S.S.D. Properties, a Georgia-based company, submitted redevelopment plans to the City of Johns Creek to convert a property into a mix of commercial and high-density residential uses. To accommodate the residential component, a change in zoning and variances were requested for the property located at 11890 Douglas Road in Johns Creek.
The City Council reviewed the land use applications during their November 15, 2021, meeting and voted to deny the mixed-use project rezoning and variance request. This action follows the recommendations of denial submitted to the Council by the Planning Commission and City Planners.
According to City documents, the project was proposed on a 1.463-acre property, located north of the intersection of Douglas Road and Jones Bridge Road. It is bounded by Douglas Road to the west, commercial shopping centers to the south and east, and the Leeward Walk subdivision to the north, in the City of Alpharetta. The property is currently developed with a 10,000 square-foot commercial building with fifty parking spaces and one full-access ingress/egress off Douglas Road.
The denial means that the proposal to rezone the property from C-1 Conditional to Mixed-Use to convert 3,000 square feet of an existing shopping center to a six residential unit apartment and new commercial uses will not move forward. The variances that were denied included:
- To allow an existing sidewalk and retaining wall to remain in the 10-foot improvement setback along the north property line; and
- To eliminate the required 20% common open space necessary for the MIX zoning district.
According to City Planners, the project did not meet the standards of review for rezoning requests. While the development would be generally consistent with nearby properties, the multifamily use would be located adjacent to existing single-family homes, which the City finds unsuitable. Additionally, the property currently has reasonable economic use as it is currently zoned, and with the requested variances, the proposal would adversely affect the use or usability of nearby properties.
Attempts to reach the applicant to provide comments on the denial were unsuccessful before publishing this article. What Now Atlanta will provide an update if an owner statement is made.
