Macon zoning commission denies rehearing requested for Dollar General store on Thomaston Road
The Macon zoning commission did not change its position Monday about a potential discount store on Thomaston Road.
The Macon-Bibb County Planning & Zoning Commission denied an application in July to rezone nearly 12 acres at 6855 Thomaston Road at Lamar Road from an agricultural district to a planned development commercial district in order to build a Dollar General. Some residents who live near the property spoke against the rezoning at that meeting.
The applicant, SW West Macon LLC, requested a rehearing of that decision and it was discussed Monday.
Colin Edwards, representing Dollar General, said the company now wants to rezone only 2.2 acres at the intersection. He said the store would be at least the length of a football field and all wooded to the closest resident.
Edwards said if the rehearing was granted, he would meet with neighbors to explain what was planned and try to get their support.
But some area residents said they still didn’t want the store in their neighborhood.
“We moved out there to get away from commercial -- it doesn’t make sense to throw something on that intersection,” said Danny Stuckey, who said he lives on Thomaston Road.
Dan Brown, who lives on Lamar Road, said the store would bring more traffic to the area, and he was concerned the remaining 10 acres would be later rezoned for commercial use.
Edwards said the store would not bring new people to the area because it would serve existing traffic and the surrounding neighborhood.
“I personally don’t see anything new,” Commission Chairman Kamal Azar said. “This is in the middle of a residential area. ... What would you tell someone else who wants to build on the corner?”
The commission voted unanimously to deny the rehearing request.
For more on this story, go go macon.com or read Tuesday’s Telegraph.
In another matter, the commission agreed to rezone 5097 Riverside Drive from an agricultural district to a commercial district for Rooms to Go to builid a furniture showroom. The site is adjacent to Hobby Lobby and across Riverside Drive from The Shoppes at River Crossing.
Other items on the agenda were:
REZONINGS:
5097 Riverside Drive: Proposal to rezone from A-Agricultural District to C-2, General Commercial District. The purpose of this rezoning is to allow a retail furniture store (Rooms To Go retail store). Rooms To Go, applicant. Approved.
CONDITIONAL USES:
1711 Key St.: Conditional use to allow auto sales in an existing building, C-2 District. Christopher Johnson, applicant. Approved.
1937 College Drive: Conditional use to allow a new construction of a new development (Physical Plant Building), R-3 District. Don Carter, Carter & Sloope, applicant.
5251 Sardis Church Road: Conditional use to allow a distribution center, M-1 District. Don Carter, Carter & Sloope, Inc., applicant.
4724 Bennett Road: Conditional use to allow a pet kennel, A-Agricultural District. Thomas Hulett, Chris Gilstrap, applicant.
9761 Lower Thomaston Road: Conditional use to allow a home occupation with clients, A-Agricultural District. John Lord, applicant.
4719 Raley Road: Conditional use to allow a residential multi-family development with (19 lots), R-1A District. Widner & Associates, applicant.
1000 Northside Drive: Conditional use to allow an office park expansion, R-3 District. Widner & Associates, applicant.
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS:
555 Poplar St.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow design approval of exterior modifications, CBD-1 District. Bob Brown, applicant.
2045 Vineville Ave. (a/k/a: 2047 Vineville Ave): Certificate of Appropriateness to allow exterior modifications to an existing church, HR-3 District. Vineville United Methodist Church, applicant.
VARIANCES:
5097 Riverside Drive: Variance in parking requirement to reduce required parking from 168 spaces to 148 spaces, A-Agricultural District. [C-2 Pending]. Rooms To Go, applicant.
848 Ellenwood Circle West: Variance in setback requirements to allow a fence, R-1AAA District. Mitchell & Maria Jones, applicant.
To contact writer Linda S. Morris, call 744-4223. or find her on Twitternote>
This story was originally published August 24, 2015 at 4:11 PM with the headline "Macon zoning commission denies rehearing requested for Dollar General store on Thomaston Road ."