Parcel Description – Proposed Major Subdivision (110 Acres)

Holly Grove Pines is a new residential development located within the Rural Agricultural–Urban Service Boundary (RA-USB) on Holly Grove School Road, identified as Parcel ID 00013191. The 110-acre property, owned locally and being developed by Rhetson Companies, is planned for approximately 71 single-family homes.

While the parcel does not fall within a DEQ-designated watershed protection area, it contains an underground stream that originates from a nine-acre lot inside Seven Lakes North and flows directly into Lake Troy Douglas. The southern portion of the property features extensive wetlands, and a very narrow corridor that residents refer to as the “bottleneck."

This area plays a critical role in drainage and groundwater recharge for the surrounding landscape, making careful site design and runoff management essential. This will have to also tie into run off and wetland management existing in McLendon Hills. To date, no public meeting has been scheduled for the developer to discuss the local and state approval processes. However, a Special Use Permit (SUP) application has been submitted, and the county review process is now underway.

Within the McLendon side of this parcel, an equestrian easement runs the full length of the proposed development area. For many long-time residents and horse owners, this easement is a safe area to ride, walk,  and enjoy equestrian activities. It is frustrating to see builders show little empathy or compassion for those who chose this community specifically to ride safely and keep horses. It is part of the master design and could be compromised by this new subdivision.

For residents who border this parcel, the impact is deeply personal: the proposed two-lane access road would run within mere feet of their homes, permanently altering the sense of safety, peace, and privacy that is part of their daily life and part of their investment in this community.

Context: Growth Within the RA-USB

Although located outside the gated communities, Holly Grove Pines represents the growing wave of large-lot subdivisions emerging inside the RA-USB overlay. These projects are often promoted as “rural-compatible,” yet they introduce new density, traffic, and storm water pressures into areas never designed for suburban-scale infrastructure. The Holly Grove corridor, already constrained by wetlands and limited road width, illustrates how incremental expansion can create cumulative impacts, affecting water flow, emergency access, equestrian safety, and rural character.

As such, this development serves as a case study in how the RA-USB is being transformed lot by lot, often without full recognition of the long-term consequences for the greater Seven Lakes and West End communities. Each project approved under the RA-USB umbrella reshapes the balance between rural preservation and development pressure; a balance that local residents, landowners, and planners must now confront head-on.

Next Steps & Oversight

1. Pre-Application Meeting with Planning Staff

2. Concept Plan Submittal

3. Project Review Team (PRT) Meeting with County Staff

4. Infrastructure Meeting

5. Application Submittal

6. Administrative Review

• All adjacent property owners will receive a certified letter regarding this development.
• A public notice will be published in The Pilot containing meeting information.
• A sign will be posted on the property, visible from the nearest public road.

7. Subdivision Review Board

• Planning Staff will present the request to the Subdivision Review Board.
• The Subdivision Review Board is encouraged to be present to answer questions and to make recommendations to the Board of Commissioners.
• Sign will be posted on the property visible from the nearest public road.

8. Board of Commissioners Meeting-Call To

• Planning Staff will request BOC to Schedule Quaisi judicial hearing.

9. Board of Commissioners Meeting-Quasi Judicial Hearing (adjacent owners get letters.

    The applicant will attend meeting to answer questions

10. Board of Commissioners Meeting-Board Order Approval