Wednesday, May 29, 2024–9:45 a.m.

-David Crowder, WRGA News-

The Rome City Commission has approved a rezoning request related to a proposed new residential development on Callier Springs Road at Highway 411.

A couple of years ago, the property was rezoned multi-family residential for a mix of townhomes and apartments.

The request approved by the commission Tuesday rezones a portion of that property back to suburban residential.

“The total property is approximately 300 acres,” said Rome-Floyd Planning Director Brice Wood. “The area to be rezoned back to suburban-residential is 182 acres. It will allow for approximately 465 single-family homes to be placed on that portion—approximately 200 in the first year. That means the total development would be around 900 units, down from the 1,231 that was previously proposed.”

Some residents in the area have expressed concerns about increased traffic on Callier Springs Road.

A traffic study will be conducted, according to Kenneth Wood with Planning and Engineers Collaborative.

“We’ve looked at a three-way stop and rumble strips going all the way into the county, and we have to talk to the county about that, to give some detection as you’re are going down into that curve,” he said. “What we currently have proposed there is a three-way stop, but it will be evaluated.”

The development, formerly Avalon at Rome, is now being called Brook Ridge at Etowah.

Permit for crematory approved

Rome City Commissioners have approved a special use permit that will allow a local funeral home to offer on-site cremation services.

Kyle Kiser, owner and director of Salmon Funeral Home on New Calhoun Highway spoke in favor of the application prior to the vote Tuesday.

“Our business has been around a long time and about 60 percent of our customers choose some form of cremation eventually,” he said. “We want to be able to offer more of those services in-house.”

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, any toxins levels accumulated by a cremation device are low and are quickly broken down by sunlight and wind, and are not considered a public health hazard.