A development that would be the largest in Canton has cleared one hurdle in its path to annexation and rezoning.

The Canton Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday recommended approval of the proposed Canton West project. The vote was 4-3, with Chairman Mark Walker, Bill Bryan and Jim Wilson opposed.

PEC Development has filed zoning requests with the city and Cherokee County governments for the 2,340-acre project west of Highway 140 between Highways 20 and 108.

As part of the project, 901.8 acres would be annexed into the city and rezoned from agricultural to planned urban development. Another 8.587 acres already in Canton would be added to the project and zoned planned urban development. The project also has 1,430.1 acres in the county that would need to be rezoned.

The project calls for as many as 2,132 residential units to be built in the city and 1,335 residential units in the county. It also includes 479,600 square feet of retail space and 149,700 square feet of office space.

The development, if approved, would be the largest of its kind in the city.

The planning commission's recommendation could be considered by the Canton City Council as soon as next month.

Commission member Louis St. Peter, who made the motion for approval, said the property is in the city's growth boundary and would be annexed sooner or later.

"I don't see a better deal on the horizon," he said.

Rajayne Cordery said the Canton West project "provides for planned growth with control by the city." She also noted that PEC was donating land for a school and 40 acres for a city park and was paying for water tanks, emergency sirens and a six-mile connector road between Highways 108 and 5.

"Unmanaged development would not have provided all this in same cohesive manner," she said.

Opponents have argued the project is too dense for the area and would overwhelm infrastructure such as roads.

Bryan said existing roads will not be able to handle the traffic, and there is no money to make the needed improvements.

"There is no funding to do that now or that can be seen in the future," he said. "I don't see how we can afford more residential growth."

He noted there are about 8,000 houses already approved in the city that have not yet been built.

Seven people from the audience spoke out against the project, with the most common complaint being about traffic.

"You can't put that much traffic on city streets without a complete redesign of those streets," resident Charles Kenyon said.

Canton resident Austin Flint spoke in favor of the project.

"We have had a lot of growth, and we are going to have a lot more," he said. "Their plans make a lot of sense."

The development would be built out over 20 years.

Conditions from city staff include the developer dedicating sufficient right-of-way to the city for the connector road and conducting water-quality tests on the Etowah River before the issuance of a land disturbance permit.

The developer will install two water tanks in the development, donate a five-acre parcel for a fire station, community center and police precinct and an inclement weather warning signal and donate a 40-acre site for a park.

The conditions include phasing in the construction of the connector road over nine years. The original conditions proposed by the city staff required the road be built up front, which the developer said would be to costly to do.

The commission made the recommendation for approval contingent upon the county approving its portion of the project.

Mayor Gene Hobgood said the case could come up for review at the council's Aug. 4 work session and for a vote later in the month.

"There is going to be a lot of discussion," he said. "The council has the final say."

Councilman Jack Goodwin said he was not sure which way to go on the project. He said he is concerned about the traffic.

"It is a well thought-out project. It has merits both ways," he said.

afuller@cherokeetribune.com

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