The Augusta Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), during its meeting Monday afternoon, voted in favor of the city housing department’s Laney Walker area townhome project.
A year ago the Augusta Housing and Community Development successfully petitioned to rezone six lots along Twelfth Street from One-family Residential (R-1C) to Multi-family Residential (R-3A) for the sake of its proposed subdivision of 10 townhomes.
Monday, the BZA considered Housing and Development’s request for a variance from the zoning ordinance to allow a reduction of the minimum rear setback of the properties from 25 feet to 15 feet.
Shauna Carkhum, development manager with Housing and Development, told the board that the project has been in development for more than a year, initially proposing single-family homes before deciding to develop townhouses.
Planning director Carla Delaney noted to board members that planning staff recommended denying the request as it doesn’t meet the criteria established in the city’s zoning ordinance for such a reduction. No one in attendance, however, spoke to oppose the request, nor did anyone contact the city to oppose, according to planning staff.
Save for board member Elmyria Chivers, who recused herself, all board members voted unanimously to approve the request, with planning staff’s recommended conditions that the setback at the west property line be no less than 15 feet.
The Augusta Development Authority also had its own variance request at Augusta Corporate Park approved at the meeting. Thomas & Hutton Engineering Co., on behalf of the development authority, requested a variance allowing the height of a chain link security fence with barbed wire around its property at 430 Valencia Way to be eight feet, rather than the maximum six.
The 145-acre tract, zoned Heavy Industrial (HI), is the site of the upcoming GF Casting Solutions manufacturing plant that will produce cast aluminum parts for vehicles, an investment of more than $180 million.
All board members, save again for Chivers, who this time opposed, voted in favor of the request, under planning staff’s recommended condition that the barbed wire atop the fence not exceed 10 inches, and that the fence not exceed eight feet in height.
Atlanta Gas Light requested to withdraw without prejudice its request, originally considered by the BZA in February, for a variance from the city’s flood damage prevention ordinance that would have allowed the company to add fill dirt into a flood hazard area on its property on Doug Barnard Parkway. Planning staff noted that Atlanta Gas Light has since opted for a different approach to an improvement project at the property. The board members voted unanimously to approve the withdrawal.
Skyler Andrews is a reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
