Revisions to the form-based code in the Grovetown zoning code are moving forward.
The Grovetown Planning Commission approved recommendation of the text amendments to Appendix A – Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance of the City of Grovetown code of ordinances and repeal of the City of Grovetown form based code during its meeting on Thursday, March 16. Ronnie Kurtz, director of planning and community development, said about a year ago that four main goals were established when it came to redoing the code. These goals are:
- To restore traditional residential zoning districts similar to the existing R-2 and R-3 standards
- Restore standard commercial zoning districts, with overlay standards applicable to the City’s main thoroughfares along Wrightsboro Road and Robinson Avenue.
- Modify landscaping standards to allow for removal of trees from single family lots and set minimum density standards
- Codify density limits for multifamily and townhome developments
Kelley Klepper, with Kimley-Horn who has been helping to rewrite the code, spoke to the planning commission about the changes, and stated they were focused on the city center districts.
“Those are the areas that, I’ll call it, the more traditional or form-based code areas,” Klepper. “The realization is there were some things that were not effective in their application and…hence the reason the city undertook this effort, I’ll say to correct, update and clarify the standards and the districts that go along with those areas. As Mr. Kertz said, this is a very succinct, kind of focused effort. There are additional components of the code that of course will need to be entertained as part of the secondary or future phase. The focus tonight is on the form-based code, landscaping and buffering and some of those (other components).”
For residential zoning, the draft currently keeps the zoning districts residential (R)-1, R-2, and R-3 districts the same as the old one. The new zoning districts combine the city center (CC)-6 and CC-7 into R-C1, combines CC-5, R-4, R-355, and CC-4 into R-C2, and changes CC-4 to R-HD, Klepper said.
According to a handout, R-C1 is for lower density residential development, which includes single-family detached or two-family dwellings. R-C2 is for a variety of housing types, which includes single-family detached and single-family attached dwelling units “at a density not greater than 10 units per gross acre.” R-HD is for areas for high density residential development, such as single-family dwellings and multiple-family dwellings.
For commercial zoning, the new zoning district combines C-1, CC-1, and CC-3 into NC – Neighborhood Commercial, and combines CC-8 (public, city-owned land), CC-2, C-2, and C-4 to GC – General Commercial.
Neighborhood commercial (NC) is for small scale commercial uses, including retail sales, personal services and recreational and institutional establishments. General commercial (GC) is for areas of amusement, specialized sales and travel accommodations activities, according to information presented at the meeting. Kurtz said the GC zoning would be good for a store like Wal-Mart.
The industrial district zoning district combines M-1 and M-2 into M-Industrial. M-Industrial is for areas for manufacturing, assembling, fabricating, warehousing and related activities, according to information from the meeting. The special district zoning changes PUDD into PUD (Planned Unit Development).
The parking lot standards, landscape code and buffering standards were also mentioned. Klepper said they were using the Columbia County landscape code, which is a good one.
“Why mess with something that’s working,” Klepper said of the landscape code. “Plus, it also adds…it creates consistency from one jurisdiction to the other so that you’re not having to as a developer look at the county versus the city versus this, it’s the same type of standard.”
During the public hearing portion of the meeting, Carla Harrison expressed concern, not with the changes, but that many residents did not know the changes to the form-based code were happening.
“I know all the legal requirements have been met as far as posting and that kind of thing,” Harrison said. “I would simply ask that you all recommend to the city council and staff that we go a little extra mile for our citizens. This is a huge change and it’s changing a document that’s been in place for a lot of years. Once this is put in place it’s not going to change for a lot of years. We have lots of business owners who just heard of this today and I recognize the fact that the information has been out there. I’ve been to every single meeting and when I look around, I’m the only citizen I see and that’s kind of how we roll in Grovetown.”
Harrison acknowledged that while the city posted about the changes on its website and Facebook page, she said it “really missed the mark when notifying citizens” because not a lot of citizens follow the City of Grovetown on Facebook.
“The fact that it was put there was awesome. It would’ve been great if it was forwarded over and over and put in local community groups over and over by city council, by city staff, by whoever does those kinds of things,” Harrison said.
Kurtz said a notice about the zoning changes being discussed at the April 10 meeting meeting will be put in the monthly newsletter.
Commissioners had no comment on the changes and approved recommending its adoption to the city council. The item will be presented to the Grovetown City Council at its April 10 meeting at 6 p.m. and then it could be approved at the May meeting. Anyone with questions can contact Kurtz at rkurtz@cityofgrovetown.com.
A draft of the zoning map and additional information can be found on the City of Grovetown website. A copy of the information session can be found on the City of Grovetown Facebook page.
