CORRECTION: We incorrectly stated that the name of the winner of a no-bid contract for locks at CCSO was not made public. In fact, that company’s name was on a memo on the agenda. We apologize for the error. —RK
Tired of looking at empty big-box stores around Clayton County? You might want to come to tonight’s Board of Commissioners meeting, where a company called Retail Strategies will tell commissioners which retail stores might be interested in opening here.
According to tonight’s agenda, “Mill Graves from the Retail Strategies Group will discuss the results of the research on Brands willing to expand into Clayton County and the overall plan to attract retail and restaurants into various locations within the county.”
Graves is Retail Strategies’ director of business development. He served on the Amazon HQ2 State of Georgia Project Team from 2017 to 2018.
On tonight’s consent agenda, where items may be taken out for separate discussion, saved for a later meeting, or voted on without comment:
- A sole-source purchase for a design build of locks and hinges for the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office. The contract is SP #22-283. Willo Products Company, Inc. of Decatur, AL won the no-bid contract. Bidnet shows 22-283, “Purchase and Installation of Detention Security Equipment and Services,” was published October 14 and closed October 21.
- Approval of a plan for a new Behavioral Health Crisis Center, which “will provide care for citizens in crisis and alleviate mental health load on Southern Regional.” SPLOST 2020 funds will pay for the new crisis center.
- “a follow-up to Human Resouces’ recommendation for the Chief Financial Officer” vacancy. HR presented its recommendation to the BOC on November 8, which was Election Night and which was sparsely attended. (That’s the same night that a BOC quorum (Chairman Jeff Turner, District 1 Commissioner Alieka Anderson, and District 2 Commissioner Gail Hambrick) held a special called meeting to approve “articles of agreement with certain community charitable organizations, governmental agencies, and professional service providers located and conducting business in Clayton County to disburse Emergency Rental Assistance funds from the Federal Cares Act.” Which nonprofits should disburse ERAP funds has been a matter of ongoing contention among board members. A draft ordinance referred to a list of such providers as “exhibit A,” which was not published with the Nov. 8 agenda packet.) HR notes its recommendation takes into consideration “the collaboration with Terminus Municipal Advisors and other industry sources” and is asking for the BOC to approve its recommendation. At the Nov. 8 work session, HR said that had Terminus provided a proposed job title and compensation level for the position previously held by CFO Ramona Bivins. Bivins is now suing the county and Commissioners Anderson, Franklin, and Hambrick in federal court over her termination.
Tonight is also zoning night at the BOC, with these items up for votes:
- Sam’s Club at 7325 Jonesboro Road and Battlecreek Road in Morrow (District 4, Davis) wants to double the number of fuel pumps it has from 12 to 24. It’s asking for a conditional use permit to do so (BOC-2203-1092). The Zoning Advisory Group recommends approval with three conditions:
- “address the reduction in parking spaces”
- “adhere to fueling station development standards” in Section 4.22
- Two of the 12 new fueling stations have to be EV charging stations, which “may be located away from the gasoline pumps”
- Paramount Engineering, LLC wants to build a 94-unit townhome condominium community on top of the old heavy industrial site at 5737 and 5781 Georgia Hwy. 85 in Riverdale, between Garden Walk Blvd. and Rock Hill Drive in the Cherry Hills Overlay District (District 2-Hambrick). It’s asking the county to rezone the 13-acre property on parcels 13107A A002 and 13107A A003 from heavy industrial (HI) to multiple family residential (RM). It also wants the county to change the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) to show that zoning change. Planning and Zoning and ZAG both recommend approval, with seven conditions:
- The development “shall be in substantial conformity to the site plan” dated Nov. 10, 2022
- No more than 94 units, all with two-car garages
- “townhome elevations shall be in substantial conformity” to the Nov. 9, 2022 version and “pavilion elevations shall be in substantial conformity” to the Nov. 8, 2022 version
- the company has to provide a traffic study
- add 15 guest parking spaces
- provide one trash service for the whole development
- put a chain-link fence around the playground and a privacy fence at least six feet tall “on the entire north property line”
- Kensho Properties wants the county to rezone 2426 Lake Harbin Road at Castlewood in Morrow from Office Institutional (OI) to Single-Family Residential (RS-110) so that it can be used as a single-family home. The house is on 0.29 acres on Parcel 12140C B035 in the Medium Density Residential Future Land Use category in District 1 (Anderson). P&Z and ZAG recommend approval.
- CSC Properties LLC wants a conditional use permit to open a car wash at 3102 Anvil Block Road and Lunsford Drive in Ellenwood (District 1-Anderson). The 1.3-acre property, parcel 12234A A022, is in the Ellenwood Planned Unit Development Zoning District and the Hwy. 42 Overlay District. Both P&Z and ZAG recommend denial.
- Wilson Brock & Irby, LLC wants to build a commerce center/warehouse at 6795 Green Industrial Way south of Mt. Zion Road in Morrow, and is asking the county to change the zoning from General Commercial and from General Business to Light Industrial to do so. The 8.697 -acre property is parcel 12112C A005 and is in District 4 (Davis). Both P&Z and ZAG recommend approval. The company also is asking for a conditional use permit that would allow the warehouse to operate.
- Freedom Christian Center wants to expand its place of worship at 6912 and 6924 Commercial Drive at Barton Road in Morrow and is asking for a conditional use permit to do so (District 4-Davis). The 1.06-acre property includes parcels 1208A C001 and 1208A C002 and sits in the Heavy Industrial (HI) Zoning District. Both P&Z and ZAG recommend approval with two conditions:
- the church must combine the two parcels (the existing church and proposed gym)
- seek a parking variance (Article 6, Sec. 6.32)
