Council Unanimously Denies Rezoning Request for Macon Road

By Janell Williams

The Columbus Council unanimously voted to deny a rezoning request for 5201 Macon Road during its meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 28, rejecting a proposal by developers that had drawn strong opposition from local residents.

The decision came after weeks of public outcry over the potential rezoning, which would have allowed new development on the property.

Developers sought to rezone 111.56 acres, currently owned by Calhoun Investments LLC, from single-family residence zoning into another while also getting a portion of the land zoned for multi-family residences. The company planned to build 253 single-family homes and 84 townhomes for 337 new housing units in the area.

Residents expressed concerns about increased traffic, potential overcrowding, and changes to the character of their neighborhood.

“This is a victory for our community,” said Jane Richardson, who attended the meeting. “We’ve worked hard to make our voices heard, and I’m so relieved that the council listened to us.”

Another resident, Tre Philips, echoed the sentiment, citing concerns about safety and infrastructure.

“This area isn’t built to handle more development like that,” he said. “It would have changed everything about our neighborhood, and not for the better.”

As the council announced its decision, residents in attendance erupted in applause, some embracing before departing the meeting.

Many had spent weeks organizing petitions and speaking out against the proposed rezoning.

Developers who submitted the rezoning request have not yet indicated whether they plan to revise their proposal or seek alternative locations for their project.