Residents in the city of Hoschton woke up Tuesday morning to a city with slightly more than double the land area it had when they woke up on Monday.
Hoschton City Council gave final approval Monday evening for Kolter Homes to build approximately 2,600 homes on a nearly-1,500-acre property that fronts Ga. 53 and Peachtree Road, a property that will include a gated, 55-and-older neighborhood, a "regular" neighborhood with townhomes and detached homes, and 400,000 square-feet of commercial space.
"We're excited for Kolter ... to be here, excited about something so nice coming to the city of Hoschton and excited now that we are 1,463 acres larger," said Mayor Theresa Kenerly.
Twin Lakes, as it is currently called, will take approximately 12 years to build, with construction set to start before the end of 2018, according to City Administrator April Plank.
"It's going to be like Cresswind in (Hall County). It's going to be, basically, a Cresswind of Hoschton," said Plank, noting that Kolter is also the developer behind the massive Cresswind neighborhood in South Hall County.
A few conditions were added to the development with its passage, including a ban on apartments and other regulatory conditions, like minimum sidewalk widths and gutter styles on the homes.
By the time the project is finished in 2030, it could triple the city's population — all part of the continued growth of West Jackson County, along the I-85 corridor.
"It's a good quality growth. This is going to be something nice. This is something that should bring nice people to the city, and make the quality of life around here even better. I like being a bedroom community," said Kenerly.
All told, the development is expected to cost just shy of $1 billion.
