Friday, April 20, 2001
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Friday, April 20, 2001 |
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Shopping center gets reluctantly approved By JOHN
THOMPSON
Coweta shoppers stand to get another shopping center as the Coweta County Commission reluctantly approved a commercial rezoning at the intersection of Ga. Highway 34 and Fischer Road Tuesday night. The 25-acre tract was zoned C-7 (commercial major shopping center) and is slated to feature an anchor grocery store, auxiliary shops and retail stores, along with four outparcels. Several years ago, the commission had unanimously denied the rezoning. But the matter wound up in court and a judge ruled that residential zoning was not feasible for the property. The judge ordered the property to be rezoned to a constitutional use. County Attorney Mitch Powell said the judge did not say what zoning the property should receive, but applicant Billy Cranford sought a major shopping center zoning. The property lies in the district of Commissioner Leigh Schlumper, who made the motion to approve the rezoning with planner Robert Tolleson's recommendations. Tolleson said that the developer must improve sight distance along the project's frontage on Fischer Road and build a left turn from Hwy. 34 into the western drive of the project, along with a right turn lane into Fischer Road from the westbound approach of Hwy. 34. Commissioner Vernon "Mutt" Hunter said he was supporting the project only because of the judge's ruling. He added that Coweta County had spent enough money improving the intersection and any right-of-way acquisition would have to be done by the developer. The zoning passed the commission 4-1, with Commissioner Lawrence Nelms voting against it. Nelms said he respected the court's action, but would have favored a lesser degree of development. Schlumper said she had talked to residents in the area who said if development was coming, they favored a higher end development, which the C-7 zoning represents.
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