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Residents urge council to deny Clifton Dale townhomes rezoning; developer asked to withdraw
Summary
Residents of Retreat at Jones Mill urged the City Council to deny a developer's request to rezone a suburban neighborhood and build 44 townhomes, citing traffic, utility strain and property‑value concerns. Planning staff recommended denial and the planning commission recommended denial; the council left the case for a vote at the next meeting.
A rezoning request to replace single‑family neighborhood zoning with townhome development drew sustained opposition from residents at Tuesday’s South Fulton public hearing.
The application, listed as KC24‑004 (later corrected to Z25‑004), would change an area now mapped as suburban neighborhood to allow 44 townhomes. Staff and the Planning Commission both recommended denial.
Residents who live near the proposed site told the council they have attended multiple hearings and want the council to respect the community’s original land‑use expectations. Dr. Shelly Harris, president of the Retreat at Jones Mill homeowners association, cited traffic and property‑value studies in explaining opposition: “Townhome developments can generate 8 to 12 trips per unit per day significantly more than the single family homes which generates 6 to 8 trips per unit. This can cause a substantial amount of congestion in areas where roads are not designed to handle increased traffic volumes.”
Another resident, Dana Norris, a retired lieutenant colonel, said the neighborhood already struggles with street parking that impedes first responders and that prior developers left sites unfinished. “The original development was for 12 additional units. So to erect townhomes… you double that amount. The congestion in our neighborhood alone, you cannot move a first responder vehicle as it's been proven before,” Norris told council.
Councilwoman Helen Z. Willis, the district representative, thanked residents for coming to successive meetings and said staff and the planning commission had recommended denial because the proposed density does not conform to the land‑use code. Willis said the council will vote on the application at the next meeting and encouraged affected residents to return and speak at that vote.
The applicant had requested a withdrawal prior to the hearing; Willis said she opposed allowing withdrawal because residents had repeatedly attended hearings to be heard. The applicant was not present at the hearing, and the council opened the matter for public testimony before closing the hearing.
What’s next: Councilwoman Willis said the rezoning would be placed on the next council agenda for a vote. Staff documentation shows planning and staff recommended denial; residents asked the council to follow those recommendations.
