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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
C'ville OKs rezoning despite residents' concerns
By TERESA D. SOUTHERN
HHJ Staff Writer
CENTERVILLE - If you
want citizens to attend your
council meeting, call in a local
developer seeking to rezone
four lots of property from sin
gle-family residential to two
family residential homes -
and see what happens.
Enter Barry Hooper of JSG
Development, who requested
- and was granted - a rezon
ing of four lots in the Stafford
Park community from R-2
(single-family residential) to
R-2A (two-family residential).
The lots are located on Miller
Drive and Miller Court near
the fire station.
A number of residents with
homes near the property dis
agreed with the city’s deci-
EVENTS
From page 1A
be 21 feet tall and will have
water flowing from it, sym
bolizing the everlasting
search for peace of POWs and
those MIA
On May 27 their combined
effort to raise additional
funding will be take the form
of two events held simultane
ously hoping to reach all ages
and raise at least $50,000
needed to complete the build
ing of the memorial.
At the Homer J. Walker
Civic Center there will be a
POW/MIA memorial concert
that will host Diana
DeGarmo from television
P&Z
From page 1A
development in the focus area;
and
• ensure safe access be vehi
cles and pedestrians to destina
tions in the corridor in a man
ner that does not conflict with
access to individual develop
ments or the parkway’s pri
mary purpose of connecting
Robins Air Force Base to
Interstate 75.
There was one primary con
cern expressed by those attend
ing the public hearing - the
requirement that parking at
businesses located along the
parkway be situated either at
the side or rear of the buildings.
That requirement was not in
the original overlay zone, but
was added by the Warner
Robins City Council.
“We donated more than 90
acres to the city of Warner
Robins in 2000 for the right of
way for the parkway, and we
were told that the adjacent
property would be zoned C-2,”
said Mike Long, an attorney
representing landowner
Westbury Properties. “We
applaud the efforts to make the
area aesthetically pleasing and
we agree with 95 percent of the
overlay, but we do object to the
provision outlawing parking in
front of the buildings.
“If it is passed it will kill our
proposed development because
it is geared to older and handi
capped people, and they need
parking as close to the entrance
as possible,” said Long. “The
intent of the overlay can be
accomplished without banning
front parking. We feel that this
is a violation of the constitu
tional right for a person to use
their property to its best and
WHITE
From page 1A
experiences in the United
States. White is wrapping up
a year studying English and
political science at Georgia
College and State University
in Milledgeville.
“I can honestly say that this
now feels like home,” White
said. “I’ve loved it so much,
I’m trying to come back for
another year.”
White’s visit to the United
States was sponsored by the
Perry and Warner Robins
Rotary Clubs through the
Georgia Rotary Student
Program. Born in a cooler cli
mate, White was surprised by
the Georgia heat when he
arrived in August.
“It was so hot, it was like
backdraft getting off the
plane,” he said.
White’s family runs a pub
in Wrexham, one of the
sion.
Before letting them speak,
Mayor Ronnie Brand cited the
city’s zoning standards.
These standards are used in
balancing the city’s interest
in promoting the public
health, safety, morality, or
general welfare against the
right to the unrestricted use
of property.
The standards cite reasons
such as where the zoning
decision has reasonable eco
nomic use, whether the zon
ing decision will result in use
which will cause burdensome
use of streets, utilities or
schools, and whether the use
is in view of the use and devel
opment of adjacent or nearby
property.
Scottie Neal, a member of
show “American Idol,” and
music artists Chris Spade
and Rain and Jessica Urick.
Tickets for this event are
S2O for general admission,
S3O for admission and entry
to win a five day, five night
trip to Oahu, Hawaii, and S4O
for VIP seating and a back
stage pass.
Sponsoring this event is
Sunmark Bank of Warner
Robins, which put up half of
DeGarmo’s lowered rate of
$5,000, with the 1033
Foundation paying $2,500
the remainder.
At the Ramada Inn, 2725
Watson Blvd., there will be a
highest use.”
Harry Sledge, who owns
property at the intersection of
Interstate 75 and Russell
Parkway in Peach County,
there was no mention of the
overlay zone when he donated
land for the road.
“The road is at a higher ele
vation than the adjacent prop
erty, and that will make side
walks difficult to install,”
Sledge said. “This is not Hilton
Head, and this is putting an
unfair burden on the backs of
the landowners.”
Planning Commission Chair
E.L. Greenway said: “It is not a
perfect plan but it is 95 percent
done, and we are working to
make it as perfect as possible.
We had to have a starting point
and there are still some rough
edges.”
Warner Robins City
Engineer Jesse Fountain said:
“The intention of the regula
tions is to develop an aestheti
cally pleasing and safe roadway
with better traffic flow and
sidewalks to establish pedestri
an flow to the businesses.”
He added that the ordinance
is in draft form on the city’s
Web site.
Mike Shell spoke in support
of the ordinance.
“I have lived in a lot of cities
with zoning like this and they
work very well,” said Shell.
“We need to do something to
make the entrance to our city
as nice as possible. It is a good
place to start and I have never
seen a business close because
they did not have parking in
front of their building. It would
make it all look a lot better.”
Warner Robins Mayor
Donald Walker told the group:
largest cities in northern
Wales. White told the club
that he plays guitar and
drums, and loves soccer.
White follows the Manchester
United club, one of the largest
soccer teams in the world.
“Football (soccer) games
just bring the country togeth
er,” White said. “It’s just
crazy.”
Although soccer games in
the U.K. can grab the atten
tion of the entire country,
White said he was still sur
prised by the fans that turn
out for this year’s Auburn vs.
Georgia game.
“That football game was
intense,” he said. “You all
take it so seriously.”
White said he loved spend
ing free time watching
American movies, and going
to some famous U.S. food
chains.
the Centerville Planning and
Zoning Board, said that peo
ple should take into account
what’s going on in Houston
County, and feel fortunate to
be in a fast-growing county.
“We need to maintain prop
erty value in Centerville,” she
said. “The Planning and
Zoning board needs more
clarification. This is a very big
issue in this community.”
Walt Jones, a resident who
lives near the property in
question, characterized the
city’s move as “spot zoning.”
He asked whether the issue
was a question of square
footage in the homes being
built or that they are multi
ple-dwelling homes.
“The weight of 50 residents
doesn’t carry any weight
POW/MIA Silent Auction
that will feature speakers Jo
Anne Shirley, national chair
woman of the National
League of Families of
POW/MIA, Georgia Lt. Gov.
Mark Taylor, and retired
Brig. Gen. James Sehom, the
inspector general of Georgia.
Featured as a special guest
will be Durwood Fincher,
“Mr. Doubletalk,” and music
by Tyler Kneisly.
The auction will include
items donated by NASCAR,
Georgia Sports and Music
Halls of Fame and other pre
mium items of interest such
“I tiy to serve the people and
vote the way they want and I
need your input.”
Walker asked for a show of
hands of those who opposed the
ban on front parking.
Fountain told the group that
he expected the parkway to be
fully developed within five to
seven years due to its high traf
fic count.
The commission will recom
mend that City Council
approve the overlay without
the parking provision. The
council may address the issue
at its Thursday work session.
In other business, the com
mission approved rezoning a
125-acre tract on Gunn Road in
Peach County from R-3/C-2 to
R-3 for an upscale housing
development.
They also approved rezoning
a 94.462-acre tract on Lake Joy
Road from R-Ag to R-3 for
another upscale housing devel
opment. Kurt Albritton, a resi
dent of Harrison Pointe
Subdivision, initially opposed
the rezoning because he had
been told it was to be an apart
ment development. When he
learned it would be upscale
houses he dropped his objec
tion.
Casa Cajco requested a
rezoning of 6.217 acres along
Russell Parkway from R-Ag to
C-s conditional upon the
approval of the Parkway
Overlay Zone. Their represen
tative Jim Robinson told the
commission that if the overlay
is approved, he would present
the development plans to them.
The commission approved a
landscape and traffic circula
tion plan for Gold Cup Bowling
on Russell Parkway.
“I’m going to go back and
open a Waffle House and a
Krispy Kreme,” he said. “I’ll
make a fortune.”
The Georgia Rotary
Student Program is unique to
the state. White is one of 73
students from 20 countries
brought to the state this year
to study at a Georgia college
or university. The GRSP was
created in 1946. Georgia
Rotary Clubs sponsor stu
dents recommended through
a Rotary Club in their home
country, but competition for
the scholarships can be
intense. The scholarship cov
ers tuition, books, room and
board. Students have to pay
for their trip to and from the
U.S. For more information
about the Georgia Rotary
Student Program, visit
www.grsp.org.
LOCAL
around here,” Jones said.
“Have we wasted our time?
We don’t even know on what
basis you’ve approved this.”
Many residents felt the
building of two-family
dwellings would lower their
property value.
Hooper, the developer of the
property, said his project
would not downgrade the
value of anyone’s property.
“If anything, the new
homes will bring more value
to their property,” he said.
“Homes there are 20 to 30
years old. I plan on selling the
homes, not renting them.
They will list for about
$90,000 to SIOO,OO, maybe
even $130,000. I haven’t
decided yet.”
Neal noted that houses in
as a Persian rug, a ski trip,
airboat rides, paintings and
artwork.
This event is $25 per per
son.
Tickets for both events
may be purchased by sending
with payment made payable
to 1033 Foundation, and a
self-addressed, stamped enve
lope to 1033 Foundation at
125 Ballyhara, Warner
Robins, GA 31088. For more
information call (478) 960-
0760.
Rodgers said they are seek
ing additional sponsors for
costs that may incur from the
The following home busi
nesses were approved:
• Merlin Roth, 632 Wood
Drive, electrical contracting
• Patricia Bagley, 310
Beatrice Street, janitorial serv
ice
• Sylvia Brooks, 107 Glenn
Drive, cleaning service
• Mark Campbell, 106
Woodcarver Trail, lawn care
service
• Candace Coleman and G.
Holloway, 206 Northlake Drive,
clothing sales
• James A. Cook, 436 Jackie
Boulevard, lawn care service
• Wilmer O. Maldonado and
Yolanda Hernandez, 100 Louis
Street, stucco business
in This Week’s
American Profile...
Of the more than 8 million miles of roadway
in the United States, only four roads totaling
just over 1,000 miles carry the distinction of
being a National Parkway. Plus, osteoarthritis
and fiesta chicken bake.
nilHMilljllM/ffil
Eagle Springs subdivision
don’t even sell for that much.
Council member Bob Smith
said based on research from
Rebecca Tydings, city attor
ney, the council would follow
procedure and approve the
decision.
Tydings said people just
saying they were opposed to
the rezoning would not hold
up in court.
“The decision was made
knowing courts will look at
‘Was the decision made based
on what our zoning code
says?”’ she said.
Brand, who voted against
the request, warned Hooper,
“Try t to make these people
like what you do.”
In other business, local
developer Charlie McGlamry
planning of both the events.
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THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2005 »
was granted a rezoning
request to change about 140
acres on U.S. 41 from R-
Agriculture to PUD )Planned
Unit Development) District.
McGlamry said he plans to
leave the exterior of greenery
on the property, and plans to
have a lot of vegetation
throughout the community.
“I hope it will be something
Centerville will be proud of,”
McGlamry said.
Centerville Mayor Ronnie
Brand said he’s proud of
McGlamry’s developments in
Centerville.
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