Planning recommends Marsh Landing Phase III approval

ALBANY — Against staff’s recommendation that it do otherwise, the Albany-Dougherty Planning Commission voted 7-1 Thursday to recommend that the Dougherty County Commission approve a rezoning request that will allow for the construction of a 36-unit apartment complex at Marsh Landing on 315 Philema Road.

The recommendation comes with the condition that the owners, Westminister Management and Financial Co. and Pointe North Ltd., limit development to one three-story, 36-unit development.

Bobby Donnelly with Lanier Engineering, which served as applicant for the project at the Planning Commission hearing, said the project would be Phase III of the Marsh Landing development and front on Lake Chehaw. He assured commissioners that the development would be constructed 3 feet above the 100-year base flood elevation and that the apartment complex would not force additional water onto nearby property during a high-water event.

“There are all kinds of local, state and federal restrictions that we’d follow in building the complex,” Donnelly said. “And we’ve designed the complex to pull us as far out of the floodway as possible.”

Nearby property owner Ken Lessard said that his home adjacent to the property had been completely covered by flood waters in 1994, but his rebuilt residence had had no problems with flooding since.

“I don’t know enough now to be against this development, but I am concerned about what kind of impact this development will have on the flow of water during a high-water event,” Lessard said. “If they’re sitting there, elevated to a popint that they look like a skyscraper from my property, the water that comes in will have to go somewhere.”

Donnelly said regulations will not allow the complex to impact nearby property.

“There’s no way we can design anything that would shed more water onto (Lessard’s) property,” the engineer said.

Staff had recommended denying the rezoning request (from FH, flood hazard district, to C-R, community residential multiple-dwelling district), but did include an addendum suggesting that if it was approved, it should include the condition of allowing only one 36-unit apartment complex.

The board voted to approve the rezoning request with staff’s recommended condition. The matter now goes to the County Commission for consideration at its Jan. 25 meeting.