The Fayette Citizen-News Page
Wednesday, December 9, 1998
Fayetteville council reverses planning panel on Valvoline

By DAVE HAMRICK
Staff Writer

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Residents of McIntosh Commons subdivision will have a new Valvoline oil change facility as a neighbor after all.

Fayetteville City Council Monday reversed the Planning Commission's denial of a special exception to allow the facility in the C-3 (commercial highway) zoning category, off Ga. Highway 314 between T&G Allsports and Harris-Stone Cleaners.

"I would think that this type of business would have the least impact of any business you could have" under C-3 zoning, said Councilman Glenn Brewer before voting for the special exception.

Brewer and Walt White voted in favor, with Kenneth Steele opposed.

Myron Coxe, a member of the Planning Commission, said its members voted to deny the petition because the land use plan for the area calls for low-impact commercial development consistent with the nearby residential area.

The commission earlier turned down a development plan that showed the Valvoline facility and a muffler shop. "With an oil change facility there, it would encourage another developer to bring in something not compatible" with the neighborhood, said Coxe.

But Carl Lange of Group VI Corp., developers of the site, said the Valvoline facility is compatible. "We feel that this building and project is very well suited for this site," he said.

To make the project easy on the neighborhood, he said the shop would be open only 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

Included in council's motion to approve the facility are requirements that Group VI build a brick enclosure for dumpsters, have no outside storage and no cars left overnight.

Amoco Oil Company also was successful in its appeal to City Council. The Planning Commission failed to act on the company's proposed site plan for a Split Second convenience store at Ga. Highway 85 and Ramah Road, south of the city. The store will be at the outskirts of the new Kroger shopping center, under construction.

Plans for a "half-mansard" roof on gas pump island canopies for the store are acceptable, council members decided, but they stopped short of approving the company's plan for red, white and blue stripes around the canopy facia.

"We believe you are being offered tonight the finest facility that Amoco has to offer," said Jonathan Ballew, zoning coordinator for the company. In negotiations with the Planning Commission, the firm altered its standard corporate store significantly, Ballew said.

City planner Jahnee Prince said the proposed stripes for the canopy are a matter of signage, and the company has not yet applied for sign permits. Council decided to leave the stripes to the sign permit process.

Steele voted against the motion to approve the development plan, after his motion to send the matter back to the Planning Commission failed.

Prince said the commission's tie vote, which sent the question to council in the first place, was the result of a procedural error. Chairman Bill Talley voted, but is allowed to vote only in the case of a tie.

In another matter, council approved a letter to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency committing the city to conduct drainage improvement projects in the Ginger Cake Creek area. The commitment is needed for the city to continue seeking state and federal grants to reduce flooding in the area.

Council also approved a new organizational chart and job descriptions that correspond to expected changes in the city budget. The changes reflect new revenues from a bond issue for Main Street Fayetteville projects, and shifting job duties related to that.

The city's court department also is being separated from the police department, to stand on its own.

Budget changes corresponding to the personnel changes require that council pass an ordinance, and a vote on that ordinance is scheduled for council's next meeting, Dec. 21. The group conducted the first of two required readings of the ordinance Monday.


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