Locust Grove’s newest park has been named in memory of one of its former police officers who was killed in the line of duty.
Chase Maddox Park is the name that was approved unanimously by the City Council for the site at 601 Tanger Blvd. The vote came at the council’s April 5 regular meeting.
The move comes after a January decision to approve the installation of a memorial marker for Maddox across from Grace Baptist Church, “near the subdivision where Officer Maddox gave the ultimate sacrifice,” according to city officials.
Maddox was shot and killed February 9, 2018 while assisting two Henry County Sheriff’s Office deputies issuing a warrant to a man in a Locust Grove home. He served nearly five years with the city’s police department.
In other city business, the council approved the commercial rezoning of nearly two acres of land at the northwest corner of Indian Creek Road and Tanger Blvd. The vote was 4-3 in favor with Mayor Robert Price breaking the tie.
According to a city staff report, the applicant intends to build a convenience store with the building front facing Indian Creek Road. The site has buffers, fencing, sidewalk connectivity and lighting restrictions to minimize impact on surrounding areas, according to officials. The property is identified on the city’s future land use map as neighborhood commercial.
The council voted unanimously to approve a memorandum of understanding with the Georgia Department of Transportation regarding the proposed Bethlehem Road interchange at I-75. According to officials, this action is intended “to facilitate design and other construction to move at a streamlined speed and allow its opening far earlier than originally estimated.”
The resolution points out that the Henry County Board of Commissioners is expected to commit the full remaining $5 million in SPLOST funds designated for the project. Officials anticipate that this will be part of the overall commercial vehicle lanes project and will allow for simultaneous open-to-traffic dates in or around 2027 with full operations by 2028.
