Rezonings OK'd for shopping center on Zebulon, apartments on Bowman Road
Macon's zoning board agreed unanimously Monday to rezone about 25 acres on Zebulon Road to allow a residential/retail development and about 60 acres on Bowman Road for an apartment complex.
Both rezoning requests were opposed by residents living near the proposed projects. Nearly every seat was filled in the commission chambers in the Bibb County Government Center with some people standing or sitting on the steps. Some of the residents who live near the Zebulon Road site held up signs that read: "Don't destroy our neighborhood" and "not in my neighborhood."
The 25-acre site is made up of seven contiguous properties in Zebulon Road's 5800 block. Owners of those properties have been trying to sell for years. The property was rezoned from a single-family residential district to a planned development extraordinary district which would allow a mixed-use development -- with commercial, office and multifamily residential features.
Sierra Development Group and SPP Commercial Group, both locally based companies, plan to build an upscale $30 million project on the site called Lofts at Zebulon.
The 241-unit, pedestrian-friendly development would include some units with garages and amenities such as an outdoor swimming pool, a nearly 3-acre park with walking trails, a fitness center, urban gardens and a Wi-Fi cafe, said Jim Daws, president of Sierra Development.
Ground floor retail space in one of the four buildings, which are each four stories tall, would be available with lofts above. Four outparcels -- lots near Zebulon Road with separate buildings -- are designated for restaurants.
While the project is in the same location where another developer failed to build a shopping center, Daws and Travis Griffith, president of Southern Pine Plantations Commercial Group, say their project is different in several ways. For example, the project would be about 90 percent residential.
Birmingham, Alabama-based developer Blackwater Resources tried to build a retail center with 200,000 to 250,000 square feet of space, including five outparcels. It was expected to be anchored by a grocery store.
Griffith said Southern Pine joined with the residents against Blackwater's plans -- and in fact it paid about $63,000 in attorney fees -- because "it was a big-box development." Southern Pine developed the commercial property on Zebulon Road near Interstate 475.
But Griffith said the mixed-use project he and Daws would build fits planning and zoning's future land plan "like a glove." He called Southern Pine Plantations "a neighbor and a stakeholder in this development."
Billy Hester, who lives in the Stone Edge subdivision which would border the new project on two sides, spoke out against the project and said he represented area residents.
"I can sum it up in one word: greed," he said.
Hester suggested some other locations in north Bibb County where the mixed-use development could possibly go, but he acknowledged he did not know if the owners would sell those properties.
Hester also questioned the need for more apartments in the county and said the retailers in the center would just be moving from another Macon location. No retailers have been announced for the project.
"Where are all these people coming from that are moving into these big-box places?" he asked.
However, the Lofts at Zebulon would not include big-box retailers.
Also the developers said it would not include fast food restaurants, gas pumps or a convenience store.
Hester tried to excite the crowd by trying to get them to shout out at certain points during his presentation. But Chairman Kamal Azar quickly put an end to that, saying the commission wouldn't tolerate outbursts from the audience.
Hester also said Azar should not be allowed to vote on the matter because he and Daws have worked together on other projects, and they share space in the same office building. But zoning attorney Pope Langstaff said Azar had no conflict of interest on this project.
After the meeting, Hester said the residents plan to hire an attorney to fight Monday's decision. Jim Thomas, executive director of the commission, said opponents of the project would have 30 days to appeal the decision.
Two years ago, Hester was among a group of four people to sign a letter to real estate broker Guy Eberhardt offering to sell their properties to Blackwater.
Hester and his wife, Sheila Hester, along with Stone Edge residents Harold and Chris Teel, offered to sell their two lots to Blackwater for $500,000 each.
That letter was dated June 26, 2013. Eberhardt represents the seven property owners on Zebulon Road.
PROPERTY FOR APARTMENTS REZONED
In a separate matter, the commission rezoned the 60-acres site at 5171 and 5259 Bowman Road from a single-family residential district and a planned development extraordinary district to a planned development residential district. The rezoning proposed by BMW Developers would allow a multifamily residential development.
The proposed use is "a low-density, high-end multifamily residential development" with 240 one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Amenities would include a clubhouse with an exercise facility, an outdoor pool, a pond and walking trails. About 30 garage units also would be available.
While the proposed layout shows a 100-foot undisturbed buffer between the apartments and the adjacent Brookfield subdivision, Don Carter, president of engineering consultants Carter & Sloope, said 25 feet has been added to that buffer after a discussion with neighbors. A separate 200-foot undisturbed buffer would be along the rear property line.
The density would be about four units per acre, which is low for an apartment complex, Carter said.
"We believe the scale is in keeping with the residential area," he said.
A traffic impact study conducted by the developer says the apartment complex would generate about the same amount of traffic as a single-family development such as Brookfield.
Macon attorney Ivey Cadle, representing Brookfield, said the residents -- whose homes are valued at $165,000 to $200,000 -- are concerned the complex will affect the value of their homes. They're also worried about safety issues and adding more children to the Springdale Elementary School district.
Carter said studies have shown that about 20 school-age children would live in a complex such as this one, and the entire property would be fenced with a gate. He also said that if the site was developed as a single-family subdivision, no buffers would be required.
Macon attorney Devlin Cooper, representing the Rivoli Downs subdivision at the rear of the proposed site, said residents had concerns about stormwater drainage affecting ponds in their subdivision. But Carter said the proposed site is downhill from the subdivision so that should not create any issues.
Other items on the agenda were:
REZONINGS:
5211 and 5189 Sardis Church Road: Proposal to rezone from A-Agricultural District to M-1, Wholesale and Light Industrial District. The purpose of this rezoning is to bring property into conformity with surrounding properties and add 25 acres to I-75 business Park. Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority, applicant. Approved.
CONDITIONAL USES:
1655 Wesleyan Drive: Conditional use to allow revision to a previously approved site plan for expansion of an existing assisted living facility, PDR District. Randall Griffin, applicant. Approved.
1205 Riverside Drive: Conditional use to allow auto sales, C-2 District. Evie Lester-Brisco, applicant. Approved.
385 Coliseum Drive: Conditional use to allow a multimessage billboard with variances, C-2 District. George Greer, applicant. Approved.
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS:
277 Pierce Ave.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow design approval of exterior modifications, HR-3 District. William Stafford, BTBB Architects, applicant. Approved.
685 Arlington Place: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow design approval of signage, HR-3 District. Tiquella King Whitby, applicant. Approved.
VARIANCES:
4796 Riverside Drive: Variance in parking requirements, C-2 District. Cunningham & Company Engineers Inc., Cleve Cunningham, applicant. Approved.
5238 Zebulon Road: Variance in fence design, A-Agricultural District. Matt Ginn, Custom Fence, applicant. Approved.
212 Abington Court: Variance in required setbacks to allow a single-family dwelling, PDR District. Terry Holland, applicant. Approved.
To contact writer Linda S. Morris, call 744-4223, or follow her on Twitter @MidGaBiz.
This story was originally published December 14, 2015 at 10:17 PM with the headline "Rezonings OK'd for shopping center on Zebulon, apartments on Bowman Road ."