Construction firm Gateway Developers will move to build more than 180 townhome units in Cornelia in the next few years.
Cornelia’s City Commission unanimously approved the annexation and rezoning of 36 acres off Level Grove Road after hearing from five residents who opposed the proposal during a public hearing Tuesday, Nov. 5. The vote came after a lengthy discussion on the overall prospect of future growth and development here in Habersham.
The annexation request saw no objection from Habersham County.
Commission’s approval in effect rezones the property to R-II (multifamily) for a total of 189 two-story units to be developed in phases over the course of multiple years, with 50 units built each year.
The estimated timeline for final completion of the project is between 36-48 months, with the first phase of construction beginning off Level Grove Road and GA 365. About 100 units will be built in the first phase and 89 in the second phase.
Records on qPublic.net show that in 2021 the property (1900 Level Grove Rd.) was sold by The Torch Inc. to Primum 19 LLC for $300,000. In 2024, according to qPublic, the property was then transferred from Primum 19 LLC to Froy LLC for $0.
The Torch Pastor Mike Franklin now acts as a consultant of the project to applicant Casey Moye, who currently owns the property. Prices of the homes will range between $290,000-$310,000.
The site of the planned development is under a mile from Level Grove Elementary and just over a mile from the intersection of Level Grove and US 441.
Public opposition
During the public hearing, opposition from members of the public centered on issues of traffic, wastewater capacity, roadway infrastructure and the potential for overcrowded schools.
Homeowner Melany Herrin, who spoke on behalf of her and her husband, first presented her opposition to the project. Herrin told commissioners that she and 51 others signed a petition opposing the annexation, though city officials said a majority of the signees live outside city limits.
“One of the issues we have is the heavy traffic,” Herrin said. “Logistically, without a turn lane and things like that, it’s going to be a nightmare. We already had an issue with traffic there at the four-way stop…you have a bottleneck down at the school, and now you’re going to have a bottleneck up at (GA) 365.”
Resident Kathy Crane expressed concerns regarding potential “sewage issues” and stated fears of a future strain on Cornelia’s wastewater system. Officials, in response, cited active investments the city has committed to sewer infrastructure. For reassurance, Cornelia City Manager Dee Anderson said future expansion of the wastewater plant will boost capacity by 50% (from 3 million gallons a day to 4.5 million gallons a day).
“I think we will have the capacity for homes,” Cornelia Mayor John Borrow told those in attendance. “We’re going to have the capacity for anything is really what we’re coming down to. It’s going to cost millions and millions of dollars, but we’re in the process of doing that – regardless of new homes or no new homes.”
Like Herrin, Crane also pointed to potential traffic problems. “Traffic up at (Level Grove Elementary) is already bad,” she said. “If they build (nearly) 200 townhouses, each person there has two cars – that’s 400 new cars of people trying to go in and out.”
At least three more residents cited traffic, declining road conditions and possible stormwater runoff as their primary issues. “I own two properties next door to the development,” Michael Shirley said. “… The other thing I’m concerned about would be runoff. I don’t know what the elevation next door to me is going to be, but we already have a great deal of runoff from Level Grove.”
Anderson told Now Habersham three water detention ponds intended to prevent issues of runoff are planned at the site. “(The developer) still needs to come back with a subdivision plan before they build anything,” he said.
Whether Habersham’s schools could handle a future influx of children, Borrow said opponents of the project had “very valid points.”
“We work closely with the school system,” Borrow said. “I don’t know what their plans are for expansion for new students. But anything they would do, I imagine, would be years in the future, so I don’t know what to think about that.”
‘This stuff is coming’
With zoning regulations as opposed to Habersham County’s land use provisions, Cornelia City Attorney Steve Campbell emphasized that the city’s rules regarding road specifications and building standards are “more restrictive.” And this, he argued, is better in terms of bringing quality development. Through annexation, he also said this puts the city in a position to better guide and manage aspects of growth.
“The city was made for closer living than the county, so we just have a lot of different rules than the county has,” Campbell said. “So when somebody builds here, they have to meet all of them…this (development), as it’s been laid out, if it wanted to be built in the county, it could be built differently and more dense and really in a lot of ways it could be (built) negatively.”
A longtime resident himself, Campbell went on to strike a more personal chord with the public as he expressed his own sentiment on the prospect of growth and development in Habersham.
He noted in earnest that the townhome development approved Tuesday night could’ve been proposed as commercial industry, instead of residential.
“This stuff is coming,” Campbell said. “This piece of property, in the county, didn’t have to be built as houses. It could’ve been built as a shopping center…so, sometimes, you have to figure out, ‘What’s the worst possible scenario?’ You may not love it. But (GA) 365 is sitting there. These folks are coming up the road, y’all.”
He added: “(Growth) is coming, and how it gets managed is important…I could see a lot worse things going on this property versus what this is.”
Conditions, other details
Developers agreed to meet a series of conditions requested by surrounding property owners – including a 25-foot vegetative buffer, a 35-foot setback as well as a 6-foot privacy fence between the site and neighboring residents.
The 1,800 square-foot townhouse units will consist of hardie board and rock siding finishes with two car garages. Amenities could include a dog park, playgrounds and green space.
City officials said there would be two access points to the development from Level Grove Road. Water and sewer line connections to the site would be paid and provided by the developer. Anderson said around $904,000 in connection tap fees also will be paid by the developer to the city.
A road study also will likely determine a need for additional turn lanes to accommodate increased traffic, according to Anderson.
