Frank Bishop’s request to be allowed to add an oil change shop and car wash next door to Costco in Epps Bridge Centre ran into some opposition at the Oconee County Planning Commission on Monday night.
Only one citizen spoke in opposition to the request by Bishop for an amendment to the concept plan and allowed uses for a 2.5 acre outlot in Epps Bridge Centre II to accommodate the oil change shop and car wash.
But the citizen’s comment--that the change not only was inconsistent with what Bishop had told the Board of Commissioners back in 2016 before it approved the rezone for Epps Bridge Centre II, but it also is not the kind of development the county needs--seemed to resonate with several Commission members.
In response to questions from commissioners, Bishop said the decision to change the use of the parcel actually came about as a result of conversations with Costco, which, he said, wants to use the oil change store and car wash to serve its customers and draw in new ones.
The Commission voted 5 to 4 to send Bishop’s request to the Board of Commissioners for action at its March 4 meeting with the recommendation of approval.
In other action on Monday, the Commission, in an 8 to 1 vote, recommended approval of a request by local hotel developer Minesh Patel’s Oval Hospitality LLC for a rezone of 3.14 acres on Parkway Boulevard just northeast of Costco for a 107 room hotel.
The Commission voted unanimously to recommended approval of a request by Tyler McClure to modify a previously approved rezone for 8.37 acres at 1052 Moreland Heights Road just north of Watkinsville to increase the number of and square footage of buildings on the lot.
Bishop’s Request
Bishop is asking the Board of Commissioners to amend the concept plan and allowed uses approved with the March 1, 2016, rezone for Epps Bridge Centre II to accommodate an oil change and lubrication shop and car wash on an outparcel that abuts the petroleum station of Costco.
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| Bishop Before Commission 2/17/2025 |
The approved uses for the lot, officially at 6000 Parkway Boulevard, in that 2016 rezone was a 15,000 square foot building for retail, banking, and restaurant uses.
Bishop, of Atlanta, developer of Epps Bridge Centre I and II, represented himself before the Commission on Monday. He spoke very briefly and ended by asking for approval of his request.
Dan Magee, who was the only person who signed up to speak other than Bishop at the public hearing on the Bishop request on Monday, came to the podium next and said “it was clear what the Commissioners wanted in 2016” and that should not be amended.
The proposed change “is not the kind of development we need in the county,” Magee said. “They don’t age well. They are not high paying jobs. Part-time jobs. Low paying jobs.”
The people of the county have spoken against this kind of development, he said.
Questions From Commission Members
In response to a question from Commission Member Jim Jenkins, Bishop said the change in plans for the outparcel next to Costco was the result of the county landing Costco for Epps Bridge Centre II.
When the original rezone was approved, he said, “we were hoping to get Costco, but we didn’t realize that they were in favor of the ability to provide services” through adjoining properties.
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| Four No Votes |
“These are two of the services that they would like to provide,” he added, referring to the oil change shop and car wash.
Jenkins said “you’re changing the rules” after Hobby Lobby and Costco “already built their house and moved in. Do you think you’re being fair.”
“We are trying to accommodate Costco,” Bishop said. “They are a good tenant.”
Bishop said in conversations with Costco he learned that they want customers to be able to get these services when they purchase gas and shop at the warehouse.
“They have found in other markets that it has helped their success,” he said.
“We originally planned to put a restaurant there,” Bishop told Commission Member Stephen LaPierre, “but during the development stage we had conversations with Costco” and the decision was made to change the use of the lot.
Voting in favor of the motion to recommend approval of the changes requested by Bishop were James Staples, Colby Baker, Mike Floyd, Matt Elder, and Linda Ferguson
Voting in opposition were Herring, Jenkins, Ann Evans, and LaPierre.
Rhino Mini Storage
Tyler McClure, Chief Operating Officer for Rhino Mini Storage LLC, is asking the county to modify a rezone of June 1, 2022, for the 8.37 acre parcel he owns on Moreland Heights Road north of the Watkinsville border and partially abutting the property housing the County Administrative Building.
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| Bick Before Commission 2/17/2025 |
Specifically, he was asking the Planning Commission on Monday to approve increasing the maximum allowed office area from 23,400 square feet to 73,800 square feet, increasing the number of buildings from four to ten, and removing the previously approved assisted living facility from the concept plan.
The county had amended that 2022 rezone in October of 2023 to include an assisted living facility and three office buildings.
The three previously approved office buildings are currently under construction and will include multi-tenant units that could be used for contractor office, general office, or other similar allowed uses, according to the staff report on the rezone request.
The seven other proposed buildings, if approved, will have roll up doors and small loading docks for loading/unloading for smaller commercial trucks associated with the office businesses, the staff report states.
Justin Greer of Pittman and Greer Engineering, representing McClure at the Planning Commission meeting on Monday, said the decision to eliminate the assisted living facility was a response to market changes.
Since the COVID pandemic, he said, people are hesitant to go into large facilities of the sort originally proposed.
Lindsay Bick, who lives on Moreland Heights Road opposite the McClure property, said she was told that the property was going to be an assisted living facility when she purchased her house “and I was pretty charmed and happy that it would continue to be a neighborhood type facility, but now that I see it kind of moving toward a light industrial type area, that’s not the same.”
The Planning Commission added a requirement that an additional buffer be added to block roadway light from the neighboring properties.
Hotel Request
Oval Hospitality LLC of Athens on Monday was asking the Planning Commission to give its approval to a rezone request for a four-story, 107-room hotel on Parkway Boulevard west of the Piedmont Healthcare Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital.
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| Campbell Before Commission 2/17/2025 |
The plan is to carve 3.14 acres out of a 28.16 acre parcel currently zoned AG (Agricultural). The request is to rezone that 3.14 acre parcel B-2 (Highway Business) for the hotel.
Severn LLC, whose manager is Frankie V. Jordan of the Jordan family, owns the parent 28.16 acre parcel, which backs up to the Walmart property, previously owned by the Jordan family.
Mark Campbell of Carter Engineering, representing Severn, said that Oval Hospitality has an option on the 3.14 acres, pending the outcome of the rezone request.
Campbell said he also is representing Oval Hospitality, which plans to develop and own the hotel. Minesh Patel, manager of Oval Hospitality, was present at the meeting on Monday and was introduced by Campbell, but he did not speak.
Campbell said he worked with Patel on development of the Fairfield Inn and Suites on Old Epps Bridge Road in Athens, a Marriott franchise, and has another hotel project in the works in Athens with the group.
“Home2 Suites by Hilton is what we are looking at” for the Parkway Boulevard property, he said.
Commission Member Elder pointed out that the county has zoned several properties in the county for hotels, “but none have been built yet.” He asked Campbell when this hotel would be built.
Campbell said he did not expect construction to get underway this year, but probably in 2026 or 2027.
“This is a development group that is in the Athens area,” he said.
Patel, in a conversation after the meeting, said that he is in discussion with Hilton about making the hotel a dual brand property, possibly with Tru by Hilton as the second brand, but he was not certain that was going to be possible given the size of the building.
Jenkins was the vote in opposition to the recommendation to the Board of Commissioners that it approve the rezone for the hotel.
Video
The video below is of the entire meeting of the Planning Commission on Feb. 17.
Presentation of the request by Bishop begins at 4:22 in the video.
The request by McClure for the modification of his rezone begins at 18:28 in the video.
The request by Patel for the hotel begins at 39:48 in the video.
4 comments:
Has Matt Elder ever voted against a business' rezoning request since he's been on the Planning Commission? He made the motion to approve another one Frank Bishop's endless rezoning requests. Did not say why he was in favor. Why does the county even have a zoning code when every out of town developer knows they can get a rezone? Elder appears to think every rezone is a good rezone.
Bishop flatly came out and stated that the rezone was by the request of Costco. Not anything good for the county, but good for Costco. Actually, not one of the commission members who voted for the change, James Staples, Colby Baker, Mike Floyd, Linda Ferguson & Elder stated why they were in favor of Costco's/Bishop's request. For basic transparency, duty as a commission member, and plain ole common courtesy, if you're going to vote in favor of changing the county's established zoning code, then state on the record why you support the change.
The commissioners were clear just a few years ago that that area of the property was zoned for retail, banking, and restaurant uses. Four of those commissioners who made that decision are still serving as commissioners, Daniell, Horton, Thomas & Saxon. There were clear then and should be clear now. How many rezone requests has & will Bishop bring to the county? Does the zoning code not apply to him? And wow was he chummy with county Planning staff before the meeting.
This specific property is most suitable for a restaurant, preferably locally owned, but that might mean Costco sells a few less hot dogs and cardboard pizza at its snack stand. Planning Commission members and county commissioners need to differentiate what's best for the county versus what's best for an out of town developer and a Seattle-based large corporation.
Also, while I'm sure the Chamber of Commerce is working tirelessly to recruit businesses to the county that are sustainable and with well paying full-time positions, Bishop is bring a Lexington, Kentucky-based fast oil change/car wash. Not locally owned. There's a brand new car wash just down the road. There are already plenty of other oil change businesses & car washes in Oconee, many locally owned. The nationally owned ones do not age well, often changing owners and branding, and often becoming eye sores after ten years or so.
Also, the Costco deal was specifically crafted for Frank Bishop to avoid taxes.
Lot's of rezones for Frank Bishop of Atlanta, lots of accommodations...
http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2008/10/oconee-traffic-permits-and-epps-bridge.html
According to the Aug. 8 staff report of the Oconee County Planning Department, developer Frank Bishop "has received approval from the Army Corps of Engineers to mitigate" the destruction of the streams and wetlands on the site through a mitigation bank he established in Greene County.
When I asked to see that permit, however, B.R. White, director of the Planning Department, told me the county did not have a copy of the permit.
When I filed a federal Freedom of Information Act request for a copy of the permit, I was told that none had been issued.
http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2008/10/epps-bridge-centre-on-agenda-again.html
When Bishop sent an email message to Brad Callender in the Oconee County Planning Department on Sept. 17, following the BOC meeting on Sept. 2, he copied it to Davis, thereby making sure Davis was in the loop. The email offered Bishop’s defense of the criticism the project had received from NEGRDC.
The BOC seems likely to vote in favor of the rezone for Epps Bridge Centre, if not on Oct. 7, then at a later date.
http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2011/02/oconee-boc-chairman-davis-discussed.html
Atlanta developer Frank Bishop could be involved in the project, Davis wrote to county Utility Department Chairman Chris Thomas in an email message on Feb. 7, 2009.
The public, however, didn’t learn about Bishop’s potential involvement until 22 months later, and only then because the other four members of the Commission refused to move forward with the project.
http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2009/03/oconees-epps-bridge-centre-poised-to.html
The Watershed Protection Branch of the state Environmental Protection Division has sent forward for approval a request from Atlanta developer Frank Bishop that he be allowed to pipe and fill the half mile of flowing streams on the site of his proposed 63-acre Epps Bridge Centre shopping Centre on Epps Bridge Parkway.
http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2009/01/oconees-epps-bridge-centre-seeking.html
Frank Bishop of Oconee 316 Associates of Atlanta is asking the state to set aside its requirements that streams on the site of the proposed development be protected by a 25-foot buffer.
Bishop wants the state to allow him to develop the 62-acre site between Epps Bridge Parkway and SR Loop 10 by piping and filling 2,678 feet of five unnamed perennial tributaries to McNutt Creek.
Before the state can give Bishop the requested variance that allows him to enter the legal buffers for the streams, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must give him a permit to put the 2,678 linear feet of perennial streams into underground pipes.
Bishop also is asking the Corps to allow him to fill and disturb at least some of the 1.06 acres of wetlands and natural drainage areas on the site.
http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2010/12/oconee-planning-commission-adds-to-size.html
Bishop has not submitted any construction drawings for the $76 million project and gave only vague indications of how the extra space would be spread around the 22-building complex, located west of Lowe’s.
http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2016/01/oconee-county-commissioners-accept-335.html
The rezone concept plan submitted to the county for Epps Bridge Centre II shows 12 buildings in addition to the large anchor for a total of just less than 372,000 square feet spread across 51 acres.
http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2016/02/developer-of-epps-bridge-centre.html
The developer of Epps Bridge Centre filed paperwork last month with the Oconee County Planning Department to rezone 54 acres of land from agricultural use to business use for a $55 million expansion of the existing shopping mall.
In addition to seeking rezone of the nearly 54 acres, Oconee 316 Associates LLC is seeking to reduce the minimum parking requirement for the part of the new shopping center that will be east of Parkway Boulevard Extension.
And more...
http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2015/01/oconee-county-commissioners-pass-liquor.html
Frank Bishop, developer of Epps Bridge Centre, also wanted to eliminate the requirement to sell food with alcohol and wanted to raise the percentage of alcohol sales allowed to 30 or 35 percent.
http://www.oconeecountyobservations.org/2021/08/developer-will-lease-property-from.html
In the end, the county agreed to pay $9.4 for the property and to add the $0.7 million toward the additional investment Bishop will need to make, bringing the total payment to Bishop to $10.1 million.
The county is giving Bishop and Costco the site and the improvements free of charge and free of taxes.
Because these are a benefit to Bishop, and indirectly to Costco, they would be taxed under normal circumstances, Haygood said. The tax would be levied against Bishop as the lessor.
Haygood said the Internal Revenue Services has approved an arrangement where the IDA acts as if it were loaning money to Bishop rather than that he is the recipient of a benefit.
Awesome. Thanks planning commission, we need another car wash
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