Lavonia City Council to Hear More on Proposed Mixed Use Development Tonight

The Lavonia City Council will meet tonight for a work session.

On the agenda, the Council is expected to hear from representatives of Ross Place Investments on their proposal to annex acreage along Ralph Owens Parkway for a multi-use development that would include a medical office campus and a townhome or apartment complex.

Ross Place Investments representatives first came before the Planning & Zoning Board in December to request the property be annexed into the city and then rezoned for the medical campus and R3 Residential multi-family.

Ross Place representative Brad Bentley said the apartment complex would be a 372-unit development, noting there is a growing need in this area for more market-rate apartment complexes, as opposed to public housing because of growth coming up from Jackson County.

Acting Planning and Zoning Board Chairman, City Manager Charles Cawthon, said the property is well suited for a medical use designation.

After hearing from Bentley, the P&Z Board recommended approval of the annexation and zoning requests.

At the City Council meeting earlier this month, Ross Place Investment developer Kenny Whitworth said they are asking that the property on Ralph Owens Parkway be annexed into the City of Lavonia and that part of the property be rezoned to R3 conditional use for the construction of a new upscale apartment complex.

But before calling for a vote, the Council was asked by Mayor Courtney Umbehant to hold off on a vote for both requests until tonight’s work session.

The Council is expected to vote on the Ross Place Investment development proposal at their February meeting.

In other business tonight the Council and Mayor are also expected to discuss plans for a downtown entertainment district.

Tonight’s work session takes place beginning at 6p at Lavonia City Hall and is open to the public.