Published Monday, October 12, 2009

Development planned in E. Coweta

By Sarah Fay Campbell

The Newnan Times-Herald

Plans for a major commercial and residential development near the intersection of Highways 16 and 54 near Sharpsburg and Turin have been submitted to the Coweta County Planning Department.

A public hearing on the proposal will be Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. before the Coweta County Board of Commissioners.

The applicants are requesting a rezoning of 55 acres on Highway 16 East, approximately 450 feet west of the intersection.

The request is for C7 Commercial Major Shopping Center zoning. Plans are for 10 commercial buildings, with a 90,000-square-foot anchor and smaller buildings of 5,000 to 10,000 square feet. The project is being called "Neely Pond" at Johnson Crossroads.

The applicants are Thompson Lewis/Oakhall Properties LLC.

The commercial area would be connected to a 131-acre tract of land on Neely Road, between Clearwater Road and Highway 54. The applicants, Oakhill Properties, Thompson and Charlotte S. Lewis, Frank L. Neely Jr. and John O. Neely, are requesting the county's R1-B zoning, Single Family Residential Infill District -- Medium Density.

Plans call for 208 lots, with a municipal sewer system. The development would include 18.5 acres of primary open space and 27.74 acres of secondary open space. The R1-B zoning requires a centralized wastewater treatment system.

The Coweta Planning Department is recommending denial of both requests.

Also on the agenda for the Nov. 12 public hearing will be a request for rezoning of property near the intersection of Lower Fayetteville Road and Highway 154.

Michael and Judy Cunningham are requesting a rezoning of 38.11 acres from Rural Conservation to C-7, Commercial Major Shopping District, and a rezoning of 20.78 acres to C-8, Heavy Commercial.

The property currently includes Country Gardens Nursery and the Cunningham home.

The proposal is for a 90,000-square-foot grocery store with approximately 500 parking spaces and a fuel island, an automotive service business, expansion of the nursery, and public storage facilities.

The planning department is also recommending denial of this request.