Stephens County commissioners voted to rezone two parcels owned by AK New Ventures LLC from Residential Single to Planned Unit Development after a public hearing in which supporters highlighted workforce housing and economic benefits and neighbors raised traffic, safety and sewer concerns.

Applicant representatives described an initial phase of about 24–30 townhomes, a future hotel (they said 80–90 rooms was a target), and limited commercial space. The applicant pledged compliance with environmental and EPD stormwater regulations and said a preliminary sewer assessment indicated the system can support the development; commissioners were also shown an email from PTS reporting that, based on information provided by the city of Toccoa, adequate water and sanitary sewer capacity was available to serve the proposed mixed use.

Supporters who spoke during public comment included Britney Ivy, president and CEO of the Stephens County Development Authority, who said the applicant owns the site and that the PUD would create workforce housing and make the community more attractive to hotel developers. "He went a step ahead and went ahead and invested and purchased, and now he's trying to rezone his property, which is totally within his right to do," Ivy said. Julie Payson, president of the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce, urged the commission to consider the broader economic benefits and workforce-housing needs.

Opponents cited traffic and safety at the Skyline Drive/Big A Road curve, potential jurisdictional policing issues where county property sits inside city limits, and doubts about whether hotel and housing components would be financially sustainable. Tammy Wilson, who said she lives directly across from the proposed site, said, "I don't want that mess across straight from my house," and argued the bypass parcels would be a more appropriate place for commercial development. Bishop Charles W. Wilson, a local pastor and former structural engineer, asked that outstanding engineering and access questions be resolved before approval.

Scott Stroud, chair of the county planning commission, who had asked that the item be tabled at the commission level pending answers, recommended a transportation engineer conduct a study to Department of Transportation standards and suggested capping units or formally tying approvals to the site plan to prevent later unplanned densification.

On the motion to rezone, commissioners attached a condition requiring a formal traffic study, with any mitigation or design changes recommended by that study to be incorporated into the plan review process and adopted where necessary. The board noted that, under county ordinance, a PUD that does not begin construction within two years reverts to its previous zoning designation unless the board grants an extension.

The applicant said it was willing to accept a traffic-study condition and to work with county staff and community representatives on site-plan details, drainage and access. The commission’s approval was recorded as conditional on completion of the traffic study and implementation of any required measures identified by that study.

Next steps: the rezoning is approved subject to the traffic-study requirement; the applicant must complete the study and address any conditions as part of the subsequent plan-review and permitting process.