Wednesday, Apr. 5, 2023–11:08 a.m.
-Diane Wagner, Rome News-Tribune-
The Rome-Floyd County Planning Commission’s lengthy agenda this week includes a request to build townhomes and apartments adjoining the Celanese community.
The citizen board meets at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in Rome City Hall, 601 Broad St. They hear public comments and make recommendations on proposed land use changes presented to them by planning staff.
The owner of the property on Cypress Street and Dogwood Street off Veterans Memorial Highway is seeking multi-family residential zoning. Plans call for removing the only home on what would be a 6.8-acre tract and building 47 townhomes and 48 apartments.
The mostly vacant land is on the edge of the Celanese community, and numerous residents have sent letters objecting to the change from High-Density Traditional Residential zoning.
The applicant has said they would design the units to blend in with the neighborhood, and they are trying to get access from Veterans Memorial Highway. However, existing residents are concerned the development would change the character of the historic mill village and funnel too many vehicles onto Cypress and other narrow Celanese streets if the Georgia Department of Transportation rejects access to the highway.
The planning commission’s recommendation will go before the Floyd County Commission for a public hearing and decision at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25.
Several other proposals in the unincorporated area will follow the same path:
Cedar Creek RV & Outdoor Center, 6770 Cave Spring Road, is seeking a special use permit to add 10 to 12 more recreational vehicle sites near its recreation area.
County commissioners approved a paintball facility in January but rejected the plans to add more RV parking spots until it can be determined how many septic systems can be installed to serve them.
The owner of the property at 150 Burton Road is seeking a special use permit to build an RV park on the 22-acre site. However, sewer service is not connected and the Floyd County Health Department has expressed concerns about the use of a septic tank after a soil test.
Plans call for 62 sites, along with a bathhouse, laundry room, office, and dog park. Several neighbors already have sent letters objecting to the facility.
The YMCA of Rome and Floyd County wants a special use permit to build a multi-use recreational facility at 1076 Turner Chapel Road. The 7.5-acre tract is next to its athletic fields at Grizzard Park and would become part of the park.
Plans are to replace the 2 mobile units on the site with an approximately 14,000-square-foot metal building for YMCA children’s programs.
The owner of the property at 326 and 30 Old Freeman Ferry Road — at the southwest corner of its intersection with Kingston Highway — wants to combine the tracts and put mini-warehouses on the 4 acres.
The vacant land is currently zoned for Office-Institutional development and there are a number of homes in the immediate area. A storage facility would require Heavy Commercial zoning.
The following applications are within the city limits. Recommendations will go to the Rome City Commission for public hearings and decisions at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 24.
The owner of a lot at 5 Callahan St. is seeking community commercial zoning to run a tire shop in the building that’s been on the site since 1992 before the Unified Land Development Code established zoning.
Multiple code violations were found but the applicant has cleaned up the property. Other than the issues that require variances, there are no complaints from adjacent neighbors.
The owner of two parcels at the northwest corner of Rogers Drive and Rogers Road is seeking Suburban Residential zoning for a new house and one that’s already there.
The property is currently zoned for Light Industrial use. Both the mortgage lender and home insurer would require the homes to be in SR zoning.
The owner of the lot at 118 Holder St. is asking for High-Density Traditional Residential zoning with a special use permit to build a duplex. The property is currently zoned for Community Commercial development but is in a residential area.
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