GAINESVILLE — The owner of some residential property along Thompson Bridge Road north of Gainesville got the rezoning he wanted from the Hall County Planning Commission Monday night, but some homeowners who live nearby are concerned about his plans.
The rezoning allows the 2.59-acre tract north of Garden Boulevard to be rezoned from R-1 to H-B. However, Daniel Chester and his attorney told the planning commission they don't have a specific business in mind for the property just yet.
That's what worries resident Shawn Burke who lives in a house on Garden Boulevard that backs up to the property.
"What are they going to put into the place if it is rezoned?" asked Burke. "What can they not put there? How much setback will the business have? What will be done about noise produced there - any type business going in there is going to produce some amount of noise."
Rosedale Circle resident Robert Lamont also spoke in opposition to the rezoning, expressing concern about traffic issues on busy Thompson Bridge Road.
"It would devalue our property and it would create a traffic mess that we already have coming in and out of Garden Boulevard from Thompson Bridge Road," said Lamont.
Planning Commission Chairman Don Smallwood acknowledged the property owner had not provided specific business plans for the property, but he said because the tract lies in the Hall County Gateway Corridor Overlay District (GCOD), there are restrictions on what can be built.
"The GCOD - you can't have, you know, junkyards or you can't have self-storage warehouses, vehicle car lots, auto repair or maintenance shops...you can't have all this stuff because it's restricted," said Smallwood. "You're probably going to have - no matter what's done today or down the road - you're going to have some commercial [project] that's going to come up to your subdivision."
Commissioners voted 4-1 to approve Chester's request. The matter now goes to the Hall County Commission for final approval on December 10, 2015.
