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Athens City Council approves four annexations and rezonings after public hearings
Summary
After public hearings and unanimous votes, the Athens City Council annexed and rezoned four parcels — including a 63-acre Riata LLC property and a 61.79-acre Keith Johnson Road parcel — formalizing new city development rules and approving related ordinances 11A–11D.
The Athens City Council unanimously approved four annexation and rezoning ordinances on May 26 following public hearings and planning staff recommendations.
City planner Erin Tidwell told the council the first item corrected a clerical error — the agenda previously listed the parcel as 77 acres instead of 63 — and otherwise raised no new technical issues. The council then moved to suspend the rules and passed ordinance 11A to annex and zone the property at 22728 Pepper Road (Riata LLC) as B-1 neighborhood business.
Tidwell summarized the second hearing on a roughly 18.88-acre parcel south of New Cut Road for Newton Investment Properties LLC, saying the land is currently in incorporated Limestone County and staff found a feasible sewer connection for the property. Planning staff recommended approval and the council passed ordinance 11B to annex and zone the parcel R-13 (high-density single-family residential).
On the third item, Tidwell said the applicant for the 61.79-acre property at 2088 Lindsay Lane sought to remove existing Conventional Planned Unit (CPU) zoning and rezone to R-13; she said that change would reduce allowable density by about 22 percent compared with the adopted CPU plan. The council approved ordinance 11C to rezone the parcel to R-13.
The fourth public hearing covered a 1.88-acre parcel at the northwest corner of West Washington Street and Lucas Ferry Road owned by Friendship Church. Tidwell said the requested R-12 rezoning matches the current residential use and that an easement was supplied to ensure sewer access. The council passed ordinance 11D to rezone the property to R-12.
All four ordinances passed on the council’s roll-call votes, each recorded 4–0 in favor. No members of the public spoke during the hearings. The council noted planning commission recommendations and staff confirmations (sewer feasibility, easement provision) before voting.
The council also opened and closed a first reading for a zoning approval to allow the sale of alcohol at a proposed Food City at 17878 Lucas Ferry Road; no action was taken on that item at the meeting (first read only).
