Zoning board denies rezoning for 194‑unit patio‑home development at Jonesboro and Chambers Road

The Henry County Zoning Board voted to deny a rezoning request from RA and OI to R5 for about 22.29 acres at the southwest corner of Jonesboro and Chambers Road, removing the developer’s plan for a 194‑unit horizontal multifamily (patio home) project from the entitlement path.

Planning staff described the proposal as a 194‑unit horizontal multifamily development with an overall density of about 8.7 dwelling units per acre net, which staff said falls at the low end of the future land‑use designation of high‑density mixed use (8–20 units per acre). Staff presented concept plans showing 60 one‑bedroom attached units, 91 two‑bedroom units and 43 three‑bedroom units, amenity space, gated access and landscaping buffers. Staff recommended approval with conditions, including a 50‑foot landscape buffer along Jonesboro Road, a 20‑foot perimeter buffer elsewhere, required sidewalks, amenities and a potential condition to limit the number of permits issued until progress is made on the Jonesboro Road widening project; staff provided draft language tying permit issuance to incremental progress on the road project or to a target date (transcribed draft tied issuance to "01/01/2028" and phased completion language).

Minerva USA representative Chad Jacobs presented the product as a patio‑home rental option aimed at young professionals and downsizing seniors and said the product would include private yards, gated entrances, optional private garages and amenities. Jacobs said the developer’s market research supports rental demand and that Minerva would work with county staff on any timing conditions.

Many neighbors opposed the rezoning at the hearing and in a community meeting that the developer held. Speakers cited impacts to traffic and safety on Jonesboro and Chambers roads, concerns about changing neighborhood character and the prevalence of rental properties in the county. Several residents argued the development would reduce property values and strain local services; one speaker urged a rental cap and stricter fire‑safety standards for closely spaced units.

County fire staff raised operational concerns. Chief Craig Hutter, deputy fire marshal, told the board that access and hose‑lay distances are a potential problem: "We have 200 we have 200 foot hose lays on our trucks. The lower left hand corner will our 250 foot hose lays reach those areas." He said the site’s layout would require detailed plan review to ensure truck access, turnarounds and fire‑protection systems could meet fire and life‑safety requirements.

After questions and testimony, a board member moved to deny RZ2504, citing the introduction of rental‑based horizontal multifamily development into an area of predominantly owner‑occupied single‑family homes and concerns about compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods. The motion carried unanimously.

Ending: The denial preserves the property’s current zoning. Staff noted that the future land‑use designation supports higher density, and any future developer may return with a revised plan or a single‑family product; plan reviewers said that detailed engineering, traffic impact studies and fire access issues would be addressed during plan review if a rezoning were approved in the future.