Neighbors of a proposed 230-unit apartment complex at the corner of Shallowford Road and Jenkins Road showed up to Monday's planning commission and asked that the project's rezoning request be denied a recommendation, and they left happy.
After hearing arguments from both sides of the development, planning commissioners voted 8-5 against recommending the zoning change to the county commission, which will take up the proposal next month.
In response to letters submitted in advance by opponents of the project, MAP Engineers owner and founder Mike Price came with a PowerPoint presentation in hand to preempt the concents voiced by many neighbors.
"There is no such thing as a DNZ -- a do-nothing zone," said Price.
He said putting in apartments at the site is "clearly the highest and best use" of the land.
"This is the best plan moving forward," he said.
Price drew grumbles from residents in attendance when he downplayed traffic problems on Jenkins Road, saying that in the past the road was congested, but that now, "you can flip right through at any time of day."
He also said with the land's current zoning, a developer could throw up a commercial building on Shallowford Road and still build multi-family units.
"I don't think that is what anybody wants," he said.
But the residents who showed up to Monday's meeting said a 230-apartment complex isn't what they want, either.
Joe Shauf, who lives in the Village of Ashwood nearby, said there are plenty of apartments "within a mile-and-a-half radius" of his Baskette Way home.
Terry McDermott lives on Peterson Drive, and he said traffic already is a headache in the area.
"We have traffic jams at that circle now, which keeps us from getting through," he said.
Charles Charnawskas also lives on Peterson Drive and complained Monday about traffic woes in the neighborhood.
"I see basically how bad the traffic is at this point in time, and it's getting worse," he said.
He said students from Grace Academy walk the roads in the area during school, and he said the lack of sidewalks and shoulders causes a hazardous situation.
"There have been many times I've had to brake because of student walking on that road," he said.
Price was adamant that the addition of apartments at the intersection would not overwhelm the roads with traffic.
Jason Farmer, planning commissioner, asked Price if the developer, Belle Investment Co., could simply cut down the number of units proposed at the site and maintain profitability on the project.
"The owner discounted the price of the land by almost $1 million just to make this work," said Price. "Less than 200 [units], it just doesn't make sense."
He said in the future, no investor will want to buy the property if it has less than 200 tenable units.
The Planning Agency staff recommended against the zoning change, noting that the project exceeds the housing density recommended in the land use plan for the area.
"It's really hard for me to do make this motion because I believe what Mike Price has showed us, this is a good project," said Joe Graham, planning commissioner, before he motioned to deny the rezoning recommendation.
County commissioners will still hear the request on Feb. 18.
Contact staff writer Alex Green at agreen@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6480.