Roswell council approves Bowen & Nantz 2 plan to add fire station and grocery-anchored retail after safety talks

The Roswell City Council on June 22 unanimously approved a modification of zoning conditions and 13 concurrent variances for the Bowen & Nantz 2 development at 1340 Woodstock Road (State Route 92), clearing the way for a city fire station alongside grocery-anchored retail.

Planning and zoning staff presented the requests, which include relaxed build-to-zone placement for the fire station, reductions in landscape open space and outdoor amenity requirements, a 10-foot reduction in certain setbacks (from 50 feet to 40 feet), a proposed increase in single-story shop-front height from 24 feet to 35 feet, reduced ground-story transparency requirements on Woodstock Road and a sign setback reduction. Staff recommended approval of the variances in substantial accordance with the May 22, 2026 site plan packet.

Daryl (economic development presentation) said the project will generate private investment and estimated approximately $349,000 annually in property taxes at full buildout, plus sales-tax benefits and an estimated 101 permanent direct jobs. The city will not provide a property-tax abatement, the presentation said.

Fire Chief Trosch described an eight-year site-selection process and five years of incident and drive-time data used to position the station. He said the location is projected to produce a citywide 90th-percentile travel-time improvement of "2 minutes and 8 seconds," extending coverage to about 20,158 rooftops within a four-minute travel time without adding another full station.

Applicant Christie Brooks, representing SJC Ventures, told council the project includes a 30,000-square-foot organic grocer, about 30,000 square feet of single-story retail, the fire station and improvements to the adjacent Westminster Japanese Church including a new parking lot, sport court and stormwater tie-in. Brooks said the design includes truck turning accommodations, signal preemption on Bowen Road and extended sidewalks and pedestrian improvements.

Residents at the public-comment period urged the council to prioritize traffic calming and pedestrian and bicyclist safety. Michael Deltoro, who lives in Habersham Downs, recommended a flashing caution light near a downhill section of Bowen Road and asked that traffic-calming steps be implemented; Amanda Newton, a Mountain Park teacher and parent, said the extra traffic "terrifies me to think of my child" and urged maximum safety measures for cyclists and pedestrians. Other commenters supported the project conditionally, asking for strict lighting, privacy buffers and proof that fire apparatus can make required turns.

Councilmembers pressed staff on ways to coordinate pedestrian signal timing with GDOT and on working with Bike Roswell for cyclist safety. Staff and the applicant said the fire station will use pull-through bays so apparatus can face Bowen Road and that turning-radius and circulation analyses were completed.

Councilmember Sales moved approval; Councilmember Hall seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

The council attached conditions limiting retaining-wall heights and requiring development substantially in accordance with the submitted site plan. City staff said final exterior design elements will be reviewed later by the design review board and that the project will return to permitting and administrative reviews before construction.

The council vote follows several neighborhood meetings in which staff and the developer met with residents, most recently on June 18 to go over transportation concerns. The applicant said it will continue outreach and final technical work on grading, lighting and traffic mitigation as the project advances.