Douglasville Approves 238-Home Subdivision At Prestley Mill, Timber Ridge

DOUGLASVILLE, GA — A new subdivision is coming to Timber Ridge Drive and Prestley Mill Road, thanks to a Douglasville City Council vote this week.

Council members approved the rezoning request in a 4-2 vote at Monday's meeting for The Revive Land Group to build the subdivision. Called Somerset at Timber Ridge, the neighborhood will include 238 single-family homes across 83.3 acres — though the homes themselves will take up just under 60 of those acres. The rest of the property will be green space.

Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem Terry Miller, as well as Council Member Nycole Miller, voted against the rezoning. Council Member Mark Adams was absent.

Three residents voiced concerns about the subdivision during the public comment period, including Lisa Reaves, who lives in the Kensington subdivision. Miller also mentioned she received emails from constituents concerned about the number of houses proposed in the development and the traffic it may bring.

"This subdivision, as it currently is being proposed, does not conform to the existing subdivisions along Prestley Mill Road ... The style and quality of the proposed housing in inconsistent with the character and nature of the majority of the surrounding community," Reaves said. "Approving this proposal will set the precedent for future developments to contain a large number of smaller lots and lower standards than what is currently found in this part of the city of Douglasville."

Reaves also mentioned concerns about endangered plants on the site, but Kenneth Wood, president of Planners & Engineers Collaborative who is working on the project, said they are committed to transferring the plants to a different part of the property.

Mayor Rochelle Robinson said it seemed like some residents were misunderstanding the nature of the vote — it was not about the specifics in development, but about zoning. The developer will have to adhere to specific standards and codes down the line, but that was not part of Monday's vote.

Somerset at Timber Ridge will be built in phases over a period of seven years, which will grant more time for the city to add to its police department, maintenance and sanitation department, and others to serve the new subdivision.

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