City to consider another Bryant Lake rezoning request

Published 10:30 am Thursday, February 15, 2024

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The LaGrange City Council will again consider a rezoning request for the Bryant Lake development off of Hamilton Road.

On Tuesday, the council voted to call for a public hearing on a Board of Planning and Zoning Appeals recommendation on a request to rezone approximately 39 acres located adjacent Bryant Lake Boulevard from corridor medium-density residential (CR-MR) to corridor medium-density residential (CR-MR).

City Planner Mark Kostial explained that the purpose of rezoning the property to a zoning designation of the same name is to remove rezoning conditions that were applied to the property dating back to February 2019.

The planning board unanimously recommended the change under the condition that the existing requirement for eight-foot-wide sidewalks is kept. Kostial said that without the condition the developer would still be required to install sidewalks, but it would allow a minimum of five-foot sidewalks.

Kostial said the applicant, Keith Newberry of Keystone Custom Homes, has requested the change to build both townhomes and multifamily units on the property.

The conditions placed on the property in February 2019 limit the density to no more than 250 apartments and 120 villas, but Kostial said the villas aren’t in play because they were proposed for a separate part of the development.

Currently, the legislation governing the property allows for apartments with a minimum size of 600 square feet. Under the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), the minimum ranges from 450 square feet for studio apartments to 1000 square feet depending on whether it’s a one-bedroom, two-bedroom or three-bedroom.

Kostial said otherwise the current requirements are virtually identical to the UDO aside from sign requirements.

In October 2022, Keystone Custom Homes applied for a rezoning of all the parcels that they held at Bryant Lake. At the time, the planning commission recommended it be similarly rezoned to remove previously set restrictions. After a contentious public hearing in December 2022, the developer withdrew the rezoning application, so the issue didn’t receive a second reading or vote.

The council unanimously voted to call for a public hearing on March 12 to hear comments on the new rezoning request.