The Augusta Planning Commission’s April meeting still proved longer than usual even after the commissioners voted in favor of Bridge Builder Communities’ tiny homes project on Merry Street.
One of 10 other items considered by the Planning Commission on Monday afternoon was a request from ATC Construction of Augusta to rezone two parcels in south Augusta totaling some 30 acres, to make way for a proposed townhome subdivision.
The petition seeks to change 3745 and 3749 Wrightsboro Rd. from R-1C to R-1E One-family Residential. The planning staff’s report notes that most of 3745 Wrightsboro is already zoned R-1E.
The developer aims to build some 150 townhome units, at least 26 feet wide. The subdivision would include private roads throughout the with 60-foot rights-of-way, a mail kiosk at the front entrance, a stormwater retention pond at the back end and a 20-foot landscaped buffer separating it from the Covington subdivision abutting the subject properties to the south.
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The development would be contiguous to the existing 212 units that comprise the Highborne and Longpoint Townhome neighborhoods.
ATC President Kurt Eyring, speaking to the commissioners, addressed concerns about the unit density of the project, compared to that of nearby developments.
“Just from a numbers perspective, R-1E permits up to 10 units per acre, R-1C permits seven. We are at a number that’s right at five… we have significantly less density than either of the existing zonings actually allow.”
Commissioner Trisha Mallis expressed approval of the townhome project, but recommended sidewalks and a traffic study. Planning staff recommended denial of the request, as the newer development would be connected with a lower-density development.
Staff also recommended, however, approving a rezoning to R-1D zoning, with sidewalks, a community building and a traffic study among the recommendations.
Eyring disagreed with staff’s recommendations, saying that an R-1D zoning would “kill the entire project.” Bill Corder with Blue Water engineering telling the commissioners that such a rezoning, and its minimum 40-foot-wide lot requirement, would effectively turn the townhomes to duplexes.
Planning and Development Director Carla Delaney countered this, telling the commission that ATC could still go forth with its townhome project under an R-1D zoning.
Eyring told the commissioners that he would rather the properties remain at their current zoning and “reevaluate.”
The commission voted unanimously to recommend denial of the rezoning to R-1E.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
