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Commissioners approve Pulte rezoning for 174-townhome development on Jonesboro Road with conditions tied to road widening
Summary
After a public hearing with extensive resident opposition, the Henry County Board of Commissioners approved a rezoning request from Pulte Homes to build 174 fee-simple townhomes on a 21.5-acre site east of Chambers Road, placing conditions that tie building permits to Jonesboro Road widening and a right-of-way dedication.
The Henry County Board of Commissioners on April 15 approved a rezoning request from Pulte Homes to allow construction of 174 fee-simple townhomes on a 21.5-acre site on Jonesboro Road east of Chambers Road in District 5.
Why it matters: The project replaces prior commercial and multifamily proposals for the site and drew robust public comment about traffic, school capacity, stormwater and neighborhood buffers. Staff recommended approval with conditions intended to protect county road-planning and right-of-way acquisition efforts; the Zoning Advisory Board had recommended denial in October 2024.
What passed: The board approved rezoning the property from C-2 (general commercial) and O&I (office/institutional) to R-5 (single-family residential — townhomes) to allow 174 townhome units (63 rear-loaded and 111 front-loaded) with modern farmhouse–style elevations. Staff presented the proposed gross density as 8.1 units per acre (10.21 net). The board approved the project with conditions, including two that county staff highlighted during the hearing: (1) no building permit shall be issued prior to Jan. 1, 2027, unless the Jonesboro Road widening project has been “substantially completed” as determined by the county; and (2) the developer must dedicate up to 35 feet of right-of-way along Jonesboro Road as required by SPLOST before land-disturbance permits are issued.
Public input and developer response: Pulte’s Garren Smith, vice president of land acquisition, described the product as a “more luxury open plan” and said the company had revised landscaping and fencing and would gate the neighborhood. Residents and community groups spoke in opposition. Connie Snow of Conserve Henry, who said she spoke for the more-than-2,000-signature petition group, alleged irregularities in notary names on application materials and warned the board not to approve what she called an unlawful application; she told commissioners, “You are approving another illegal development” if the notary issue is not resolved. Other residents raised concerns about traffic on Jonesboro Road, school overcrowding, stormwater and minimal amenities.
Procedural context and voting: Planning staff noted that a prior 2023 mixed-use proposal for the same site was tabled and later withdrawn. The project was subject to the county’s Highway Corridor Overlay District and multifamily design standards in the Unified Land Development Code. The zoning advisory board recommended denial on Oct. 10, 2024; staff recommended approval with conditions. A motion to approve the rezoning with the listed conditions carried; the transcript records a motion and second and the chair’s announcement that the motion carried but does not record a roll-call tally.
Ending: Commissioners stressed that tying development to Jonesboro Road widening and right-of-way dedication is part of a broader county effort to align growth with transportation improvements. Commissioner Kevin Lewis, whose district includes the site, said the condition requiring completion of the road widening before permits is intended to prevent additional traffic strain while the county completes long-planned roadwork.
