Chattahoochee Hills council approves Bouckaert Farm rezoning and development agreement, preserves thousands of acres

The Chattahoochee Hills City Council voted 3–2 on Aug. 5 to rezone 7,848.25 acres from rural (RL) to hamlet mixed‑use (HM‑MU) for the Bouckaert Farm proposal and approved the accompanying development agreement authorizing the mayor to sign. Councilmembers Peek, Foster and Lowe voted to adopt the rezoning and development agreement; Councilmembers Schmidt and Lightsey voted no.

The applicant, led by property owner Carl Bouckaert and development partner DMB Development, described a phased project that could be built over 20–40 years and would include roughly 8,300 residential units, about 1.1 million square feet of nonresidential space (including roughly 500,000 square feet of civic uses), and a developer commitment to preserve more than 5,400 acres as open and civic space. The application also includes up to 536 transfer-of-development-rights credits the applicant says will increase the total preserved acreage to more than 6,000 acres when implemented.

The presentation by Community Development Director Mike Morton and the applicant’s team summarized the technical reviews completed so far: a multi‑phase Development of Regional Impact (DRI) effort, traffic modeling across nearly 80 intersections, and preliminary utility plans. Consultants said initial sewer infrastructure would include a new lift station with an estimated 6‑million‑gallon‑per‑day capacity targeted for initial completion in 2027 to serve early phases; applicant representatives said water and sewer extensions would be developer funded and phased with buildout. The applicant also committed to construct a continuous public trail along the project’s approximately 10 miles of Chattahoochee River frontage and to provide at least two public river‑access points.

Supporters who spoke during the public hearing emphasized the preservation and public‑access commitments. "You will be providing a park on the Chattahoochee River 10 miles long," resident Diana Wilson said, urging approval. Multiple Serenbe neighbors and community leaders said the project matched the city’s long‑range land‑use goals and that the developer has a record of stewardship in the area.

Opponents focused on process, legal and fiscal concerns. Resident Mitchell Wolff and others argued the council must strictly adhere to procedural and substantive due process and urged independent reviews, saying developer‑funded studies and the timing of council action risked liability and inconsistent application of the Unified Development Code. Opponents also questioned economic projections cited by the applicant’s consultants and warned of long‑term service and tax impacts.

Applicant counsel said several independent third‑party technical studies (traffic, DRI, and an economic analysis prepared for the city by KB Advisers) supported the application and that the development agreement and the conditions of zoning require specific public amenities and protections including the riverfront trail, public access points, historic‑resource protections, site‑assessment updates for concept plans older than two years, and a minimum acreage for active agriculture in early phases.

During council deliberations, members discussed the project’s commitments to permanent open space, utility funding and phasing tied to DRI requirements. The council voted to approve the rezoning and subsequently adopted additional conditions proposed by Councilmember Lowe (including an agricultural minimum, historic‑resource documentation windows, and site‑assessment update requirements). The development agreement (Item 25‑044) was approved on the same 3–2 vote.

The council’s approval does not mean all work is complete: several DRI reviews and concept‑plan approvals are still required before construction in later planning areas can begin, and stormwater, permitting and interagency reviews (including state review where the Metropolitan River Protection Act regulates activities within 2,000 feet of the river) remain in play. Opponents said they were considering legal review options; supporters pointed to the preserved acreage, public trails and civic‑space commitments as lasting benefits.

The council took the final votes shortly before adjournment at 10:26 p.m. Mayor Tom Reed said the council’s action preserved "thousands of acres" and expressed pride in the conservation commitments the approvals will lock in.

Ending: The council adopted the rezoning, added developer obligations and approved the development agreement; further approvals — additional DRI reviews, concept‑plan approvals and implementation of utility and transportation improvements — are required for phases to proceed.