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The LaGrange City Council voted 4-1 to approve a zoning change that will allow for five houses to be built near the corner of Springdale Dr. and Saynor Cir.

The zoning change from Suburban Single Family Residential (SU-R) to Traditional Neighborhood Residential (TN-R) will allow developer BC Stone Homes to subdivide an approximately 1-acre property into five lots rather than three.

The change was not made without opposition. Several residents voiced concerns in a public hearing held at the previous council meeting. Concerns were raised over the lot sizes and potential traffic problems, primarily on Springdale Dr.

After working with the developer and residents in the area, city staff prepared a substitute ordinance that will apply three conditions on the rezoning.

First, the development will be restricted to single-family detached houses, which excludes cottage houses, duplexes and garage apartments. The second restriction will limit the number of driveways on Springdale Dr. to two. Finally, the lots on Springdale Dr. will be required to have a minimum lot frontage of 75 feet.

A vote to replace the previously read ordinance with the substitute ordinance with the conditions was approved in a 4-1 vote. Only Councilman Mark Mitchell voted against the measure.

The substitute ordinance was then approved 4-1 with Mitchell similarly voting in opposition.

After the votes, Councilman Tom Gore acknowledged that the issue is a very sensitive subject with lots of controversies, but said there has been much discussion to compromise and allay residents’ concerns.

“The [substitute] rezoning will limit the number of driveways on Springdale and will increase the lot sizes that face Springdale,” Gore said. “We realize that the lot sizes are smaller than some in Springdale, but they’re also similar in size to many others in Springdale.”

In other business:

• The council voted to approve an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Greenville to provide mutual aid.
• The council held a first reading for an ordinance to remove parking restrictions from the former Center Plaza Drive.
• The council called for a public hearing for proposed Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) text amendments that were recommended by the Board of Planning and Zoning Appeals.
• The council called for a public hearing for a Board of Planning and Zoning Appeals recommendation on a request for a Special Use Permit for 1301 and 1311 Greenville Street that would allow for a railroad motor oil offload site. Universal Environmental Services is proposing to offload used motor oil from rail cars at this site to be trucked to Peachtree City for recycling.