WEST FORSYTH — Forsyth County’s planning board is poised to make recommendations on three zoning applications that could lead to 444 homes spanning three districts.

The majority of those homes are part of a request for a 302-lot conservation subdivision on about 190 acres in west Forsyth.

While they were more common from 2000-07, according to Tom Brown, director of planning and community development for Forsyth County, single-family residential district Res-3 zonings have been the most popular choice of late.

Conservation subdivisions generally have more flexibility to build smaller lots in exchange for identifying and protecting additional open space.

“There’s usually less disturbance, less impervious surface. There’s the ability to preserve more rural character, if done properly,” Brown said.

Within the past year, Res-3 requirements evolved, making the two zonings “comparable in incentives.”

For this proposed subdivision on Watson Road, east of Tribble Road and just north of Canton Highway (Hwy. 20), applicant Sharp Residential LLC wants to rezone the property from agricultural district, or A1, and single-family residential district Res-2 to Res-3 as a conservation subdivision with a density of 1.6 units per acre.

The planning board also looked at an application further north of this site. Ridge 19 LLC wants to rezone about 29 acres from restricted industrial district, or M1, to master planned district, or MPD, for 97 residential lots with a density of 3.3 units per acre. The plan also calls for 24,000 square feet of commercial retail space with 131 parking spaces.

Located to the east of Ga. 400 and north of Cross Roads Road, this MPD differs from the Avalon-style developments recently brought to the planning board and approved by the county’s commission.

A variance was requested with the application to reduce the required amount of commercial and office use from 25 to about 11.5 percent.

The planning and development staff is not in favor of this because of the “nature of the whole plan with the variance” and that it does not fit in the area’s future development map.

A third request during Tuesday’s work session turned planning board members’ attention to extreme southwest Forsyth. Applicant 645 Tidwell LLC has asked to rezone about 23 acres from A1 to single-family community residential district, or CR2, for 45 lots with a density of 1.97 units per acre.

Planning representatives discussed the use of the property’s common area, which would be on Tidwell Road just east of the Cherokee-Forsyth county line.

These applications are set to be heard by the planning board during public hearings Sept. 22.

Planning votes serve as recommendations to the commission, which is scheduled to hear the requests Oct. 15.