The latest on company again filing to annex 50 acres into Buford

Brian Wellmeier, The Times, Gainesville, Ga.
·2 min read

May 26—Update: Buford's City Commission approved Seefried Industrial Properties' request to annex nearly 50 acres for two warehouse/distribution facilities Tuesday, May 30.

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Original story: After multiple defeats, Atlanta-based real estate company Seefried Industrial Properties has again submitted a request to annex five contiguous parcels of nearly 50-acres on Bennett Road into the city of Buford.

Plans are for the construction of two warehouse/distribution facilities totaling 434,320 square feet. But according to city officials, the applicant is requesting lighter zoning this time around.

A similar annexation request by the company was blocked by Hall County's Board of Commissioners in April and then withdrawn before the item went before Buford City Commission.

Before that, in February, the developer's first attempt to annex into Buford — also a request to rezone the property from agricultural-residential to light industrial for two distribution facilities — was pulled before Hall County could vote to block the project as planned.

The latest proposal was again approved by Buford's Planning Commission Thursday, though the only difference in the application is the requested zoning for the property. The legal basis for Hall County's ongoing objection has been the applicant's request for light-industrial zoning inside a mostly residential-zoned area.

Seefried Industrial Properties, now, is requesting to rezone the property from agricultural-residential III to residential-agricultural — a low-density zoning classification.

Buford Planning Director Kim Wolfe said it's likely the company will "come back for rezoning later" if the item is approved.

If approved without objection from Hall County, the proposed development will be located less than a mile from both Friendship Elementary School.

Commissioners with the city of Buford will consider whether to approve this latest annexation request at a special called meeting Tuesday, May 30.

Spokesperson Sarah Crowe said Hall County "has not resolved to object" to the annexation at this time.