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After heated public comment, Clayton commissioners approve rezoning for 232‑home Westport development on Highway 54
Summary
The board approved a future‑land‑use amendment and rezoning to allow a 232‑lot single‑family subdivision on roughly 146 acres along Highway 54, subject to a GDOT contingency and staffing conditions; residents voiced safety, traffic and school‑capacity concerns.
The Clayton County Board of Commissioners voted Nov. 18 to approve a future‑land‑use map amendment and rezoning that will allow a 232‑lot single‑family development on about 146.24 acres along Highway 54 near Ryan Ridge Court.
Michelle Battle of Battle Law, representing the applicant, told the board the proposal — now reduced to 232 single‑family lots and to be called Westport — preserves roughly 63 acres of green space and lowers density from an earlier plan. "We originally started this project with 387 units... and we have removed that mainly because of the comments that we received back from the community," Battle said.
Owner Melissa Meadows described the property's agricultural history and said much of the parcel is wooded and not viable for commercial farming, adding concerns about trespass and periodic fires on the uncultivated land.
Residents from surrounding subdivisions voiced sustained opposition. Tracy Morrow said Clayton County subdivision ordinance Chapter 86, Article 3 requires developments with more than 100 homes to provide two independent access points and warned that the project as proposed risks "single point failure" for evacuations and emergency response. Morrow said the two entries on the site plan were too close together and did not meet the intended safety standard.
Carlos Bonilla, another resident, urged keeping the parcel green and raised environmental concerns including carbon sequestration provided by the existing trees.
Planning staff told commissioners their initial recommendation had been denial but that, after the applicant met with departments and modified plans, staff changed its recommendation to approval with a condition: GDOT must approve the access points before a land‑disturbance permit may be submitted. Planning staff and the fire chief explained technical requirements and said civil engineering and fire‑access details must be completed during site civil review.
The applicant said GDOT had given preliminary approval for two points of access from Highway 54 and that a third gated emergency access was proposed to satisfy fire‑access standards should a primary route become compromised. "We have met with GDOT. GDOT has preliminarily approved the 2 points of entrance off of Highway 54," Michelle Battle said.
Commissioner Allen (first name not stated in the public record segment) framed the vote as consistent with county planning goals to increase housing supply, citing a state study showing low vacancy and high demand in Clayton County. Commissioners moved and seconded the rezoning with the GDOT contingency and the motion passed on a voice vote.
The approval is for zoning (RS‑110 single‑family residential) and a note in the record makes clear that site engineering, egress separation, and the detailed civil drawings still must pass technical review, including fire‑access and GDOT final permits, before construction or land disturbance can proceed.
Next procedural steps: the applicant must secure GDOT approval and then submit a land‑disturbance permit and final civil plans for county review. Neighbors signaled they would continue to press concerns about access spacing, traffic impacts near Monday Mill High School, school capacity, and the loss of a large green parcel.
