Council pauses on Rico Hamlet rezoning after extensive questions about traffic, utilities and preservation

The council and planning staff spent the meeting's longest block on a proposed rezoning commonly called the Rico Hamlet, a 273.89‑acre project on Ricco Road at Vernon Grove Road that proposes 274 residential units, a small amount of nonresidential space and more than 191 acres of open/civic space if conditions are adopted. Staff summarized the layout, three proposed entrance locations and a set of conditions that link entrance construction to traffic‑study recommendations and require preliminary‑plat site‑distance evaluations.

"The proposal is for 274 residential units, most of them detached single family and attached townhomes and a small number of multifamily," a staff member said as part of the project overview. Staff also presented new conditions intended to limit development north of Ricco Road (a current proposal limits residential lots north of Ricco Road to no more than 20) and to require a locked gate or bollards at the Vernon Grove Road entrance with Knox‑box emergency access.

Council members and residents pressed the applicant and staff on multiple fronts. Concerns included whether a lift station and long water/sewer mains would be required, with one council member saying those improvements could cost "millions of dollars" and asking the developer how and when they would be funded and built. The developer replied that engineering and permitting typically take "between 9 to 12 months" and that water/sewer design, bidding and construction would occur before homes were occupied.

Traffic safety was the single largest recurring issue. Some council members said the Ricco Road corridor already experiences heavy use and that adding thousands of daily trips would require careful mitigation beyond standard turn lanes; the applicant's traffic consultant said the Synchro modeling showed no significant corridor delay provided the recommended right‑turn, left‑turn and turn‑lane improvements were constructed.

Environmental and site‑specific issues also surfaced: neighbors raised runoff and past clear‑cutting concerns; councilors pointed to an on‑site quarry feature and reported bald eagle sightings. Staff recommended and the applicant accepted a condition requiring a qualified biological consultant to evaluate endangered or threatened species prior to preliminary‑plat approval and to refer any findings to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

With traffic, utilities, environmental checks and preservation timing unresolved, the chair asked for a motion to defer so staff and the applicant could return with additional analyses and public engagement. Staff supported a deferral and suggested returning materials to planning commission for further review, including revised conditions and any additional engineering data.