The Augusta Planning Commission vetoed a proposed neighborhood near the Manchester subdivision during its meeting Monday.
Last month, Beazley Development Company, acting on behalf of property owners Michelle Atkins, Poplar Group LLC and GA Baptist Children’s Homes, applied to rezone three tracts of land totaling 189 acres along Windsor Spring Road and Manchester Drive.
The developer aims to change the parcels from Agricultural and R-1 to R-1D single-family residential zoning, to build 354 one and two story detached houses.
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Development Services manager Kevin Boyd noted to the commissioners that the new residential development would require four entrances, based on Augusta’s land development regulations. The plans submitted by Beazley shows one connecting from Windsor Spring Road, and another extending from Manchester.
“There are some general concerns about having multiple entrances along Windsor Spring Road since it’s a limited access road,” said Boyd, also mentioning that the staff had been in discussions with the traffic engineer about making improvements to the intersection at Manchester if necessary.
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More than 30 residents from the area attended the meeting to oppose the rezoning. Samuel Walker, president of the Cambridge Property Owners Association, spoke to the commissioners on their behalf.
“We do not oppose this development; we oppose using Manchester Drive,” said Walker.
After a motion by Commissioner Sonny Pittman to recommend denial of the request, the Planning Commission ultimately voted to deny, with five commissioners in favor of the motion, three opposed and one, Commissioner Robert Cokes, abstaining from voting.
The commissioners approved a petition by Lauren Burleson, on behalf of OM Shiv Shakti LLC, to rezone a four-acre tract at 1602 Gordon Hwy from B-1 Neighborhood Business and LI Light Industrial to B-2 General Business, in order to build a Take 5 Car Wash, part of the Take 5 chain of auto servicing shops, which has over 500 locations nationwide.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
