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Augusta planning commission approves mixed-use PUD at Stevens Creek with design and parking conditions
Summary
The commission approved a planned unit development (PUD) at Stevens Creek Road and Riverwatch Parkway that would allow up to 27,300 sq. ft. commercial and 136 residential units with design, buffer and parking conditions and required site-plan review.
The Augusta Georgia Planning Commission voted to recommend rezoning seven parcels totaling about 12.7 acres at Stevens Creek Road and Riverwatch Parkway from R-1A to a Planned Unit Development that would allow a mixed-use project combining approximately 27,300 square feet of commercial space and 136 residential units under specified conditions.
Zoning administrator Brian Kepner presented the petition from Longleaf Manor LLC and explained the PUD would reserve roughly 2.6 acres for commercial uses limited to B-2-type retail with several use restrictions (for example, pawn shops, flea markets and automotive service centers would be excluded). The residential area would total about 10.4 acres and include a mix of single-family detached houses, attached townhomes, duplexes and multifamily flats; multifamily buildings would be limited to three stories and 55 feet in height.
The application proposed about 3.85 acres (approximately 29%) as open space and included internal private streets, sidewalks on both sides of new streets, on-street parking, and a gated residential lease community (the developer stated residential units would not be offered as fee-simple homes).
Traffic engineering reviewed the applicant’s worksheet and did not require a full traffic-impact study at the rezoning stage; staff noted engineering would require compliance with curb-cut permitting and other traffic and engineering requirements during site-plan review. The applicant said the project complies with the 2023 comprehensive plan’s encouragement of mixed-use redevelopment and emphasized walkability and connections to an adjacent city park.
Staff recommended 19 conditions tied to the PUD narrative, including limits on permitted uses in the commercial area, maximum building heights, overall residential density caps (the staff condition set a maximum of 16 dwelling units per acre in the 10.4-acre residential portion), parking minimums (an overall average of 2.25 spaces per residential unit and 4 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft. commercial), a 20-foot buffer around the development with a 10-foot planted area, compliance with the Augusta Tree Ordinance, directional signage only in the residential area, downward-directed parking-lot lighting, and that amenities be installed prior to the issuance of certificates of occupancy. Staff also emphasized that site-plan approval and standard permitting must be obtained before construction.
Petitioner representatives said the development would use high-quality materials (hardy board, brick, metal roofs) rather than vinyl siding and that the design is modeled on similar mixed-use communities elsewhere. Several commissioners asked about duplex locations and management; the petitioner said there would be on-site management and described the duplexes and “paired villas” as limited in number and intended as higher-quality rented product.
Public commenters raised both support and concern. Opponents asked about density, traffic circulation, maintenance of the adjacent park and potential impacts on nearby residential streets; supporters said the development would increase tax base and add housing options.
Ending: The commission recommended the PUD rezoning with the staff’s 19 conditions; the petition will proceed to the Augusta Commission for final action and must obtain site-plan and permitting approvals before any development begins.
