision has a density of 10.5 net units per acre. For this reason, the land use map supports its development.
Consistency with the comprehensive plan is a major criteria Henry County staff considers when reviewing a rezoning request. They have recommended approval with conditions. The recommended conditions include a 10% rental cap. This is meant so the subdivision would be an owner-occupied community.
The zoning advisory board will consider the request at their upcoming meeting. It is on Thursday, July 11, at 6:30 pm. They meet at the county office in McDonough. There, they will recommend either approval or denial on the request.
The board of commissioners will consider the request at a later date to make a final decision. There will be public hearings, when residents may speak for or against the project, at both meetings.
Residents often express concerns about traffic congestion when discussing new development. The county cannot use traffic to deny a rezoning request, according to Georgia case law. The board of commissioners are, however, considering an increase to its impact fees. The impact fees, paid by new construction, contribute towards the cost of road improvements and capital projects.
Featured image shows a map of SR 155 at Farris Drive, and the surrounding area. Henry County photo.
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