Applicant seeks rezoning for 70 townhomes on Southwest Ives Drive; planning commission denied, applicant accepts conditions

Rockdale County planning staff presented rezoning case 202507 for an 8.79‑acre parcel on Southwest Ives Drive, requesting a change from C‑2 (general commercial) to RM (residential multifamily) for a proposed 70‑unit townhome community. Staff summarized project elements including 2‑ and 3‑bedroom units priced in the low‑to‑mid‑$300,000s, about 29,125 square feet of active open space, 140 residential parking spaces and compliance conditions addressing stormwater, street lighting and downstream sewer capacity analysis.

Attorney Josh Mahoney, representing the applicant, described the site as immediately adjacent to the city of Stonecrest and to existing townhome developments and said the proposed RM zoning aligns with the area’s Mixed‑Use Employment Center future‑land‑use designation. Mahoney said his client accepts the 11 staff conditions and proposed additional commitments on architecture and buffering, including varied facades and an increased average buffer width of 25 feet across the development to preserve tree cover.

Staff noted the planning commission recommended denial of the rezoning; among staff’s recommended conditions were a 70‑unit cap, formation of a mandatory homeowners association with a 5% rental cap, two‑car garages for units, underground utilities, screening of stormwater ponds and architectural materials that complement adjacent housing.

Commissioners asked about nearby zoning and compatibility; Mahoney highlighted adjacency to existing townhome developments and said many surrounding parcels already have RM or comparable MR‑1 designations in neighboring Stonecrest. The applicant said they would submit a tree survey, landscape plan and more detailed conditions for board review.

What’s next: The transcript records presentation, questions and applicant concessions but no final board vote on the rezoning at the June 26 hearing.