Planning commission gives thumbs up to rezoning development authority property on Bass Ferry Road
The Rome Floyd Planning Commission voted unanimously 9-0 to approve a rezoning request for a property at 231 Bass Ferry Road. The property, part of the former Braden farm, sits on both sides of Bass Ferry Road North of Highway 411.
The Rome Floyd County Development Authority intends for the 200 acre property to be an industrial center, hoping to attract manufacturers to this property and others on the Rome-Cartersville Development Corridor, formerly called the 411 Connector.
The property is currently zoned Agricultural Residential, and the development authority is asking it be changed to Heavy Industrial.
The property is currently owned by Floyd County, having been purchased by the Rome-Floyd County Development Authority last year after after an extended negotiation with members of the Braden Family.
“We have already received several site visits, interest in the property is excellent” said Missy Kendrick, president of the RFCDA. “The potential economic impact of this site, assuming 500 new jobs could generate approximately $347 million in local economic activity.”
Floyd County also recently signed off on a $500,000 contract for drilling and development of a new well on Biddy Road to provide the site with water.
The 2013 and 2017 SPLOST both contained funding for the purchase of property for the use of economic development. Much of it has been spent for the purchase of the Bass Ferry Road property as well as the former Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital Property off Division Street.
The commission also voted 9-0 to recommend changing the zoning of a property at 49 Hammond Dr., near the former Plant Hammond power plant, from Heavy Industrial to Suburban Residential.
Several homes on the street, likely built for executives of the former power plant, were improperly zoned when built.
Re-zoning for a former Dollar General store at 205 Todd St. in Shannon was also approved 9-0. The new owners seek to re-furbish the empty commercial space, but need it properly re-zoned as Community Commercial.
And within the city limits, owners of a property at 406 Division street want to re-zone the property as Community Commercial from Duplex in order to build a laundromat to serve the local community. The property is currently zoned Duplex Residential, but commissioners expressed concern with placing homes close to a busy street. It was approved 9-0 as well.