The Hall County Planning Commission recommended denial Monday of a rezoning request that would make way for a self-storage facility with RV, boat and box truck parking on Friendship Road near Braselton.
The group Friendship 24, LLC is looking to rezone just over 24 acres of land on the north side of the road from Agricultural Residential-IV to Planned Commercial Development. Ken Gary with Friendship 24 told planning commissioners Monday he believes a storage facility would be the best use for the property.
"We own this property. We're going to build it, we're going to develop it," Gary said. "When I first started looking at doing something on this property, I talked to some of my friends who live in Chateau Elan and the Village at Deaton Creek. They thought townhomes and apartments were not good. The ones I talked to support this self-storage facility."
While some nearby residents did voice support of the project, more at Monday's meeting spoke against it.
"I strongly and completely oppose the rezoning from agricultural to commercial," Reunion resident Kara Johanson told planning commissioners Monday. "The master plan is deemed residential and it is surrounded on all three sides by residential."
Planning Commissioner Johnny Varner said after the meeting that while he voted against this project, he believes the property will not remain agricultural long-term.
"Anything that comes in there is going to be spot-zoning anyway, in my opinion," Varner said. "We did deny, but there is a thing that would be better suited that wouldn't have such an impact."
The request will now go before the Hall County Commission for a final decision on April 14.
