Next month, Hall County will consider two major developments in the northern part of the county that have drawn opposition from several local residents.

Rochester & Associates is proposing either a 70-lot single-family subdivision or a 54-lot age-restricted subdivision on 53.8 acres at Hiawatha Drive and Tomacheche Trail.

United Central Investments has planned a massive development on 418 acres on the north side of Price Road at Dudley Hill Road.

The project includes 608 homes, a day care center, boat storage and multiple office/retail centers.

The county planning board recommended approval of both projects during a meeting Monday afternoon, despite opposition from several residents.

"The primary concerns that were registered by the citizens in opposition were related to traffic impact of potentially additional cars coming through the subdivision," Hall County Planning Director Randy Knighton said of the Rochester & Associates project.

He said the residents opposed were primarily from three subdivisions in the area: Squirrel Creek and Indian Hills to the north of the site, and Squirrel Brook on the east.

Planning board member Bill Evans voted not to recommend approval of the development because of "the way the economy is now and the water crisis."

"I think it’s a good project and there are good people doing it," Evans said. "I just didn’t feel comfortable voting for it."

The project proposed by United Central Investments has come before the planning board and been delayed numerous times. Residents in opposition came to the meeting wearing red shirts.

Though Knighton said residents were mainly concerned about the size and magnitude of the development, it has been cut down in terms of its overall size since it was first proposed.

Originally developers wanted to build 1,242 homes on 680 acres. Now they are asking to build 608 homes on 418 acres.

Residents also had concerns about increased traffic on Price Road, Knighton said.

Evans voted to recommend approval of the project because work is not scheduled to begin for at least another two years, and it will be 10-15 years before the entire project is complete.

"It’s not like they’re going to bed tonight up there and waking up in the morning and having 600 some odd houses," he said.

The proposed projects are scheduled to be heard at the county commission’s next meeting on Dec. 13.