Developers have hit a bump in the road for a planned mixed-use project along Market Place Boulevard.

Commissioners voted unanimously to object to the proposed annexation of about 57 acres of county land along the road to the city of Cumming for the proposed Westshore development, which is planned to be a mixed-use development with 322,000 square feet of commercial space, 348 rental units, 20 single-family units and 130 townhomes.

Commissioners had concerns as the commercial business district (CBD) zoning, which the property is zoned, has less dense standards than the proposed future zoning, the city’s planned unit development district (PUD).

“The density, as proposed, would exceed the county’s allowable density of 6 units per acre,” said County Attorney Ken Jarrard. “What we can see from the proposal is they are proposing 8.95 units per acre, as opposed to our six.”

Among the reasons for concern was the impact on roads and schools, including Cumming Elementary and Otwell Middle schools.

“Otwell is probably the most populated right now of all the middles schools,” said District 1 Commissioner Molly Cooper. “Then the new middle school coming up on Hyde Road is not going to have an immediate, direct effect on decreasing the population of Otwell … and Cumming Elementary is bursting at the seams.”

Per information from the Georgia Municipal Association, objections related to zoning and land use must have a substantial change in intensity or change to a different use, increase the net cost of infrastructure or diminish the value of the county’s capital outlay – funds used to purchase or extend assets – and differ from the use in current county land use plans.

Those rules state the next step is an arbitration process.

As part of the denial, commissioners said they wanted a meeting with the city, and annexations are among several issues to be discussed at a joint meeting of commissioners and the Cumming City Council on Monday.