Johns Creek Denies 280-Home Development

JOHNS CREEK, GA — The Johns Creek City Council last week voted to reject a proposal that would have rezoned more than 200 acres along Rogers Circle to accommodate a large residential development that would have constructed nearly 300 homes.

The Council at its Jan. 17 meeting voted to deny a request from Ashton Woods Home to rezone a five-parcel tract totaling 205 acres in the 10700 block of Rogers Circle and 10555 Embry Farm Road from agricultural to community unit plan district for its project. Ashton woods project would have included 143 single family homes and 137 attached residences, for a total of 280 units.

The action taken by Johns Creek's elected officials follows in the footsteps to recommend denial by city staff members and the Planning Commission.

Johns Creek staff members note the development would have been served by Rogers Circle, a two-lane road. It would have been built next to the Spring Meadow Farms residential community, which is to the west, city documents state. The Chattahoochee River sits to the south and east of the land, and Shakerag Elementary and River Trail Middle schools and Fire Station No. 62 are all to the north.

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According to the city documents, about 107 acres is currently used for animal grazing and sod production. The center of the site features a large brick home with a pool and garden. The main house, as well as another brick home, were built in the 1970s. City staff documents also note the parcels include a barn and smaller outbuildings on the northern side and another smaller outbuilding on the southwest corner.

Ashton Woods proposed to demolish the homes and buildings as part of the project, according to the City Council's agenda packet. Its original project called for building 377 units, 164 which were to be detached townhomes and 213 designated as single family houses. However, a revised plan submitted in November included the nearly 100-residence reduction that was considered by the Council.

City staff members note the proposal to build the development at 1.36 unit an acre is a higher density than surrounding subdivisions. It also states a proposed landscaping strip for lots abutting the Spring Meadow Farms community "may not be sufficient to mitigate the negative impacts" on those property owners.

City staff also state a traffic study conducted in August showed there was not enough sight-line distance to allow for a safe exit from Embry Farm Road to Rogers Circle, and that westbound Rogers Circle going towards the Bell Road-Rogers Circle north intersection was already operating at a failing service level.

The Fulton County School System estimated the additional number of students attending surrounding schools from the new community would be 63 to 177 for Shakerag, 19 to 79 for River Trail and 63 to 139 for Northview High School. Readers should note those numbers were based on the original proposal for 377 residences.

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