Braselton planners OK Hwy. 53 overlay district
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
Braselton may be adding another overlay district to its town limits — this time along Ga. Hwy. 53.
The Braselton Planning Commission on Monday recommended approval of the proposed Hwy. 53 overlay district, following a number of changes.
The town council will discuss the planning commission’s recommendations on Thursday, May 8, at 4 p.m. and is expected to take a vote on Monday, May 12, at 7 p.m.
Overlay districts impose more stringent zoning standards in a specific area. The standards in an overlay district are included in the existing zoning regulations and typically address architectural standards, buffers, lighting, signage and parking.
Braselton adopted its first overlay districts in March 2005 for Ga. Hwy. 211 and downtown Braselton. Jackson County is considering similar overlay standards for unincorporated areas along Ga. Hwy. 124 and Hwy. 53.
Braselton’s Hwy. 53 overlay district would include all property within 750 feet from the centerline of Hwy. 53 in the town limits. Projects that have already submitted development plans or building permit requests would be exempted from the proposed standards.
For the most part, the proposed Hwy. 53 mirrors Braselton’s Hwy. 211 overlay district.
Some of the key differences — such as prohibited development uses, building height rules and maximum building square footage — were debated by the planning commission.
Like the Hwy. 211 ordinance, the planners opted to make used automotive sales and service prohibited uses in the Hwy. 53 overlay district.
New automotive sales are also prohibited in the Hwy. 211 overlay district, but may be a conditional use in the Hwy. 53 regulations, the planning commission recommended.
Other prohibited uses included in both ordinances are junk yards, adult bookstores, adult entertainment outlets, sexually-oriented businesses, pawnbrokers and boarding house.
Those uses that would require additional approval include restaurants with drive in services, auto service stations, convenience gas stations, commercial outdoor recreation and car washes. Storage facilities would also not be allowed in the Hwy. 53 overlay district.
The proposed Hwy. 53 overlay district didn’t include any building height restrictions — a standard outlined in the Hwy. 211 rules.
The planning commission decided to follow the standards for Hwy. 211, which would allow smaller buildings no taller than three stories closer to Hwy. 53 and structures reaching up to five stories farther from the state highway.
Planning commission member Tony Price said the height restrictions may discourage developers from building hotels along Hwy. 53.
Kevin Keller, town planning director, said several hotels are eyeing the Hwy. 53 area in Braselton. He added that most of the recent projects along the state highway have been commercial uses.
“It’s certainly going commercial and not residential,” Keller said.
Another recommendation from the planning commission included the limitation of new commercial buildings to 50,000 square feet. The Hwy. 211 overlay district allows buildings up to 100,000 square feet.
Buildings larger than the maximum in the overlay districts would require approval by the town’s zoning board of appeals.
