Public Hearing: YES ☒ NO ☐ Department: Planning & Sustainability
SUBJECT:
Title
COMMISSION DISTRICT(S): Commission District 03 Super District 06
Application of Eisenhower Services, Inc. c/o Tracy Swearington, Sr. to amend the character area from LIND (Light Industrial) to the SUB (Suburban) character area to allow a single-family residential development, at 1680 and 1700 Henrico Road.
Body
PETITION NO: N13-2026-0150 LP-26-1247932
PROPOSED USE: Single-family residential development.
LOCATION: 1680 and 1700 Henrico Road, Conley, GA 30288
PARCEL NO. : 15 046 01 001; 15 046 01 005
INFO. CONTACT: James Burge, Planner
PHONE NUMBER: 404-371-2155
PURPOSE:
Application of Eisenhower Services, Inc. c/o Tracy Swearington, Sr. to amend the character area from LIND (Light Industrial) to the SUB (Suburban) character area to allow a single-family residential development.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
COMMUNITY COUNCIL: (Feb. 2026) Denial.
PLANNING COMMISSION: (March 3, 2026) No Recommendation.
PLANNING STAFF: (March 2026) Two-Cycle Deferral.
STAFF ANALYSIS: (rev. 03.12.2026) The applicant is seeking to amend the Future Land Use Map to change the land use character area of two parcels from LIND (Light Industrial) to SUB (Suburban). The applicant has also filed a companion application Z-26-1247931 to rezone the property from the M (Light Industrial) zoning district to R-100 (Residential Medium Lot-100) zoning district. The northern lot (15 046 01 001) is bounded to the north and east by the Suburban (SUB) Character Area, and to the south by the Light Industrial (LIND) character area. The west side of the lot is a large interstate right of way, which makes the bordering land uses to the west less relevant here. The southern lot (15 046 01 005) is currently bounded on all four sides by Light Industrial. After the proposed change, the southern lot would be bounded on three sides by industrial land uses, and the rightmost LIND parcel would be left surrounded on three sides by the residential SUB character area, only connected to other Industrial areas via the road right of way to the south. The change would result a significant intermingling of residential land uses and industrial land uses (see Map 1 below). The DeKalb 2050 Unified Plan specifies that the location of Light Industrial areas “shall preserve the appeal and appearance of residential and commercial areas from the prospective intrusion of light industrial land uses.” (p. 45) The document, however, does not directly address the issue of the intrusion of residential into industrial land uses, which means this case will require a weighing of the pros and cons to make a final determination. Factors in Support of this Project: The proposed residential development in line with the 2050 Comprehensive Land Use Plan’s goal of “Housing Variety and Choice”. This development will help bring in “new and diverse housing types will help the County meet market demands and support continued growth.” (P. 14) The land use change would provide adjacent residents on Pius Drive, Wanda Way, and Dees Drive with a greater buffer from industrial land use. It would eliminate the potential for a new industrial development to come in directly bordering their properties. Factors in Opposition to this Project: The 2050 Comp Plan directs us to “Focus new development and intensity in existing activity centers, near transit stations, and high-capacity corridors”. (UP p. 14) This site not located near either activity centers or transit stations. The Comp Plan specifies that new development in the Suburban character area should “Enhance connectivity by providing pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, high levels of street connectivity, multiple site access points, and connections between adjacent subdivisions, properties, and retail/commercial development.” (p. 41) The site plan for the project does none of those things. While both parcels in question currently designated as Industrial, the two lots are currently undeveloped and only used as part of the right of way for transmission lines. This means that while the amendment would theoretically provide adjacent residential lots a greater buffer from industrial uses, in reality it would not change anything for them, at least in the short term. The two LIND parcels that border the subject properties are currently being used as parking lots for semi-trailer trucks (see the map and photo below). This land use could have potential negative impacts on the health and wellbeing of the future residents of the proposed development. Truck parking is one industrial use is one that can have measurable health impacts on residents. See this link for published research into the topic: <https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7x85h2wx> <https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7x85h2wx> In the proposed site plan for the project (see the left image below), residential lots would be placed directly on the border with the adjacent truck parking lot in the bottom right corner. This would put residential uses significantly closer to an industrial use that currently exists on this area. No efforts have been made on this site plan to create any sort of buffer between the residences and the adjacent industrial uses. This change could set the precedent for further encroachment of residential development into industrial areas. Due to the number of negative factors associated with this site’s Land Use and the proposed site plan, Long-Range Planning staff believes the proposed amendment as it stands is Inconsistent with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. However, staff believes that if the Board were to change the Future Land Use of all four Light Industrial parcels on the north side of Henrico Road (see Map 2 above) to a residential Land Use, then the proposed land use change would be more appropriate, because there would be a physical buffer on all three side between the residential uses and the surrounding Industrial uses: Henrico Road to the south, 675 to the West and I-285 to the north. This would eliminate the potential for direct conflict between the residential and industrial uses. To give to Board the opportunity to consider making this change, Long-Range staff recommends a “Two-Cycle Deferral” to the July 2026 zoning agenda.
PLANNING COMMISSION VOTE: (March 3, 2026) No Recommendation. 1st Failed MOTION (4-3-0) was made by Commissioner Moore, seconded by Commissioner Patton that this agenda item be "Deferred, three full cycles". 2nd Failed MOTION (4-3-0) was made by Commissioner Costello, seconded by Commissioner Zou that this agenda item be "Denied". This application moves forward to the Board of Commissioners with no recommendation from the Planning Commission.
COMMUNITY COUNCIL VOTE/RECOMMENDATION: (February 2026) Denial 11-0-0. The Council recommended denial due to concerns over loss of industrial property and that residential use was not appropriate in this industrial location where there is lots of truck traffic along Henrico Road. The Council was supportive of more single-family residential housing in appropriate locations in District 3