TIFTON — Though having faced vehement pushback from the community, developer Acquisitions South is pushing ahead with some adjustments to its Mill Ridge project.

The application to amend the site plan for use of townhomes instead of retail space in the Mill Ridge area once again came before the Tifton City Council earlier this month, following another review from the planning and zoning commission.

Cole Davis, organizer of the project, said among modifications made to the site plan, three of the outside perimeters would be fully fenced, dedicated green spaces would be arranged on both sides of the property and the townhomes situated on the west side of the parcel had been removed.

He admitted that he didn’t have any information on lighting but asserted he would meet with Georgia Power to get its recommendation once the project has been approved.

Despite these changes, area residents still expressed concerns.

Julie Lester appreciated the greater level of detail on this site plan compared to the previous model but said she is still concerned about the density of the area, traffic and parking, and the lack of sidewalks. Lester also asked if the developer could provide evidence that it had the necessary capital to complete the project.

Crystal Gaillard spoke on behalf of Maxwell Hill, expressing concern about the wooden fences lining the property degrading quickly, as well as the shortened setbacks on the side and rear of the property. Hill recommended a brick fence and 10- to 15-foot setbacks instead of the 10 in front and five on the side and rear currently being implemented.

Councilman Jack Polk wondered if the city could restrict parking in the area to mitigate the issue but Rob Wilmot, city attorney, said the only ordinance concerning that matter required cars parked on streets to leave a 10-foot minimum width of drivable roadway, which would not affect the parking problem in any way.

Davis asserted he is aware of the parking concerns but is confident the issue would not reach a level of great concern.

When asked if he would be willing to shrink the number of units in the project to reduce density, Davis said he was unsure that doing so would placate homeowners, and admitted that due to the structure of the site plan, it would be difficult to trim off any more units.

Councilman Lester Cromer suggested that the developer could consider implementing a different type of fence, such as vinyl fencing, to reassure homeowners, which Davis was open to discussing further, but expressed concern about the fragility of vinyl against strong wind and the high cost of brick.

City Council moved to take action on the application at the next meeting.