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Council approves rezoning of three Maple Street parcels to general commercial with design conditions
Summary
The Carrollton City Council approved rezoning three parcels at Highway 166 and Bonner Road from Planned Development to C2 (general commercial), including staff conditions on monument-sign materials and a 10-foot landscape buffer, after neighbors raised concerns about traffic, lighting and access.
The Carrollton City Council approved a rezoning request April 14 to change three parcels of the former Maple Street Commons from Planned Development (PD) to C2, a general commercial zoning classification, including staff-recommended conditions on signage and landscaping.
Staff told council the change is intended to make the remaining lots more marketable and noted the Planning Commission recommended approval (4–0, one abstention). The Planning Commission and staff included a condition that monument signs be constructed of brick, cast stone, precast concrete or stucco and that individual outparcel signs be no taller than six feet.
Applicant Ben Garrett, who identified himself at the hearing, said his intent is to continue the same architectural veneer used in earlier phases of the Birches development. Nearby residents urged the council to preserve the design standards and to address safety concerns at the Highway 166/Bonner Road intersection. Roger Daniel, a nearby resident, asked that access be directed to Maple Street rather than Bonner Road where possible and raised concerns about headlights from parking areas shining onto adjacent streets.
Planning staff said the Maple Street Overlay standards now apply to these lots and require architectural standards similar to nearby construction. Staff also said the city code requires a 10-foot landscape strip along the frontage (planted with shrubs and trees) and that permanent lighting must not be a nuisance under the city's nuisance ordinance. Staff noted the Georgia Department of Transportation typically restricts new egress onto the bypass, so access may be required onto Bonner Road.
A council member moved to approve the rezoning including the staff recommendations; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote with no recorded opposition. The mayor declared the motion carried.
What happens next: The rezoning takes effect per the city's administrative process and the applicant may proceed to market the parcels under the C2 classification, subject to the council-and-staff conditions on signs, landscaping and applicable overlay standards.
