CONYERS — After months of tabling the matter, the Conyers City Council finally approved the rezoning request for more development at Corner Market.

The unanimous vote to rezone about 100 acres from townhouse residential and general business to mixed use came during Wednesday’s regular City Council meeting after the mayor and council heard some public comment and some comment from one of the applicants, Four A International, LLC.

The city’s planning and zoning department recommended approval of the rezoning with special conditions, and the Conyers/Rockdale Planning Commission recommended approval Jan. 14 with the same special conditions.

City attorney Michael Waldrop told the mayor and council that the rezoning request included a density of 8.7 units per acre. One of the special conditions of the planning commission’s recommendation was not to allow Four A to subdivide, possibly resell, have it redeveloped and, thus, increase the density of the property.

Though the density calls for 8.7 units per acre, it does not necessarily mean those units must be built on an individual acre. Four A’s attorney Brad Skidmore explained to the council that the units may be put anywhere but will not exceed the total allowable amount.

Four A International asset manager David Roper called the rezoning approval from the City Council “a positive outcome to a collaborative process.” He added it was a “milestone” after an accumulation of 18 months of effort.

Rockdale County resident Helen Gordon was pleased to see there will be pedestrian access and two-story buildings “with character.” Gordon said the city could not afford to allow sprawl and has to make things more dense.

“You guys (Four A) and the people who are paying the money are going to be doing some great things for Conyers,” Gordon said.

Roper explained there is still more to be done.

“It’s not in the clear at this point,” Roper said.

Roper mentioned development agreements still to be worked out with the county and the state. The county has plans to install a traffic signal at Parker Road and Flat Shoals Road, as part of a county intersection improvement project with the Georgia Department of Transportation.

However, Four A came to an agreement with the city to contribute $350,000 for the multi-use trail the city plans to build with the PATH foundation.

“It’s reassuring that we were able to reach a development agreement,” Roper said.

“I think perhaps the biggest benefit, other than commercial development, is the path,” Roper added. “In partnership with the city and, some extent the county, and working together, we’re going to bring a multi-use path to the community. And we see it as a big plus.”

Design and building plans for phase II and phase III will still require approval from the city.

“I think that in a reasonable case scenario our design development could take six months,” Roper said.

The first phase of Corner Market was completed in 2007 and included retail space and the Village at Almand Creek apartment complex. Corner Market’s owner asked for the rezoning of the 100 acres in November 2009. The rezoning will allow for 84 market lofts, 203 apartment units, as part of the Phase II of the Village at Almand Creek, and 100 townhome units.

Roper said the entire project could “easily be a five- to seven-year project.”

“A lot of this is driven by market conditions, and we’re in a tough economic (climate),” Roper said.