Update, June 9: The Gainesville Planning and Appeals Board recommended approval of the rezoning and annexation requests at its meeting Tuesday, June 9. The matter now goes to the Gainesville City Council at a later meeting.

The city of Gainesville is planning a 1,300-acre business park off Athens Highway near the Allen Creek Soccer Complex, and on Tuesday, portions of the property will be up for rezoning and annexation before the Gainesville Planning and Appeals Board.

The planning board will vote on annexing 4.4 acres on Smallwood Road and Athens Highway into the city and rezoning that land to planned unit development. Another 1.3 acres on Fullenwider Road would be rezoned to planned unit development.

The city has owned the land for the business park since 1990, and Gainesville’s water resources and public works departments will use some space at the business park for equipment storage and fleet vehicle maintenance. The business park will have about 5 million square feet of industrial space that will be developed over a period of 15 to 20 years as tenants sign on.

The properties the planning board is voting on Tuesday are adjacent to the Allen Creek Soccer Complex, gun ranges for the Hall County Sheriff’s Office and Gainesville Police Department, the Hall County Landfill, industrial uses and two homes.

The city of Gainesville is the applicant for the two properties. The Gainesville City Council will have the final vote on the annexation and rezoning after the planning board’s recommendation. 

The Gainesville Planning and Appeals Board will meet Tuesday, June 9 at 5:30 p.m. at the Public Safety Complex, 701 Queen City Parkway.