PTC shopping center plan shrinks

Tue, 10/28/2008 - 4:04pm
By: John Munford

The latest plan for a shopping center at the corner of Planterra Way and Ga. Highway 54 is a little bit smaller.

One of the proposed tenants, a sporting goods retailer, has backed out of its previous commitment, so the plan has been tweaked a little to compensate. The net result is the shopping center has been trimmed from 175,000 square feet to about 165,000 square feet, said Doug McMurrain of Capital City Development.

The sporting goods store, at 42,000 square feet, has been eliminated from the plan entirely.

In its place is a 3,000-square-foot site envisioned for a fast food restaurant, perhaps, though one without a drive-through. McMurrain said he doesn’t have a tenant lined up for that space yet.

City Planner David Rast said it still has to be determined if the changes to the site are such that the special use permit must be reconsidered by the City Council. The permit allowed CCD to eclipse the city’s limit of 150,000 for shopping centers with stores initially totaling 175,000 feet.

The site plan includes a grocery that will be directly off Hwy. 54 and several other tenants, though McMurrain has declined to release what stores are planned for the site.

The site plan also includes a traffic light on Hwy. 54 for the shopping center’s driveway. But that light may not materialize as the Georgia Department of Transportation has twice turned down CCD’s request for a light there.

CCD has filed a third petition with the DOT to request the light. If it is not approved, CCD may possibly seek access to Planterra Way, which has a traffic light, so customers can get in and out of the shopping center.

A road onto Planterra was on the initial plan submitted by CCD, but it was removed after council members received criticism for it from neighbors in the Planterra Ridge and Cardiff Park subdivisions.

The plan was reviewed in a workshop format, so no formal vote was taken by the commission. A vote is expected at the commission’s next meeting, scheduled for Monday, Nov. 10.

Because the plan is a conceptual site plan, there will be no need for the City Council to vote on it once it’s approved by the commission. However, if the special use permit is called into question, it’s almost certain the City Council will have an official vote on the final plan.

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poipendicular's picture
Submitted by poipendicular on Wed, 10/29/2008 - 2:53pm.

I know I'm not the only one wondering when we will find out the who the tenants will be. Is it that difficult a problem? Are the tenants imaginary? Will we have another empty shopping area? Look across the highway at the construction site. Empty, empty, empty. Doesn't our little town look beautiful with all the empty buildings?


mudcat's picture
Submitted by mudcat on Wed, 10/29/2008 - 6:56pm.

The whole agenda at the city is to hide commercial property so no one actually sees it. Of course this hurts the businesses that are trying to make a living, but the city does not care about that. They care about landscaping - you know, the landscaping that makes a left hand turn out of Home Depot a dangerous adventure. They care about signs - like make them so small no one can find your business. They care about collecting a huge fee for business licenses - you know, the businesses they obstruct. Is Steve Brown still in charge?


Submitted by Yo on Wed, 10/29/2008 - 6:16pm.

What empty buildings? The former San Fran bread is spoken for leaving the former smoothie place. What else is there? It is what it is. We just have to make the best of it and demand better shopping. A Fresh Market would be a huge success.

A Nordstrom Rack would be great too. If it's coming... make it great

Submitted by owensmom on Wed, 10/29/2008 - 3:02pm.

as well as Fresh Market, is what is rumored to be going in.

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