The Dawsonville City Council has approved a request to annex 44.82 acres of land off Duck Thurmond Road into the city to be rezoned for a future subdivision, Aero Heights. 

With the city councils approval at their June 21 meeting, land for the Aero Heights development, proposed to be built near the Atlanta Motorsports Park, will be annexed into the city and rezoned from Dawson County’s residential sub-rural manufactured/moved (RSRMM) zoning classification to the city’s single-family residential (R1) zoning. 

Project representatives say that the project will be a private gated community for families wanting a home near AMP.

Prior to the city council’s approval, the Dawsonville Planning Commission approved the request with no conditions, and a public hearing held in June yielded no opposition from the community. 

Before approving the request on Monday night, council members clarified several points regarding the project’s designs. 

Council Member Will Illg noted that while many people like the more modern look of the proposed house designs, not everyone will. Project representative Cheryl Capwell said that the houses will combine a modern look with natural materials and will be a “rural modern” style rather than strictly modern. 

“The people who will be purchasing these homes often have very modern, exotic sports cars,” Capwell said. “So we’re trying to appeal to the people that would want to live next to a race track by having homes that we think would appeal to them.” 

Council Member Mark French questioned Capwell about privacy for the homeowners, as well as visibility of the subdivision by those adjacent to the property. 

“We want privacy … I would say the majority of it you won’t be able to see; though I don’t know when the leaves come off the trees cause it’s hard to say what you would be able to see from there,” Capwell said. “If you were on the racetrack looking up, you would be able to see eight to 10 houses … but as far as along Duck Thurmond and the other side of the property that’s not adjacent to the racetrack we would have a buffer from there.” 

In his question to Capwell, Council Member John Walden raised concerns about keeping the natural landscape as intact as possible throughout the building process. Capwell told Walden and the rest of the council members that the goal of the project is to use the natural features of the land to enhance the homes.

“We’re not gonna clear cut it,” Capwell said. “We’re just gonna come in with just enough area for the houses and small lawns cause most of these are gonna be second homes so people aren’t gonna want these gigantic lawns, they’re gonna want something that’s very low maintenance.” 

Council members approved the annexation and rezoning request unanimously.