A total of six measures before the Locust Grove City Council at its March 6 regular meeting were approved with a unanimous vote.
The council approved a rezoning request for approximately 0.44 acres at 24 Peeksville Road, from R-2 (Single-Family Residential) to OI (Office/Institutional), to allow the applicant to remodel the existing historic single-family residential structure for use as an optometry office.
A stream buffer variance was approved to allow paving and grading into the required 75-foot and 50-foot impervious buffers for a 3,100,500-square-foot warehousing/industrial development planned for 352 acres on Price Drive south of Bethlehem Road.
A resolution passed authorizing participation and identifying a project for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. Henry County receives about $1 million annually in CDBG funds from the federal government, of which $600,000 are available for disbursement to qualifying projects.
Locust Grove officials want to put the Jackson Street infrastructure improvement project into that mix, describing it as “a phased project that will initially include the design and implementation estimates for utility upgrades and replacement, storm drain installation, curb and gutter installation, sidewalk with handicap-accessible ramps, and crosswalks on Jackson Street between Peeksville Road and Grove Creek Drive.”
The city will ask for $350,000 in CDBG funds, of which $175,000 would be designated for the first phase of the project to begin preliminary engineering and design work. Future phases will include right-of-way acquisition and construction costs. There is a required match for federal funds that would come primarily from water/sewer utility and stormwater utility funds.
The council approved architectural plans submitted for Tanger Self Storage, Phase 2, located at 620 Tanger Blvd. The applicant has proposed 43,250 square feet of drive-up self-storage space consisting of eight buildings on the M-1 (industrial zoning) portion of the site.
A resolution was approved giving continued support to the I-75 Central Corridor Coalition for 2023. Dues are $1,000 annually for a fully active member.
According to officials, this group advocates for integrated planning along the stretch of I-75 between Henry, Spalding, Butts, Lamar, Monroe, Macon-Bibb and Houston counties along with adjacent areas. Primary to this are projects already planned along the corridor (commercial vehicle lanes, Bethlehem Road), but also items such as passenger rail, which many have advocated for years along the corridor (Macon-Griffin-Atlanta, Chattanooga-Savannah).
Officials said the coalition has been very successful in getting grant money for additional planning along the corridor, with $500,000 allocated for the intercity rail study.
The council approved a resolution accepting the revised memorandum of understanding with the Georgia Department of Transportation for the P3 I-75 commercial vehicle lanes project.
