Snellville planning commission approves Somerset at Snellville rezoning with HOA rental cap

The Snellville Planning Commission on March 25 approved a rezoning and future land‑use amendment to allow a 70‑unit mixed residential development at 2587 and 2597 Lenoir Church Road, with conditions that include approval of requested variances and a homeowners association that limits rentals to no more than 10% of units.

Planning and Development Director Jason Thompson, who presented the case, told the commission the staff recommendation was "approval with conditions." Thompson said the application requests rezoning to the RX Mixed Residential district and a future land use map amendment from Residential Low Density to Medium Density for a 15.15‑acre site in the No Business Creek character area.

The application, titled Somerset at Snellville and submitted by Revive Land Group, proposes 70 total units: 28 single‑family detached homes and 42 single‑family attached townhomes. Thompson reported the development’s gross density at about 4.62 units per acre, below the RX district maximum of eight units per acre, and noted the applicant also requested a variance related to front‑yard driveway/ground coverage that staff recommended approving.

Shane Lanham, attorney with Mahaffey Pickens Tucker representing the applicant, described the proposal as an "infill" project that uses the RX district to provide a mix of housing types where public water and sewer exist and where access to collector streets is available. Lanham said the site would include a single right‑in/right‑out access on Lenoir Church Road, a 15‑foot buffer along the perimeter, a mix of passive and active open space, and elevations showing two‑car garages for most units.

Neville Allison, managing partner of Revive Land Group, addressed pricing and product type. Allison said the developer expects townhomes "in the $350,000–$360,000 range" and single‑family homes "starting in the low $400,000s," and described the project as for‑sale housing governed by a mandatory homeowners association.

Several neighboring residents testified in opposition, citing concerns over drainage, tree removal, floodplain and creek capacity, traffic and U‑turns on Lenoir Church Road, and compatibility with the surrounding low‑density neighborhoods. August Horn, a nearby homeowner, said stormwater currently flows toward the subject property and worried new construction would reduce places for runoff to go. Other speakers cited repeated flooding on adjacent streets and questioned whether detention and culvert designs would handle peak flows.

Lanham and Allison responded to residents’ concerns on stormwater and access. Allison said the team has a civil engineer and a stream/wetlands expert and is pricing culvert options, including a bottomless culvert or box culverts sized for the creek’s flow. Lanham said state and city regulations require an undisturbed stream buffer (he cited a 25‑foot state minimum and a 50‑foot Snellville buffer) and a 75‑foot impervious setback that he said the design intends to respect. Lanham also said the site will tie into an existing county 12‑inch sewer line in the creek corridor.

After public comment closed, a commissioner moved to approve RZ25‑03 and LUP25‑01 with the variances recommended by staff and with an added condition that the development be governed by a mandatory homeowners association whose covenants limit rental units to no more than 10% of the development. A second commissioner supported the motion. The commission voted 5–1 to approve the motion.

Votes at a glance

• RZ25‑03 / LUP25‑01 (Somerset at Snellville) — Motion to approve rezoning to RX and amend the future land‑use map to Medium Density, approve stated variance(s), and require a mandatory HOA with a maximum of 10% rental units — Passed, vote tally reported as 5 yes, 1 no.

What happens next

The approval ties development rights to the conceptual rezoning site plan stamped February 11, 2025; Thompson stated "substantial variation from the conceptual rezoning site plan, as determined by the Planning and Development Director, will require Mayor and Council approval." Thompson also noted that the RX district was adopted in the UDO in 2020 but has not previously been applied in Snellville. The applicant may proceed to detailed engineering and permitting steps required by state and local stormwater and development regulations.

Context and takeaways

Staff emphasized the proposed density sits at the lower end of the Medium Density category and below the RX maximum density of eight units per acre. The project proposes 20% of the site as open space per the RX requirements and includes design elements intended to preserve stream buffers. Opponents focused on local drainage, tree removal, emergency access, and traffic impacts on adjacent streets. The commission’s approval includes explicit conditions intended to address some community concerns, and any development more intense than the approved conceptual plan would require a return to the commission and mayor and council for review.