Planning commission backs annexation and 38‑lot Ball Ground neighborhood, adds conditions on road capacity and cul‑de‑sac design

The Cherokee County Planning Commission recommended approval of an annexation and rezoning request from R80 to a city RZL designation for a 9.12‑acre parcel at 1065 Cartersville Street, authorizing a proposed 38‑lot single‑family subdivision subject to conditions. The Planning Commission vote was 8–0 in favor, with Dr. Whiteside recused from consideration.

The applicant, LGL Investments LLC (estate of Wanda Anderson), originally proposed a 39‑lot subdivision; city staff asked that the maximum number of lots be limited to 38 and provided 19 stipulations the city recommended as conditions of approval. Planning staff explained the property lies inside the City of Ball Ground growth boundary, borders existing residential subdivisions and fronts Cartersville Street; public water and sewer would be provided by the City of Ball Ground.

City stipulations and applicant commitments: The City of Ball Ground’s recommended stipulations (numbered 1–19 in the staff report) include developing in accordance with the submitted site plan; limiting the number of lots to 38 and prohibiting rental construction; constructing roadways and sidewalks to city standards; developer-borne extension of utilities; prior review and approval of stormwater engineering; a 10‑foot undisturbed buffer adjacent to I‑575 and 6‑foot opaque fencing where specified; fencing and landscaping adjacent to the Lantern Walk neighborhood; establishment of a homeowners association and recorded restrictive covenants; required guest parking; and other street, signage and open‑space requirements. The applicant said he had revised the site plan to incorporate many of those items, added trails in the green space, showed detention locations and added guest parking at the mail kiosk and in the upper cul‑de‑sac.

Public comment and commission concerns: Local residents urged caution about traffic and the capacity of Cartersville Street, describing sections of the roadway as narrow (under 20 feet and in places under 16 feet) and already subject to on‑street parking and shortcutting. Several residents asked that through‑traffic be routed to a future connection to Howe Bridge Road rather than onto Cartersville Street. The applicant, who identified himself as Lee of LGL Investments, said he owns land to the south and is negotiating an access connection but acknowledged that the southern connection may not be ready when the subdivision is developed; in the interim the development would use Cartersville Street for access, and the developer agreed to upgrade the adjacent segment of Cartersville Street to City standards as required by the city stipulations.

Commission action: Commissioners moved to recommend approval of the rezoning/annexation conditioned on the City of Ball Ground’s 19 stipulations and added two county conditions: (1) require and document adequate cul‑de‑sac radius and record measurements to ensure fire truck maneuverability, and (2) recommend that the capacity and condition of Cartersville Street be reviewed and addressed as feasible. The motion passed 8–0 with one recusal; the recommendation will be forwarded to the City of Ball Ground for final action at its public meetings.

Next steps: The City of Ball Ground city council is scheduled to review annexation and zoning; staff identified Feb. 13, 2025 as the expected city hearing date. If the city approves, the developer must complete engineering and satisfy the stipulations before permits and certificates of occupancy are issued.