A storage facility and hotel will be coming to a south Forsyth commercial project following approval by the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners.
At the Sept. 15 meeting, commissioners approved two conditional-use permits and an amendment of zoning conditions for applicant Fuqua Acquisitions II, LLC on 35.36 acres on Peachtree Parkway and Ronald Reagan Boulevard currently zoned commercial business district.
The applicant had originally requested an extended-stay hotel but nixed that in favor or a traditional hotel. The county-initiated permit requested to build a 90,110 square-foot hotel with variances to reduce the parking spaces from 117 to 111 and increase the maximum building height for the hotel from 50 feet to 65 feet.
Among other variances requested were to reduce the separation distance between self-service storage businesses from 0.75 miles to 0.515 miles; reduce the buffer for individual retail establishments 75,000 feet or greater adjacent to existing residential subdivisions from 100 feet to 40 feet; and reduce the setback for individual retail establishments 75,000 square feet or greater adjacent to existing residential subdivisions from 150 to 50 feet and changes to parking requirements.
Residents from The Grove at Spring Valley neighborhood spoke in opposition to all three requests. Speakers wanted a parking lot between their neighborhood and the largest commercial space – a proposed furniture store. They were also opposed to raising the hotel’s height from 50 feet to 65 feet, citing privacy issues as their main concern.
Sean Courtney, attorney representing the development, said the developer worked to “ameliorate” concerns by agreeing to many conditions, specifically regarding the large furniture store.
According to Courtney, among the conditions were to prohibit windows on the back of the store that faces the neighborhood, including a 40-foot undisturbed buffer with a fence and two rows of “evergreen screens.”
District 4 Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills said she was happy to bring another hotel to Forsyth County as the area is lacking in places to stay.
Commissioners approved all three items with three unanimous votes, 5-0.
