Eight months after being rejected by Hall County Commissioners, a proposed medical office and self-storage facility on Thompson Bridge Road is now headed back for another vote.
The Hall County Planning Commission recommended approval of the project at its meeting Monday after the developer, D. Barrett Investment Properties, LLC., submitted a new plan for the site near Mount Vernon Road.
The original plans submitted in Summer of 2021 were to build a car wash along with the self-storage facility, but those were tabled by the planning commission after heavy backlash from the residents of nearby Lanier Village Estates. The car wash was then replaced with a proposed medical office building, which was still opposed by residents due to the storage facility's proposed three-story height. That plan was ultimately denied by county commissioners in August.
At Monday's meeting, the developers returned with a new plan that would reduce the height of that storage facility to two stories. Some residents of Lanier Village Estates spoke at the meeting saying they were pleased with the changes.
"I was in this room the first time this went through," resident Augie DeAugistinis told planning commissioners. "I have to hand it to the developer, Mr. Barrett, because he had a willingness to listen to us right up to the point of lowering the storage warehouse to two stories."
After the meeting, Planning Commissioner Stan Hunt said he was pleased with the new proposal.
"I think it's a good project, especially now that the applicant has added a medical building and I appreciate the applicant and the residents of Lanier Village working together," Hunt said.
After the planning commission's vote to recommend approval, which was unanimous, Chairman Chris Braswell also expressed his gratitude that the two sides were working together.
"I appreciate everybody getting together and talking and working it out," Braswell told the audience at the meeting.
The rezoning request to make way for the project will now go to the Hall County Commission again for a final decision on May 26. Another public hearing will be held before that vote.
