A major grocery store would be a planned new mall near the intersection of Log Cabin Road and North Columbia Street in Milledgeville.
Although officials involved in the development declined to provide the name of the grocery store, sources said it would be a Publix supermarket.
The new mall will be located across from a small strip mall and near the side entrance to the Kroger store along Log Cabin Road.
Milledgeville City Council held an initial public hearing last week to review three ordinances with annexation and rezoning properties associated with a specific project on North Columbia Street.
Because the three ordinances are a combined request and the passing of one was tied to the passing of all, city officials were only allowed to hold one public hearing, the official said. Mayor of Milledgeville, Pro-Tem Denese Shinholster.
Ordinance 0-2111-17 amends the Milledgeville City Charter to annex approximately 7.88 acres at 2781 N. Columbia Street to define the zoning as Community Commercial and place it in Polling District 6.
Shinholster said Order 0-2111-18 amends the land development code to rezone the property at 111 Log Cabin Road from SFR-2 to Community Commercial and 0-2111-19 amends the land development code to rezone the property located at 118 Turkey Run from SFR -2 to Commercial Community.
Those same three ordinances were then read aloud in open court by Milledgeville Town Clerk Bo Danuser.
Mervin Graham, who is the city’s zoning administrator, informed meeting attendees that the three properties had received unanimous approval for such changes by members of the city’s planning and zoning commission.
During the public hearing last Tuesday evening at Milledgeville City Hall, development supporters and those opposed to it aired their feelings about the proposed project before city officials later voted for it. ‘approve.
The development will be located on a wooded property behind the new Elements Express car wash on Log Cabin Road and on the same side of the road as the Community Baptist Church.
Tom Hareas, vice president of development for The Sembler Company, of St. Petersburg, Fla., spoke in favor of the project.
“We are the applicant for the proposed project,” Hareas told city officials. “I’m here to answer any questions from council, staff or the public.”
Shinholster then asked if there was anyone out there who wanted to oppose the proposed project.
Scott Salter, a longtime resident of the Quail Place housing estate, said he opposed it.
“And I have two elderly neighbors whose property is adjacent to the 7.88-acre property,” Salter said. “They couldn’t be here.”
He said he spoke with neighbors earlier in the day and was also there to oppose the development on their behalf.
Salter said he could not stop a society or capitalist growth.
“This property is so close to my neighborhood and my neighbors,” Salter said. “It will affect a lot of people here. And I’m afraid it doesn’t affect us in a good way. It will completely change our environment. It’s going to change the wildlife that we have there. This will change the noise levels.
Salter said he and his neighbors were enjoying their peaceful, quiet nights.
That would change with large trucks coming in at different times of the night with grocery deliveries to the store, he said.
“We are no longer going to enjoy a quiet night’s sleep because of the activity that is going to take place in this new proposal,” Salter said. “My concerns are sincere. And as I say, I speak for other people who couldn’t be here.
Salter said the development area was located in wetlands.
“I’ve lived there for over 25 years,” Salter said. “We have a wonderful neighborhood. Its location is great. We have a multicultural neighborhood – Caucasian, African American, South American, Asian American. I know almost everyone there. We all get along and we live in harmony. And we want to maintain that. »
Salter said if the property was approved for commercial use, he was afraid it would make a difference and not improve the neighborhood.
Another resident of the same neighborhood, Deborah Freeman, said she believed her property would be adjacent to the new development.
“I’m a little confused as to what’s going to be there, because I heard it’s going to be a grocery store – a Publix, and I also heard it’s going to be a small mall,” a- she declared. .
She expressed concern about a buffer between her property and the new development.
“I don’t know who is going to help me with the noise level, and whether the crime rate will [increase]”, Freeman said. “And I know crime is everywhere.”
She said she had lived there since 1992 and also owned property across the street.
Already, three families have left the neighborhood, Freeman-Cobb said.
Hareas responded to residents’ concerns.
He said the two residents’ comments were all valid concerns.
Hareas said The Sembler Company develops shopping malls, which the company has been doing for more than 60 years.
“These are neighborhood-scale malls,” Hareas said. “The issues you have raised are very common and typical. We always design our projects to address these issues in advance.
Hareas said the new development would have a shared entrance with the new car wash along Log Cabin Road.
As for the wildlife in the area, Hareas said he and other staff decided it was best to preserve the wetlands.
“We put a lot of thought into planning our project,” he said.
City council members then voted on each of the three ordinances, approving them unanimously.
Those who voted to approve the ordinances included City Alder members Walter Reynolds, Steve Chambers, Richard Mullins, Dr Collinda Lee and Shinholster.
Alderman Jeanette Walden did not attend the council meeting and Mayor Mary Parham Copelan was absent due to illness.
Construction of the new mall is expected to begin later this year.
