The DeKalb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday delayed action for one month on an application to rezone 11 acres of property at the corner of Porter Road and Covington Hwy. from R-75 to MU-1 (Mixed Use Low Density) for 60 townhomes and unspecified retail. The applicant has changed the proposal several times and presented a January 18 site plan.
At the BOC zoning meeting, a spokeswoman for the applicant said retailers including Panera Bread and Cold Stone Creamery have expressed interest in the retail space. However, Derik Rinehart, in opposition, said he had spoken to the woman who would be the first point of contact at Cold Stone Creamery and she said she had never heard of the proposed development.
Rinehart also said the applicant is not the owner of the property. He asked how this fact could have escaped officials at numerous meetings. PRISM DeKalb has learned that no evidence of the applicant owning the property was provided to the District 4 Community Council at the two meetings where the application was considered, despite repeated requests that the Department of Planning & Sustainability provide this documentation to council members or post it on the department's web site.
Commissioner Steve Bradshaw moved for a 30-day deferral with a public hearing, seconded by Commissioner Kathie Gannon. "We have some reports we have to follow including landscaping plans and traffic information," Gannon said. The motion was approved 6-0-0. (Commissioner Nancy Jester was absent.)
The application will be heard again by the BOC during its morning meeting on April 23.
