Clayton council approves rezoning for Warner Village; residents voice school, traffic and farmland concerns

The Clayton City Council voted to approve an ordinance adopting the planning commission's recommendation to rezone 83.1044 acres near the intersection of Sweet Potato Ridge Road and Main Street from Residential Single Unit District (RSD) to Planned Development District (PDD), clearing a key regulatory step for the proposed Warner Village development.

Residents and the project's representatives spent much of the public comment period debating likely effects on schools, traffic, farmland and whether the city should use a tax increment financing (TIF) tool for the project. Sam Cox, a Clayton resident, told council that at a recent Northmont City Schools meeting “the average number of students per classroom is currently 28,” and warned that “with the possibility of 500 or more students from Warner Village, this would put a huge strain on the school system’s already stretched budget and quality of education.”

Developer remarks emphasized consistency with the city’s planning documents. Mark Schnanke, identified in meeting materials as representing the applicant, said the project “pretty much followed exactly what was asked for in this overlay and the zoning and this comprehensive plan” and described the proposal as a “walkable, open space, community” that would connect to nearby parks. Schnanke said construction would likely require a traffic signal at the Sweet Potato Ridge/Main Street intersection and that the developer was prepared to address that cost.

Other residents raised separate concerns: Derek Muncy questioned how a TIF would affect school tax receipts; Doug Bias, who spoke at length…