April 25, 2022–8:34 p.m.

STAFF REPORTS

More housing is on the way in the City of Rome.

The Rome City Commission has approved a rezoning request for an affordable workforce townhouse and apartment development on 290 acres at Highway 411 and the East Rome Bypass.

The plan is for a 1,231-unit townhouse and apartment community, that would be constructed over five years.

The townhomes will start at $190,000.

Jimmy Byars, spoke on behalf of the property owners.

“Everybody has been trying to fill the need for workforce housing,” he said.  “They are doing a great job with that and the owners of the property are in full support of it.  It’s delivering a product to Rome, which we haven’t had before, in the price range that I think will help with workforce development.

Grant Miller, the owner of the Callier Springs Country Club, spoke against the rezoning, citing traffic concerns of other residents of the Callier Springs Road area.

“The traffic has already increased since 2000 due to Walmart,” he said.  “Residents are constantly concerned by that traffic.  I approached the county about looking at options to slow down traffic, but because of it being an access road, they can’t put any measures in place like speed bumps because of emergency vehicles and those types of concerns.”

The development is expected to add approximately 3,078 new residents to the area.

It is anticipated that 200 households will be added in the first year.

The commission voted 8-0 to approve with conditions, as explained by Brice Wood with the Rome-Floyd County Planning Department.

“The point of ingress and egress closed to the Walmart on Callier Springs Road will be a left turn exit only, sending traffic back toward the traffic light at Highway 411 and Callier Springs Road,” he said.  “Also, the second point of ingress located further up Callier Springs Road will be a one-way point of ingress only, which means they cannot exit onto Callier Springs Road from there.”

Also Monday, the commission approved a request to rezone from Community Commercial to Multi-Family Residential for 34 acres of property located off Dodd Boulevard for a 395 unit townhome and apartment development.

It passed with a stipulation that the entrance would be only on Dodd Boulevard.