From council
Retirement complex gets green light
By Elizabeth Billips lizbillips@yahoo.com

Waynesboro City Council gave a Dunwoody developer the green light to proceed with plans for a 39-unit retirement complex.

Monday night, councilmen agreed to rezone the proposed site between Academy Avenue and Shadrack Street from residential to multi-family.

While the complex is still not a done deal, developer Gary Hammond can move ahead with plans for his $6.4 million project.

Two weeks ago, city council tabled a decision after hearing nearly two hours of fears and cheers from around 20 residents who stood on both sides of the fence.

Monday , five of the six councilmen approved the zoning change while Willie Roy Williams abstained from the vote.

This time, council neither discussed the complex nor asked for public comments.

SPECS

• 2.2 acre site on old Waynesboro Elementary campus
• 39 units
• 18 one-bedroom units, 21 with two bedrooms
• Some units in existing two-story building; additional units in newly
constructed apartment buildings
• Rent from $350s to upper $500s, depending on unit size and income

• All residents must be 62 or older.
• Must have incomes between $12,000 and $26,000
• At least six units reserved for occupants on the low end of income
bracket

WHAT'S NEXT?

Developer Gary Hammond will try to get the historic preservation board's recommendation before returning to council with a request to construct in the historic neighborhood. He'll also appear before the board of adjustments to ask for a variance to the city's parking and multi-family density ordinances. Right now, existing codes prohibit more than approximately 18 units on a site that size.