The Hall County Planning Commission voted unanimously Monday night in approval of a rezoning that would allow for an industrial and commercial complex on Cagle Road near Lula.
The 91.51-acre tract of land is located at 5051 Cagle Road, bordering Lula Road and Cornelia Highway. It is currently zoned as Agricultural Residential IV. Applicant Solidum Holdings, LLC is seeking to rezone the land to Planned Industrial Development. The reported intent is for the area to serve as a mixed-use business park, featuring industrial, commercial, highway business and office spaces. Plots will be sold as “pad ready” which allows developers to customize parcels as they need.
“It meets the future land use designation for the area,” planning commissioner Stan Hunt said. “It is on an employment corridor. And it's the next evolution of growth on 365.”
Access to the property is planned from Lula Road but is awaiting approval from the Georgia Department of Transportation. Additional access is planned on Cagle Road and Cornelia Highway.
Several neighboring residents spoke against the rezoning, citing the increase in traffic as an issue to everyday travel. Additionally, residents detailed concerns about extra noise pollution, visual distaste and damaging property values.
“The biggest concern was traffic off of Cagle Road,” Hunt said. “There's only one entrance that's a few hundred feet down Cagle Road. So limiting that to only vehicular traffic and no truck traffic whatsoever—should not have that much stress or impact on Cagle Road. We're just trying to make sure that we keep all the truck traffic on 52 or 365.”
Planning staff recommended approval to the planning commission, reporting that the proposed use is consistent with the future land use of the area. The commission’s approval was complimented by several conditions that aim to ease concerns expressed by nearby residents.
The planning commission’s vote of approval will now go to the Board of Commissioners for a final vote on Feb. 9. If the board votes in favor, the complex hopes to be completed by 2033.
