A townhome development next to Gainesville's Wilshire Trails Park got initial approval from Gainesville City Council at a Tuesday evening voting session, even though the rezoning request had been denied last month by the Gainesville Planning and Appeals Board.
Some residents in nearby neighborhoods objected to the project because of potential traffic issues and possible runoff into streams that feed Lake Lanier, but council members thought the 14-unit gated development was fitting for the area.
Councilman Sam Couvillon made the motion to approve the request to rezone the corner property from R-I to R-II, noting that he sympathized with the concerns raised by some citizens.
"I am comfortable with Mr. Bailey's [architect Jack Bailey] assessment of the water control. I feel like the price point is such that will enhance the neighborhood," said Couvillon. The townhomes are projected to cost around $400,000, according to the developer.
Couvillon also said he thought the project might be the impetus to start housing upgrades all along the park corridor that stretches from Chestatee Road to downtown Gainesville. He said he and other council members had had informal discussions about the future of that area.
"The desire of many millenials these days - if you look at any survey - they are wanting to live in a park area, which is within walking distance of downtown."
In making the motion, Couvillon also said he understood the traffic headaches in the city. After the meeting, he noted that it wasn't just the Dixon Drive/Chestatee Road/Wilshire Road area that was a problem.
"The traffic is a nightmare," said Couvillon. "We've got to figure out a way to move people through the city. Dixon, Prior Street on the other side of Green Street, Memorial through Longstreet Hills - all these are great neighborhoods [where] we're pushing traffic onto secondary roads...there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about it."
Couvillon said the state, Hall County and the city will have to team up to solve traffic problems. In the meantime, growth likely will not stop.
"People are coming to Gainesville, regardless... so, there's going to be development. As we develop, we need to manage that growth."
A final vote on the rezoning for the townhome project is scheduled for the June 21 voting session of the Gainesville City Council.
