Macon company seeks rezoning of industrial site to build apartments

Apartments are planned in an industrial section of downtown Macon, and if the proposal moves forward, additional plans call for off-street parking, bike paths and several landscaping upgrades.

Macon-based Widner & Associates has applied for a permit to rezone 4.8 acres at 310 Sixth St., 340 Sixth St. and 454 Terminal Ave. from a heavy industrial district to a central business district to allow a mixed-use redevelopment.

The application is expected to be considered Monday at the Macon-Bibb County Planning & Zoning Commission meeting.

The parcels are to the east of Terminal Station across the railroad tracks, according to the commission’s staff report. The area is a historic industrial area. The warehouse-storage buildings on the parcels range from 34,000 square feet and 18,000 square feet down to 2,400 square feet. Some were built about 1900 and some in the 1950s to 1960s. A portion of the buildings are occupied.

The applicant’s preliminary plan calls for 18 to 20 apartment units in the existing building at 340 Sixth St.

“If this development proceeds, the applicant proposes to upgrade existing infrastructure and provide amenities including greenspace, off-street parking, landscaping, street trees, cyclist paths and pedestrian walkways as well as the addition of new parking and landscape islands at 310 Sixth St.,” the report said. “The applicant anticipates 454 Terminal Ave will be converted to a mixed-use commercial/retail/residential development, at a future date yet to be determined.”

The commission meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. in the 10th floor conference room, Willie C. Hill Government Center Annex, 682 Cherry St.

Other items on the agenda are:

ITEM DEFERRED FROM PRIOR MEETING:

6344 Zebulon Road: Variance in EGD area, sign height and distance to residential structure, PDE District. We Care Heating and Air Inc., applicant.

CONDITIONAL USES:

1744 Broadway: Conditional use to allow a paint and body shop in an existing building, C-2 District. Sidney Phillips, applicant.

1417 Masonic Home Road: Conditional use to expand an existing facility by constructing a cottage and master plan approval for future cottages, A-Agricultural District. Widner & Associates, applicant.

3035/3025 Avon Road: Conditional use to allow a contracting company, PDI District. Brandon Lovin, Lovin Contracting Co., applicant.

3380 Pio Nono Ave.: Conditional use to allow used auto sales at an existing location, C-4 District. All In One Auto Sales, Dollie Downing, applicant.

6001 Harrison Road: Conditional use to allow restaurant with drive-thru (Wendy’s), C-4 District. Nan Wilcox, Harkleroad and Associates Inc., applicant.

CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS:

612/614/616 Poplar St.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow design approval of exterior modifications, CBD-1 District. Upward Construction, applicant.

VARIANCES:

3515 Warpath Road: Variance in rear setback requirements to enclose a garage, R-1A District. Roderick Finney, Beverett Battle, applicants.

159 Idle Hour Drive: Variance in height regulations to allow a wall, R-1AAA District. Sam Hollis, applicant.

VIOLATIONS:

323 Buford Place: In violation of Section 23.01 (h) of the Comprehensive Land Development Resolution – non-compliance with home occupation (12-1491), HR-1 District. James Bodell.

This story was originally published February 24, 2017 at 5:25 PM with the headline "Macon company seeks rezoning of industrial site to build apartments."