The Grove mixed-use development, perhaps the largest in Henry County history, was approved on Tuesday, March 18. The project can build 6,000+ units on 1,277 acres over the next 40 years. It is located off US Highway 19/41.
The Grove Approved by Henry County
Henry County commissioners held a called meeting on Tuesday afternoon to consider the Grove project. At the start of the meeting, District 4 Commissioner Michael Price recused himself from the discussion and vote because he received campaign donations from the applicant. Price then exited the meeting.
The Grove’s proposal had three parts for the board to consider:
- ULDC Amendment – amend the county development code as it pertains to the use of development agreements,
- Rezoning Request – rezone the 1,277 acres from a variety of existing zoning districts to mixed-use (MU) zoning, and
- Development Agreement – approve a development agreement to govern the project instead of the traditional zoning conditions.
The ULDC amendment and rezoning request both passed by 4-1-1 votes. Commissioner Wilson voted in opposition and Commissioner Price waa recused. The board will consider approving the development agreement at a future date.
About The Grove
The developer, Geosam Capital, purchased The Grove property in March 2022 for $15.3 million, according to property records. They then placed the land in Henry County Land Company, LLC. County documents about the project will reference both names.
The 1,277 acres are located on either side of US Highway 19/41 between Hampton and Lovejoy. The Shoal Creek reservoir, owned by Clayton County Water Authority, is to its southern boundary.
Planned Uses
The Grove master plan has nearly 6,200 units. This will include 3,400 single-family homes, including homes, townhomes and age-restricted senior homes. The remaining 2,760 units will be apartments. The BOC lowered the number of apartments by 1,000 units before approving the project.
Other aspects of the project include the following:
The project will be built in phases. The estimated timeline to build the entire project is 25-40 years.
Geosam Capital
The project developer is Geosam Capital. They have developed over ninety communities with 5,000+ residential lots in Georgia. Some examples in Henry County include the following:
- Hamilton Pointe and Parkside at Avalon subdivisions in McDonough,
- Derringstone Manor in Locust Grove and
- Clark Estates East in Ellenwood.
The company also has projects in Florida and Texas.
New Medical Space?
The developer’s site plan has a large area along US 19/41 set aside for commercial space. This area could support two million square feet of retail and restaurant space. The developer is in ongoing discussions with Piedmont Healthcare to instead use some of this area for a new medical facility.
Henry County District 5 Commissioner Lewis, in whose district the project is located, said the potential medical space led to his support for the project. “We have had preliminary talks already [with Piedmont] to possibly bring another hospital to Henry County,” Lewis shared. The developer has additional meetings scheduled now that the project has obtained zoning approval.
New hospitals in the Atlanta area are exceptionally rare. Part of this can be attributed to Certificate of Need regulations. CON prohibits a healthcare provider from opening a new hospital in another provider’s service area without first going through a costly and lengthy state approval process. New facilities also have a high price tag. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta opened Arthur Blank Hospital last year for $1.5 billion. The 19-story building is at I-85 and North Druid Hills in DeKalb County. Two other recent projects were for new patient towers. The first project in Gainesville, an 11-story 150-bed tower, cost $538 million. Finally, Piedmont Henry is building a new patient tower for $215 million.
Infrastructure Impacts
Because of the project’s size, it underwent a development of regional impact (DRI) review. The DRI review is a state review process by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and Atlanta Regional Commission. State agencies reviewed the project and then provided comments.
The portion of the project west of US 19/41 will have three access points out to Tara Blvd. The traffic study recommends new signals at two locations: US 19/41 at Talmadge Road and US 19/41 at the main entrance. A third new signal would serve the eastern portion of the project. These improvements would be at the developer’s expense.
In addition, the developer has been in discussions with both Clayton County and Henry County Water Authorities for 2-3 years. A water and sewer service feasibility study was completed for both authorities. The studies found Clayton County Water could provide water and sewer service at a lower overall cost than Henry County Water Authority. For this reason, CCWA will likely be the utility provider. The developer has committed to pay for all necessary upgrades to serve their site. Geosam must finalize a development agreement with one or both water authorities, depending on their final service provider, before construction can begin.
The project site plan donates seven acres for public safety. The county can build a fire and/or police station on this land. Lastly, Geosam is in ongoing discussions with Henry County Schools about possibly donating land for a new elementary school.
ULDC Amendment
Geosam requested an amendment to the Unified Land Development Code to better support their project. The ULDC is the county’s zoning code for unincorporated areas. Specifically, the developer’s request would allow the use of development agreements for areas within resource protection districts. Because of The Grove’s proximity to the reservoir, it is located within the watershed protection district.
In addition, the amendment allows development agreements to include uses in the mixed-use zoning district which the ULDC does not otherwise already permit. According to county staff, this will give the county and developers more flexibility when planning large master planned projects.
A complete rewrite of the county’s zoning code is underway now. The county anticipates it could be complete later this year. The county’s code last had a comprehensive rewrite in 2009.
Board Comments
Henry County Chair Harrell had questions who would be paying for the water and sewer infrastructure. Patrick Brooks, Geosam Capital’s representative, reiterated they would be paying for all necessary infrastructure to serve the site. The Clayton County Water Authority feasibility study had estimated costs of $51 million for water service and $130 million for sewer service.
Stream buffers and water quality concerns were frequently mentioned by residents speaking at the meeting. Geosam Capital has hired a third-party water quality expert to advise on all water quality construction standards. In addition, the project will follow all state and Clayton County Water Authority buffer requirements when building next to the reservoir.
District 3 Commissioner Anglyn remarked he was in support of master planned developments. Anglyn is presently collaborating with county staff on multiple master plans for North Ola and Kelleytown. Commissioner Lewis also expressed support for master planned projects. “This is not piecemeal,” he added.
District 1 Commissioner Wilson had questions about the project’s development agreement and county services to serve the project. He requested the board table the item and hold workshop sessions to further refine the details.
District 2 Commissioner Robinson asked for additional conversations with the two water authories to finalize those details. Chair Harrell and Commissioner Lewis said those discussions will happen before the board approves the final development agreement.
Editor’s note: The Henry Reporter owner Clayton Carte is employed part-time as Commissioner Wilson’s assistant. Featured image shows homes in a subdivision. Adobe stock photo.
