The developer of a controversial site near Chateau Elan is asking Braselton to reconsider its prohibition of certain uses for a retail project.
The Braselton Planning Commission is set to hear a request by Lensned, LLC, to change zoning conditions for a planned unit development on Ga. Hwy. 211, at the intersection of Liberty Church Road in Barrow County.
The planning commission will a hold public hearing on the request on Monday, June 23, at 7 p.m. The Braselton Town Council will hold another public hearing on Thursday, July 10, at 4 p.m., and is expected to vote on the request on Monday, July 14, at 7 p.m.
Lensned is asking Braselton to change an existing zoning condition to allow drive-thru windows for “dry cleaners and banks” at the development, but prohibit “gas stations, convenience stores or fast-food restaurants.”
The Buford-based company is developing “Liberty Village” on the 15.2-acre property. A hardware store and daycare center are among some of the planned uses.
The latest plans also show a Rite-Aid pharmacy slated for the intersection of Hwy. 211 and Liberty Church Road.
In October 2007, Lensned asked Braselton to amend it zoning conditions on the property to reduce buffers and remove prohibited drive-thru establishments.
At the time, a representative for the company said the restrictive zoning conditions limited options for potential tenants, including a coffee shop or drug store. The company said it didn’t plan to open a fast-food establishment on the property.
During a planning commission hearing in October, Chateau Elan residents voiced their opposition to the proposed changes. The Braselton Town Council later denied the request.
The property been a controversial site since the Braselton Town Council approved annexation and rezoning plans in December 2001.
At that time, the 214-acre property was rezoned to Planned Unit Development (PUD) for more than 500 houses with no commercial development.
Barrow County officials filed a lawsuit against the town in January 2002, objecting to the annexation and rezoning of property, saying the 500-home project would require too many services for fire protection and schools for the neighborhood.
A legal compromise between Braselton, Barrow County and the developer resulted in earmarking 16 acres of the project for commercial space at the intersection of Hwy. 211 and Liberty Church Road in Barrow County.
In August 2002, a number of Chateau Elan residents asked town officials to move the commercial project further north on Hwy. 211, next to the Mulberry Walk Shopping Center. Moving the commercial project further north, however, would have placed it in Gwinnett County.
