Developer withdraws Whit Davis Road rezoning after local credit committee awards bonus point elsewhere

Planning Director Bruce Lonnie presented a rezoning request for a proposed age‑targeted multifamily project on Whit Davis Road that had sought low‑income housing tax credits and included conditions recommended by the planning commission (AMI set‑asides and a required connection to Southeast Clark Park).

During public comment David Ellison, speaking on behalf of the developer, told the commission that the project’s application for low‑income housing tax credits through the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GI) was unsuccessful. Staff and commissioners clarified that GI’s local committee awarded a discretionary bonus point to a different north‑downtown project in a special meeting, which rendered the Whit Davis application uncompetitive under the scoring system. Ellison asked to withdraw the rezoning application prior to the public notice for the vote because, without the credits, the developer cannot proceed.

Commissioners and staff discussed the reason for the GI decision and confirmed the applicant can reapply the next funding cycle; staff also noted alternative financing tools such as New Markets Tax Credits may be an option for different project types. Because the developer announced withdrawal during the agenda‑setting session, the commission did not advance the rezoning for a vote at that meeting.

What remains on record: the planning commission had recommended approval with four conditions (specific AMI requirements and occupancy/age restrictions) and staff had noted sanitary sewer extension issues for which a solution had been coordinated with public utilities. The transcript shows the project withdrawal and the stated cause (GI bonus point allocation) but does not provide scoring details or an application score breakdown.