The Hall County Planning Commission recommended approval Tuesday night of two large residential developments.
The first is a proposed apartment complex on Athens Highway near Gillsville Highway. The applicant, Michael Twiner, had originally proposed building 330 units on the 22-acre site, but planners expressed concerns about the density and the two sides agreed to lower it to no more than 264 units.
District 3 Planning Commissioner Stan Hunt said the development is needed in the area.
"It's much-needed housing and the U.S. 129 corridor has a lot of growth as far as jobs coming, especially now that it's four-laned," Hunt said. "I just felt it was a good location to have needed housing."
No one spoke against the development and the planning commission voted unanimously to recommend approval.
The second development is a proposed townhome community on Pine Valley Road near White Sulphur Road in Gainesville. Planning commissioners also asked the applicant to reduce the number of units, this time citing concerns over the increase of traffic around a dangerous intersection where Pine Valley and White Sulphur meet.
Cook Communities had originally proposed 249 units on the 34-acre site, but agreed to reduce the density to four units per acre, which would allow for no more than 136 units. Several residents spoke against the proposed development, citing traffic concerns and suggesting improvements to the nearby roads.
"Because of the roads, where we don't have four lanes like we had on U.S. 129, I felt that the density had to be reduced before we could approve," Hunt said. "That's going to put a tremendous amount of traffic into that one intersection at White Sulphur and Pine Valley, which does need improvements. I had to agree with the folks in the community."
The planning commission voted 3-1 to recommend approval with Gina Pilcher being the only vote against the project.
The proposed Athens Highway apartment complex will go before the Hall County Commission on February 24 at the Hall County Government Center on Browns Bridge Road. The proposed Pine Valley Road townhome community will go before commissioners on January 27 at the Gainesville Civic Center.
