A new rezoning request along Willow Lane plans to build a combination of townhomes and single-family residences after it was approved by the board of commissioners in May 2019. The Reservoir Group of Watkinsville, GA has requested a rezoning from RA (Residential Agricultural) to RS (Residential Suburban) for 23 +/- acres located on Willow Lane north of the existing Pembrooke Park development.
Nearby apartments were recently approved to the west of the subject property, accessible via Mt Carmel Road. The Reservoir Group is the applicant on both developments.
Applicants are proposing fifty-six townhomes along the west side of Willow Lane and forty-four single-family residences east of Willow Lane for a net density of 8.25 dwelling units per acre. The single-family residences would be accessed via the Pembrooke Park development.
Single-family lots are proposed to be 60 x 121 feet, or 7,260 square feet. The RS zoning district allows the smallest minimum lot sizes for single-family development within unincorporated Henry County. Staff has recommended that single-family homes feature a two-car garage with an unspecified minimum square footage.
The subject property has two designations on the future land use map, based on Willow Lane dividing the property. The area west of Willow Lane is designated for high density residential development, whereas land east of Willow is marked mixed use. The applicant’s proposal is supported by either designation, which allow up to sixteen dwelling units per acre.
The development is expected to generate an additional two-hundred students at Wesley Lakes Elementary, Eagle’s Landing Middle, and Eagle’s Landing High. This would result in the need for eight additional classrooms. Capital improvement costs are projected at $300,000 per permanent classroom.
The state of Georgia does not allow impact fees to go towards new school construction. The next opportunity for Henry County Schools to program large-scale capital projects will be the education SPLOST VI program developed in 2021. The school board owns 37 acres to the immediate east of the proposed single-family homes and future schools will likely be constructed on the land.
Staff has recommended approval of the request after evaluating the proposal against nine criteria points. The staff report is available on the county website.
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