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Two large developments proposed in south Forsyth
Forsyth

SOUTH FORSYTH — Plans for two massive mixed use developments in south Forsyth, totaling more than 750 homes, have been filed with the county’s planning and development department.

Both proposals, however, are still so early in the process that they have not been scheduled to appear before the planning board. That means many aspects are likely to change before any final decisions are made.

Meritage Homes of Georgia Inc. filed a request to rezone 287 acres of agricultural district, or A1, and commercial business district, or CBD, between Atlanta Highway (Hwy. 9), Castleberry Road and Majors Road to master planned district, or MPD.

The proposal calls for 383 residential lots and 67 attached residential units with a density of 1.57 units per acre and 56,000 square feet of commercial buildings with 226 parking spaces.

It also seeks a variance to reduce the commercial component from 25 percent to 5 percent.

As proposed, the development, currently named Wildmeade at Castleberry Road, is adjacent to Big Creek.

Another proposed MPD was filed by Planners and Engineers Collaborative Inc. for a property on Hood Drive and Access and Brannon roads just off the Ga. 400/Peachtree Parkway (Exit 13) interchange and near The Collection at Forsyth.

This proposal, called Brannon Court, seeks to rezone nearly 57 acres of CBD and A1 to MPD for 315 attached residential units with a density of 5.55 units per acre and 115,000 square feet of commercial space with 461 parking spaces.

A proposed variance was filed to reduce the amount of open space from 18.25 acres to about 16 acres.

Both proposals will eventually make it to the county planning board.

In the meantime, however, the county’s planning and community development staff has issued a recommendation to deny the Brannon Court proposal as initially proposed “due to the lack of integration between commercial and residential uses.”

Furthers reasons included the staff’s belief that the proposal appears to be a Res-6 rezoning, which are high-density apartments that are currently under a county-wide moratorium, “with CBD along the road frontage rather than a mixed use development that meets the purpose and intent of the MPD zoning category.”