Despite additional objections from residents in the area, Flowery Branch City Council Thursday night gave first reading approval to rezoning for an apartment complex on Hog Mountain Road.
Several residents took to the podium to express concerns about traffic impacts, potential increases in criminal activity and the close proximity of the project to Flowery Branch High School, but in the end council members voted unanimously to approve the request to rezone the 32-acre of land for a 334-unit apartment complex and retail development.
The first vote on the rezoning ordinance was tabled last month so council members could spend more time reviewing the application and talking to area residents about their concerns. Woodfield partners held a third open house to answer questions from the community last week; Woodfield's Patrick Kassin said about 15 people showed up and so did four members of city council.
Even though Councilman Joe Anglin voted in favor of the project, he told officials with Woodfield Development that they should consider his vote a "soft yes" because he still had concerns about the impact of such a large project, especially where traffic is concerned.
After the meeting, Anglin said he would continue his research, and he said it was possible his vote could change at the second and final reading of Woodfield's request.
"I have a few things I need to work out in my mind," Anglin said. "There's still the traffic issue I need to work out, the proximity to the school and impact to the schools, things of that nature."
Anglin said he's not yet convinced the completion of the apartment complex, if approved, and improvements to Spout Springs Road and Exit 12 would align, making for a traffic nightmare.
"That's still something that wakes me up [at night]...Exit 12 is a problem. It's a funnel that gets more narrow as you get down to the interstate [985] and to me that's an issue and that's not something that's going to be fixed over the next couple of years."
Woodfield's project, if it does receive final approval, would be under construction by the second quarter of 2020 with a scheduled completion date of fourth quarter 2021.
Anglin said he also is aware that the owner of the property has rights, as well, and given the topography of the property, the proposed apartment complex is a good fit for the tract.
A final vote on the rezoning request is set for Sept. 19 at Flowery Branch City Hall.
