Macon-Bibb zoning officials defer Dollar General decision

Zoning officials want to see a different layout of a proposed Dollar General on Riverside Drive at Ingleside Avenue in Macon.

The Macon-Bibb County Planning & Zoning Commission discussed Monday the discount retailer's conditional-use application to allow the store at 2010 Riverside.

Plans call for the demolition of the existing vacant restaurant originally built for Shoney's and in more recent years was a Chinese restaurant. A new 9,100-square-foot Dollar General would be built on the 1.38-acre site, according to the applicant, SW North Macon LLC.

The proposed site plan shows one entrance/exit to the store from Ingleside Avenue. Several commissioners questioned why the entrance wouldn't be on Riverside Drive, which has more traffic.

"We never considered an entrance off Riverside," said Rob Rojas, an associate with SW North Macon. "It would be tough on the budget to put in a Riverside entrance."

However, when Rojas was questioned more about the layout, he said engineers for the project could better explain the reasoning, but they weren't at the meeting.

After some discussion, the commission agreed that more information was needed about site elevations, parking, the driveway and a proposed eight-foot retaining wall on Riverside Drive. So the matter was deferred until the applicant prepares a revised site plan.

Other items on the agenda were:

ITEMS DEFERRED FROM FEB. 8, MEETING:

7081 N. Peake Road: Conditional use to allow a professional office park, PDE District. Widner & Associates, applicant. Approved.

CONDITIONAL USES:

222 Mercer Junction: Conditional use to allow new construction with building additions/expansion of existing temple, PDE District. Shree Swaminarayan, applicant. Approved.

117 Orange St.: Conditional use to allow a group personal care home for children, C-2 District. Ken Shields, KWS Properties, applicant. Approved.

3910 S. Walden Road: Conditional use to allow pet boarding in an existing building, A-Agricultural District. Thomas Hulett, applicant. Approved.

3031 Vineville Ave.: Conditional use to allow a U-Haul rental at an existing tire shop, C-2 District. Ricky Hernandez, applicant. Approved.

CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS:

777 Walnut St.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow exterior modifications which include signage, CBD-2 District. Shannon Fickling, applicant. Approved.

379 New St.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow design approval to convert an existing open porch to a screen porch, HC-District. James Shirley Griffin, Ben Griffin, applicant. Approved.

2930 Vineville Ave.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow design approval of a privacy fence, HR-3 District. Jennifer Stiles, applicant. Approved.

314-318 Second St.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow design approval of exterior renovations to existing store fronts and rear building addition, CBD-1 District. Leonard Hindsman Jr., applicant. Approved.

685 Arlington Place: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow design approval of parking lot, additional driveway location, and fence, HR-3 District. Michael Robinson, applicant. Approved.

VARIANCES:

152 Buford Place: Variance in side and rear setback requirements to allow accessory structure (garage), HR-1 District. Jim Stallings, applicant. Approved.

VIOLATIONS:

592 Second St.: In violation of Section 27.08 of the Comprehensive Land Development Resolution with failure to comply with conditions of Permit 00-2637, CBD-1 District. Danny Tavakol. Deferred.

RATIFICATION:

311 Tivoli Court: Variance in setback requirements to allow a fence, (16-20167/16-20168) PDR District. Al Durden, Custom Homes of Macon, applicant. Approved.

312 Tivoli Court: Variance in setback requirements to allow a fence, (16-20159/16-20162) PDR District. Al Durden, Custom Homes of Macon, applicant. Approved.

316 Tivoli Court: Variance in setback requirements to allow a fence, (16-20165/16-20166) PDR District. Al Durden, Custom Homes of Macon, applicant. Approved.

210 Oberon Lane: Variance in setback requirements of an existing structure (Single-Family Dwelling), (16-20222) R-1AAA District. Tim Thompson, applicant. Approved.

To contact writer Linda S. Morris, call 744-4223, or follow her on Twitter@MidGaBiz.

This story was originally published March 14, 2016 at 4:38 PM with the headline "Macon-Bibb zoning officials defer Dollar General decision ."