In a not-so-surprising twist, the major townhouse development that applied to take over Elizabeth Ann Lane near Cheshire Bridge Road has hit an early stumbling block. At a neighborhood planning meeting on Monday, residents voted against rezoning the land to allow for a multi-family community and the removal of 18 homes already standing there. Shyamalan!



The vote, which ended at 124 to 189 against, isn't the end of the road for the would-be development by Pulte Homes. It just provides a community recommendation for the rest of the extensive process. The development will still be reviewed by the city's zoning board, the City Council Zoning Committee and Community Development and Human Resources committee, and so on. Plus, according to Gerald Neumark, a former Vice President and now-delegate for the Atlanta Planning Advisory Board , if none of that goes their way, Pulte can challenge the decision in court.

Neumark said it's unlikely the zoning changes will pass based on the history of the neighborhood, which has pushed back against a number of proposals in the last few years. On the other hand, a few apartment developments such as Modera Morningside have been pushed through or proposed for the area recently. But, then again, the Pulte development doesn't exactly mirror those mixed-use ideas and would have a much larger footprint.

· Big Cheshire Bridge Proposal could Wipe Out 18 Houses

· Cheshire Bridge's Mixed-Use Wave is Officially Here