After almost two and a half hours of discussion and debate, the Senoia Planning Commission gave conditional use permission for a Kroger grocery store in Senoia.
The vote was 3-0-1 with member Rebecca Neil abstaining, and is the first step in the east Coweta town having its first chain grocery store.
The 20-acre shopping center at the southeast corner of Ga. highways 16 and 85 is being developed by Trammell Crow and will feature a 75,000 sq.ft. Kroger, along with more than 30,000 sq.ft. of other retail. The site will also feature a Kroger fuel station, which would be one of the first in the south metro area.
Most of the curious crowd at Tuesday night’s meeting were happy that a new grocery store was coming to town.
“This is going to redeem me with my wife. She wondered why I moved her here with no shopping in the area,” said Paul Noble, who has lived in the city since earlier this year.
While some residents wondered about the possible traffic affects of a huge shopping center, city planner Bill Johnston sought to allay their concerns.
“This is on two major state roads which should be able to handle the traffic,” he said.
Johnston added that DOT is already planning traffic improvements at the intersection of the state roads, and is also considering putting a traffic signal at Chestlehurst Road when the situation warrants it.
Kroger is also seeking a number of variances to develop the site, including a reduction in setbacks and buffers. The Planning Commission decided to table the variance requests because Trammell Crow brought new information to Tuesday’s meeting concerning the hardship of developing on the site.
At the front of the site is the former Senoia Express gas station, which is leaking contaminants into the soil.
Tom Dunlap, who represents property owner Roy Tinsley, said the cleanup of the site has begun, but it will still take between 12-18 months before that area of the property can be developed.
Kroger officials were adamant that no portion of their development, including the parking lot, could touch the contaminated area, so the grocery store will probably be the first area developed at the center.
Before anything can be developed at the site, the City Council will have to give its blessing on the project. A vote by the council could occur in October, and the Planning Commission is expected to discuss the variances at its Oct. 19 meeting.
