Developer seeks rezoning and variances for Palisade at Arabia Mountain on Evans Mill and Salem roads; neighbors voice traffic, grading and blasting concerns

Brenda Lee Strickland, broker and developer with Brenda Lee Strickland Realty Inc., presented a proposal on Sept. 11 for “Palisade at Arabia Mountain,” a proposed residential subdivision on parcels at 4099 Evans Mill Road and 5912 Salem Road. The applicant asked for rezoning and variances, including variances from City of Stonecrest code section 3.4.0.11 to allow grading disturbance on slopes exceeding 15 percent and a rezoning from C-1 and R-100 to RSM (Residential Small-lot Mix) within the Arabia Mountain overlay.

The proposal and why it matters Strickland described a 14.05-acre property with about 12.21 developable acres and a plan for 36 single-family detached homes, a density of roughly 2.98 units per acre and about 35 percent green space. She said the design includes cul-de-sacs, looped internal streets and trail connectivity to the Arabia Mountain path. The applicant requested variances to permit limited grading on slopes above 15 percent for driveways, utilities and building pads and asked the city to rezone portions of the property to RSM to enable smaller lots consistent with overlay requirements.

Public questions and concerns Neighbors asked for more detail on house designs and finishes, questioned whether the applicant was the builder and said they had not received adequate notice materials. Several speakers said they feared rock blasting during construction and described nearby granite and steep topography; one resident said rock blasting was required for basements when they were built nearby. Concerns about traffic safety at the Evans Mill and Salem Road intersection were frequent; multiple speakers urged the developer or the city to consider a traffic signal or other mitigation. Residents also raised potential impacts to wildlife, wetlands and the adjacent nature preserve.

Applicant responses Strickland said she is both the broker and a developer on the project and that partners will participate in building the homes. She said the HOA minimums in nearby neighborhoods require homes above about 2,000 square feet and that the proposed homes would comply with neighborhood standards; she said the team had performed a traffic study and a geotechnical soil test, noting boreholes to about 25 feet and saying they “do not anticipate any blasting” based on that testing. The applicant also described a 25-foot buffer from the creek and said the proposal preserves about 35 percent green space, above the overlay minimum.

Authorities, process and schedule City staff told the meeting that rezoning cases RZ25-005 (4099 Evans Mill Road) and RZ25-010 (5912 Salem Road) will be heard at the Oct. 7 Planning Commission meeting and will go to Mayor and City Council for final decision on Oct. 27. Variances V25-007 (4099 Evans Mill Road) and V25-011 (5912 Salem Road) are scheduled for the Oct. 21 Zoning Board of Appeals meeting. No votes were taken at the Sept. 11 information meeting.

Clarifications and missing specifics Residents asked for finite, bounded limits on grading and for home renderings; Strickland acknowledged the request and said photo examples and layouts would be provided to neighbors. The geotechnical testing and traffic report were cited by the applicant but copies were not distributed at the meeting; city staff will include those documents in the formal hearing packets.

Ending No formal action was taken; the city will consider the rezoning and variance requests at the dates listed above. Neighbors were encouraged to attend the Oct. 7 Planning Commission hearing and the Oct. 21 Zoning Board of Appeals meeting to present testimony.