By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@thecitizennews.com

A proposed village style shopping center offers Tyrone officials an “interesting” option for building a new municipal complex, according to town manager Barry Amos.

During Monday night's workshop meeting of the Tyrone Planning Commission, developer John Callaway outlined a proposed 60-acre development near the current Town Hall that would feature more than 100,000 square feet of retail development, with room for a new municipal complex on the back side of the development.

For the last two years, Tyrone's leaders have been discussing the possibility of building a new town hall. When council passed an impact fee ordinance last year, the town identified a new town hall that would be funded by the impact fees. Impact fees are taxes charged to developers to help pay the cost of new government services made necessary by their developments.

Callaway offered to deed the back part of his property to the town if it wanted to build a municipal complex on the site, assuming the Planning Commission and Town Council approve rezoning for his planned development.

Callaway's site is just off Ga. Highway 74, near the intersection of Senoia Road and Palmetto-Tyrone Road. He believes the site is ideal to create a village-type development that would set new standards for development in the area.

Included in the development would be a 51,000-sq. ft. grocery store, along with smaller shops such as ice cream stores and cafes that would be built along a heavily landscaped street to give the impression of a typical village or small town.

There would be five outparcels on the Hwy. 74 side of the development that could possibly be used for fast food restaurants or other small businesses, but Callaway was adamant that he would listen to the type of tenants the town wanted.

“If you don't want fast food, we won't put one there,” he said.

He emphasized that he wanted to raise the architectural standards for this development and make it a pedestrian-friendly development.

“I don't want big box development there,” he said.

If the town decided to build its municipal complex on the property, he believes the entire center would be a “destination” for the city's residents and not merely some place to shop.

Since Monday night's meeting was just a workshop, the town's planners did not get down to specifics on Callaway's proposal. Most of the commissioners expressed an interest in his proposal, but said many questions will have to be answered before anything is decided.

The overriding concern from the commissioners seemed to be the amount of traffic such a development would bring to the town.

But Callaway said the center would be mostly used just by Tyrone residents and believed the development would actually cut down on traffic.

“I have a hard time believing that,” said commissioner Dan Flaherty.

Tuesday morning, Amos said that Callaway indicated he would apply for rezoning on the property. The property is currently zoned agricultural-residential, and the project also would need a variance, since the town's zoning does not allow any commercial development over 30,000 square feet.

If Callaway submits a zoning proposal, it would be discussed at the Feb. 24 planning commission meeting.