Planning Commission Rejects Fiat Chrysler Dealership

WOODSTOCK, GA — The Woodstock Planning Commission made recommendations on two cases on developments proposed for the growing Ridgewalk Parkway area of the city. Commissioners at their Aug. 2 meeting voted to recommend denial of a conditional use permit needed for Fiat Chrysler to open a dealership.

The property consists of 12.6 acres on the south side of Ridgewalk Parkway and west of Ridge Trail and is zoned NC-TCT (new community town center). The proposed use would be for an automobile/truck sales and service center. Commissioners voted 6-1, with Chairman James Drinkard opposing, to recommend denial of the request.

Fiat Chrysler America, the developer, also sought variances to be relieved from the city's standards related to screened parking, building placement, civic space, private frontages, facade requirements and lot dimensions.

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The Planning Commission did unanimously vote to recommend approval of a request from Oak Hall related to its plans to build a residential community on 50 acres in the same area. Oak Hall requested variances to the city's requirements related to buffers, amenity areas and guest parking for its project to build 135 town homes and 52 single family residences on Olde Rope Mill Road behind the Kirk-Rudy manufacturing facility and next to the Taylor Randahl Mountain Bike Trails at Olde Rope Mill Park.

Commissioners recommended approval based on a slew of conditions, including:

• The development be composed entirely of single-family lots
• The required 50-foot zoning buffer against Army Corps of Engineer property shall be composed of 25-foot undisturbed buffer and a 25-foot replanted buffer. No residential lot shall be located in the buffer.
• In addition to the evergreen planting in the buffer area adjacent to the Meridian community, there shall be a six-foot tall screening privacy fence placed no more than three feet inside the property line.
• The applicant shall install a minimum of 12, 8-foot-tall Leyland cypress, or similar evergreen screening tree, at the end of the Freelon Lane cul-de-sac to create a buffer for the Meridian community. The placement shall be located with input from the nearby residents and a landscape architect. These buffer planting shall be reviewed and approved by staff to ensure maximum privacy coverage.
• Any disturbance of the use of the trail system at Olde Rope Mill Park must be remedied to return the trail to full functionality without delay.
• Mountain bike trails must be restored to their former condition or better after any disturbance from infrastructure installation in a timely fashion. Applicant shall secure or maintain a performance bond to cover costs of restoring the trail. The determination of the trail being restored to former conditions or better shall be made by the director of Community Development.
• The HOA amenity package shall be required to be completed prior to 75 percent of the units being issued building permits.

Both cases will go to the Woodstock City Council for consideration at its Aug. 27 meeting.

Rendering via city of Woodstock