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Planning commission approves annexation but denies developer's R-4 rezoning for Willowdale site
Summary
After a two-hour presentation and extensive public comment, the Whitfield County planning commission recommended annexation of the Willowdale parcels into Dalton but voted to deny the developer's requested R-4 (0-lot-line) rezoning, citing density and neighborhood impacts.
The Whitfield County Planning Commission on Aug. 3 recommended annexation of two parcels into the city of Dalton but denied a companion request to rezone the same 42-acre site to R-4 0-lot-line residential, following a lengthy presentation and heated public comment.
Mike Price of MAP Engineers, representing BC Managing Group LLC (speaker 13), presented a revised plan calling for a community lot buffer, enhanced setbacks and architectural controls and said the developer would set aside 25% of the site as community/open space and plant a 180-foot deep community lot to screen the adjacent Windermere subdivision. "The minimum depth of that community lot is a 180 feet," Price said, arguing the buffer and conditions would protect nearby homes. Staff told commissioners it would recommend approval of annexation but recommended denial of the R-4 rezoning based on staff analysis.
Neighbors pushed back at the hearing. Becky Ferguson (speaker 15), a Windermere resident, urged commissioners to reject the rezoning, citing concerns about zoning consistency, property values, traffic and wildlife: "The rezoning request to approve the 0 lot line residential is not consistent with surrounding established residential areas," she said. Commissioners repeatedly asked the developer for specifics on buffering, traffic mitigation and enforcement of architectural conditions; Price said the developer would accept recorded HOA covenants and other conditions and would work with Georgia Department of Transportation on bypass intersections.
After deliberation, a commissioner moved to deny the R-4 rezoning; the motion carried on a recorded voice vote, with the chair tally eventually recorded as "that's 5 denials." The annexation motion passed earlier and will move forward to the Dalton city council for final action. The developer said he would be available to meet with neighbors after the meeting and indicated the project team would proceed with the annexation step even though the rezoning failed at the planning commission stage.
