Macon's zoning commission defers hearing on proposed apartment complex on Bowman Road in north Bibb County
The Macon-Bibb Planning & Zoning Commission deferred hearing plans Monday for a proposed apartment complex on Bowman Road at the request of the developer's attorney.
BMW Developers filed an application to rezone about 60 acres at 5171 and 5259 Bowman Road from a single-family district and a planned development extraordinary district to a planned development residential district, which would allow a multifamily residential development.
Attorney George Greer, representing BMW Developers LLC, said he was contacted by an attorney representing a group of people opposing the apartments who asked that the item be deferred. Greer said the attorney wanted to meet with the developer to discuss the issue.
The commission voted 5-0 to defer the matter until its Dec. 14 meeting.
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.
The site has a dense cover of mature hardwoods and pines, according to a report by the developer.
"The development has been intentionally designed to cluster building and parking areas along ridges and areas with less sloping topography," according to the report. A proposed layout shows a 100-foot undisturbed buffer between the apartments and the adjacent Brookfield subdivision and a 200-foot undisturbed buffer along the rear property line.
The developer conducted a traffic impact study, which says the development would generate about the same traffic as a high-density, single-family development similar to Brookfield.
"Based on the size of the proposed Bowman Road tract and the assumptions in the study, there is no need for additional roadway improvements along Bowman Road ... to accommodate the development," according to the traffic report.
In May 2008, the commission denied a rezoning proposal for the property for an apartment complex with 560 units, according to the commission's staff report.
"In terms of quality of life ... that the proposal as submitted is in compliance with the overall land use pattern and would not adversely influence living conditions in the surrounding areas," the report states. "Other multifamily residential communities within the 2-mile radius have been developed with much higher density."
Other items on Monday's agenda were:
CONDITIONAL USES:
3004 Debra Ann Drive: Conditional use to allow a convenience store, PDE District. Kunj Patel, Kunj Construction, applicant. Approved.
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS:
329 Cotton Ave.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow design approval of signage, CBD-1 District. LDW's Haberdashery, applicant. Approved.
946 Cole St.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow design approval of a deck and porch, HR-3 District. Archadeck of Central Georgia, applicant. Approved.
1005 College St.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow design approval of exterior modifications, HR-3 District. Bowden Templeton, applicant. Approved.
VARIANCES:
3742 Mercer University Drive: Variance to reduce minimum radial distance between EGD sign and residential structure, C-2 District. Sara Martin, Lighting Maintenance, applicant. Approved.
To contact writer Linda S. Morris, call 744-4223 or follow her on Twitter@MidGaBiz.
This story was originally published November 23, 2015 at 5:12 PM with the headline "Macon's zoning commission defers hearing on proposed apartment complex on Bowman Road in north Bibb County ."