Alpharetta City Council Settles Zoning Dispute By Picking a Site Plan

After a few homeowners rejected a third site plan for a Rucker Road subidivsion since the Planning Commission heard the rezoning request, council members picked a plan that didn't move a road quite so much.

No one was likely to be completely happy about the final decision by Alpharetta City Council over a proposed subdivision, but both the developer and neighbors of the development walked away with something they wanted. The result was approval of a 20-home subdivision with lots sizes of at least 15,000 square feet (R-15 zoning), with improvements to Rucker Road in front of the subdivision adding left turn lanes. An increased landscape buffer to separate the new and existing subdivisions was a part of the compromise reached after City Councili tabled the zoning decision on Feb. 25. For the residents of Spring Place and Crabapple Chase subdivisions, increasing a landscape buffer around the Cromen-Ferguson property on Rucker Road to 20 feet …

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Will Compromise with Neighbors Get Approval for this Alpharetta Subdivision?

The subdivision proposed for the Cromen-Ferguson property on Rucker Road underwent more changes after City Council tabled its decision on rezoning the land.

Some Alpharetta residents and a developer appear to have worked out some of their differences about a 20-home subdivision proposed along Rucker Road. Tonight we'll learn whether City Council believes the compromise makes rezoning the 13-acre property the right decision. David Hole, representing the development company he and his father own, had presented a plan on Feb. 25 to build 20 homes on the 13 acres of the Cromen Ferguson property on Rucker Road. That was a reduction of the original 37-home subdivision proposal, and even the 30-home plan the Alpharetta Planning Commission recommended be denied for zoning. When City Council tabled the rezoning application on Feb.25 to give Hole and Butler to work something out, Councilman Mike Kennedy…

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Milton City Council Decides on Fate of Historic Country Store

The public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. today at City Hall.

Milton City Council will decide the fate of the former Hardeman country store that its new owners want to reopen at their 6 p.m. meeting today. The council is meeting on a Wednesday because Monday was Washington's Birthday, a holiday. Staff's recommendation is to allow the rezoning, but to require the applicant to go through normal procedures for sign approval. The applicant wants to paint a large sign on the side of the store. The applicants want the slightly more than half-acre site rezoned to historic district so that they can use the existing 1,179 square foot building as a country store.The applicant said in a revised letter of intent that,  “Beginning in the late 1940’s to the early 1950’s, the store building at thenortheast corner …

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Letter to the Editor

Why Did Milton Give OK to Cram Homes on Sliver of Land?

Southfield residents believe zoning approval goes against everything they thought Milton stood for.

On January 23, the Milton City Council unanimously approved rezoning a small parcel of land on the east side of Hopewell Road, just north of Vaughn Road, from AG-1 (agricultural) to NUP (neighborhood unit plan). This development of 24 homes (original plan was for 29) will be squeezed on a sliver of land of less than 7 acres located between a 130-unit retirement community currently under construction at Hopewell and Vaughn, the established Southfield neighborhood and the busy Hopewell Road. This was approved despite the City of Milton’s Planning Commission unanimous recommendation, after a one-hour public discussion, to reject both the rezoning and petition for a variance on setbacks at its December 19 meeting. In fact, that Planning …

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Alpharetta to Vote on Golf Driving Range Entertainment Complex

City Council will hear the proposal tonight from TopGolf USA on its plan for property at Westside Parkway and Sanctuary Parkway.

Alpharetta City Council will hold a public hearing at City Hall today at 7:30 p.m. on a sports and entertainment complex off Westside Parkway that features a three-story golf driving range. TopGolf USA plans the complex, which uses golf balls embedded with microchips to give customers immediate yardage and location feedback on a high definition touch screen in each hitting bay. TopGolf plans 94 hitting bays and a 4.29 acre outfield. A variance is needed for a three story facility, which is necessary to include enough hitting bays to make the complex economically feasible. It will appear two stories tall from Westside Parkway due to the slope of the land. A 64,100 square feet entertainment building is planned, which includes 4,616 square …

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Alpharetta Hire Forces Woodstock To Begin Search For New Director

Richard McLeod accepted a position with the city of Alpharetta, which will leave Woodstock without a Community Development director.

Woodstock is in the market for a new Community Development director. Richard McLeod earlier this announced he's resigning from the post in Woodstock to take the same position with the city of Alpharetta. McLeod will start with Alpharetta on Nov. 5. McLeod replaces Diana Wheeler, who resigned from the post earlier this year. City Manager Jeff Moon said he's also sad to see McLeod leave the city. "I am happy for Richard for the opportunity that this gives him both personally and professionally," he added. "I am sad for us from the standpoint that anytime you lose an employee of Richard’s ability, experience and tenure with the city, it is hard to replace them." Moon added the city has an "excellent" relationship with the city of Alpharetta…

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Alpharetta Hires Woodstock's McLeod to Lead Community Development

Richard McLeod will take over the position left vacant by Diana Wheeler's resignation.

Alpharetta performed a nationwide search for a new Community Development director, but only went across the Fulton County line into Cherokee to hire Woodstock's department head. Richard McLeod, Woodstock's Community Development director, starts in that same position for Alpharetta on Nov. 5. “We received resumes from more than 90 qualified candidates from around the country,” said Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle.  “Mr. McLeod stood out among them as being not only technically qualified but as a creative professional that could help Council identify opportunities for shaping Alpharetta’s future.” McLeod fills a vacant position left with the resignation Diana Wheeler, who left saying she wanted to accomplish other things. Since then a team…

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Alpharetta City Council Decides Fate of Proposed Subdivision

The council members will hear a zoning application for a subdivision on Douglas Road during tonight's meeting.

A developer is proposing to add 29 homes on a 10-acre Douglas Road property that's sandwiched between Hartsmille Pointe and Leeward Walk subdivisions. While the developer asks for 29 homes, an Engineering/Public Works report says the flood plain on the site makes one of those homes unlikely. Each lot would be a minimum of 10,000 square feet. It's neighbors to the north and south had been developed with 9,000 square feet as the minimum lot size. Alpharetta City Council meetings now are streamed live online on the city's website. Though some nearby residents told the Alpharetta Planning Commission earlier this month that they wanted the proposed subdivision to use an existing city right of way within Hartsmill Pointe for its entrance, a …

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Karate Atlanta Can't Teach at its Alpharetta Offices

The owners of the company, which has 11 martial arts studio locations, wanted to teach how they are successful at corporate headquarters, but Alpharetta City Council said no.

A corporate office for a local martial arts studio chain won't be holding classes in its headquarters because a majority of the Alpharetta City Council couldn't find a compelling reason to change the Windward Master Plan. Karate Atlanta has its corporate offices within the 400 North Business Park at 1111 Alderman Drive, Suite 435. Joy Kandrick of Karate Atlanta told Alpharetta City Council at its July 23 meeting that the classes would not be the same as at one of the company's 11 martial arts studio locations. "This is going to be mostly business, a lot less kicking and punching," she said. The owners of Karate Atlanta have 11 studios when many martial arts businesses are struggling to keep a single location open, Kandrick said. How Karate…

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Man Beats Girlfriend with Dead Dog, Home Explosion Owners ID'd

Here are some top Patch headlines not far from Roswell.

Sandy Springs Police Say Man Killed Girlfriend's Dog Then Beat Her With It - Dunwoody Patch Police say a Sandy Springs man killed his girlfriend's dog and then beat her with the dead animal's body. A story in The Huffington Post followed up on the crime story. It says Alfredo Tadeo, 27, and Andrea Armintrout, 40, in June were visited by police on a domestic violence complaint. The officers found that the dog had been brutally kicked to death, after he had beat Armintrout in the face and then sought out her dog, who was said to be cowering under a table. Owners of Burned Home Identified - Canton-Sixes Patch No one has heard from Ricky, Darlene and Lindsey Norrell all day. And while a spokesman for the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office said …

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