EAST FORSYTH — In what they acknowledged likely would be an unpopular decision to some, the Forsyth County commission on Thursday night approved plans for a Toyota/Scion dealership along Highway 20 east of Cumming.

Though a petition against the development gathered nearly 1,000 signatures, Commissioner Todd Levent said the county was tied by the law.

Officials also provided copies of previous court rulings that explained their decision, which passed 4-0 with Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills recused.

“To all of you all  who may or may not understand how we are somewhat handcuffed by the state constitution, zonings are not always just up to us, there are laws that govern us and it’s in our oath as well,” Levent said. “If we do an unconstitutional zoning, or if it ever gets challenged, it can make it through the court system and be remanded back to us to make a better decision.”

The plan by Southeast Toyota Distributors and Beaver Toyota, represented by affiliate BC Real Estate Holdings, calls for an 81,100-square-foot facility at the highway and Echols Road. There would be 1,098 parking spaces, a collision center and car wash.

The rezoning sets aside 26 percent of the 26.5 acres over four parcels for open space. Twenty percent is the minimum required for a highway business district, or HB. Most of the property was previously zoned as agricultural, or A1.

The dealership, which will be the fourth on that stretch of the corridor, has stirred up the area. Many in the meeting audience — clad in red and carrying signs stating “Protect Echols Road” — opposed the rezoning.

Kimber Williams spoke for those who signed the petition. Their main concerns were traffic, the impact on the area — which includes two schools and a park — and safety.

“You’ve heard people coming before you this evening using words like ‘economic vitality,’ ‘impact,’ ‘revenue,’ ‘taxes,’ ‘dollars,’ ‘sales.’ But here’s what trumps that — the safety and well-being of our children.”

Though the commission’s decision appeared unpopular, the majority of the public comment speakers supported the dealership.

They included Randall Toussaint of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Echols family and some residents.

“[The company has] bent over backwards, I think, to try to please all the community as much as the possibly can,” said Myra Echols, who has lived along the road since 1977 along with her husband, who has been there much longer.

“They’re not there to destroy, they’re there to help. That’s why they had two public meetings at their cost.”

The Toyota dealership will join Lou Sobh Honda, which opened in late 2013 at Hwy. 20 and Sanders Road, and a Lou Sobh Kia which is under construction next to it. An 8-acre tract nearby was rezoned in October for a Q Automotive dealership.

As proposed, the Toyota/Scion dealership would be the largest of the four. The Honda center is 50,000 square feet and houses about 500 vehicles on site.