A rezoning request would clear the way for the second phase of The Lofts at Mercer Village -- a four-story, 40,000-square-foot new building with apartments for students on the top three floors and retail, classroom and faculty office space on the bottom.
Mercer Lofts LLC will seek approval Monday from the Macon-Bibb County Planning & Zoning Commission to rezone 2.15 acres in Huguenin Heights across from Phase 1 of The Lofts, which opened this year.
Phase 2 will include 18 loft apartments, with a total of 72 bedrooms. The ground floor will have three retail spaces of 1,377 square feet each, along with six faculty offices. The rest will be used for classroom/meeting space. Parking will be expanded from 74 to 173 spaces.
The project would require the relocation of three historic homes from the site to the Beall’s Hill neighborhood.
The building will face Montepelier Avenue, but the application asks that 1658-1690 Coleman Ave., 1338-1370 Johnson Ave. and 1675-1653 Montepelier Ave. be rezoned to PDE, or planned development district, to allow the mixed-use development. The properties are currently zoned HR-3 (historic residential), C-1 (neighborhood commercial) and R-3 (multi-family residential).
Phase 1 of The Lofts at Mercer Village is expected to be ready for occupancy this summer. A Barnes & Noble bookstore opened on the ground floor this spring, and two restaurants -- Margarita’s and Fountain of Juice -- also are planning to move in.
The meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. at Macon City Hall, 700 Poplar St.
Other items on the agenda are:
REZONINGS:
1658-1690 Coleman Ave., 1338-1370 Johnson Ave., 1675-1653 Montpelier Ave.: Proposal to rezone from HR-3, Historic Residential District, C-1, Neighborhood Commercial District, and R-3, Multi-Family Residential District to PDE, Planned Development District. The purpose of this rezoning is to allow a mixed-use development (retail, student residential units, classrooms and offices). ZT3 Placemaker Studio Inc., applicant.
DEFERRED FROM PRIOR MEETING:
CONDITIONAL USE:
1571 Telfair St.: Conditional use to allow lighting of an existing athletic field, R-2 District and R-3 District. Mercer University, Russell Vullo, applicant.
VIOLATION:
3272 Pio Nono Ave.: In violation of Section 27.05 of the Comprehensive Land Development Resolution (operating a sports bar with live entertainment without a zoning compliance), C-4 District. Chris Palmer, Action Billiards.
CONDITIONAL USES:
1658-1690 Coleman Ave., 1338-1370 Johnson Ave., 1675-1653 Montpelier Ave.: Conditional use to allow a mixed-use development (retail, student residential units, classrooms and offices) HR-3 District/C-1 District/R-3 District (PDE Pending). ZT3 Placemaker Studio Inc., applicant.
1400 Coleman Ave., Stadium Drive: Conditional use to allow master plan approval and final site plan approval of Phase I for a field house and stadium, R-3 District. Dan Wallace, Mercer University, applicant.
2627 Montpelier Ave., 1335-1347 Pio Nono Ave.: Conditional use to allow expansion of an existing shopping center, C-2 District & C-1 District. Joseph Okere, applicant.
3960 Northside Drive: Conditional use to allow a freestanding self-service ice machine in an existing shopping center parking lot, PDC District. Bryan Persons, MTE, applicant.
4797 Pio Nono Ave.: Conditional use to allow retail sales (consignment shop) with outside booths for yard sales, M-1 District. Pamela J. Ross, applicant.
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS:
996 Oglethorpe St.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow demolition of a structure, HPD-BH District. The Rev. Timothy W. Price Sr., /Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, applicant.
1035 Oglethorpe St: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow relocation of an existing single-family dwelling, HPD-BH District. ZT3 Placemaker Studio Inc., applicant.
1071 Oglethorpe St.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow relocation of an existing single-family dwelling, HPD-BH District. ZT3 Placemaker Studio Inc., applicant.
1076 Oglethorpe St.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow relocation of an existing single-family dwelling, HPD-BH District. ZT3 Placemaker Studio Inc., applicant.
Ash St.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow design approval of a pre-approved plan for single-family dwellings within Beall’s Hill (Small Cottage Plan A), HPD-BH District. Josh Rogers, Historic Macon Foundation, applicant.
Ash St.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow design approval of a pre-approved plan for single-family dwellings within Beall’s Hill (Small Cottage Plan B), HPD-BH District. Josh Rogers, Historic Macon Foundation, applicant.
Ash St.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow design approval of a pre-approved plan for single-family dwellings within Beall’s Hill (Small Cottage Plan C), HPD-BH District. Josh Rogers, Historic Macon Foundation, applicant.
VARIANCES:
153 Deer Run Drive: Variance in placement requirements to allow an accessory building between building line and the right-of-way, R-1AAA District. Judi Burton, applicant.
SIGNS:
1920 Jeffersonville Road: Variance in distance from a residential structure to allow an electronic graphic display sign (EGD), C-2 District. Kanaiyalah Patel, applicant.
