More than 40 people were in the Commission Chamber as the Oconee County Planning Commission began the first of three public hearings on requests for zoning changes for three commercial developments in the county on June 16.
Four of those audience members spoke in opposition to the request by CK Capital to rezone 14.9 acres on Mars Hill Road at Bell Road so developer Chad Keller can build a nine-lot commercial development.
The speakers objected to traffic congestion on Mars Hill Road and Bell Road that will result from the commercial subdivision.
Seven citizens came forward to speak against a request by Manor Holdings to rezone just less than three acres on the northeast corner of Spartan Lane and U.S. 441 (Macon Highway) for a three-building medical park.
Traffic again was the primary concern of those who spoke in opposition to the project by partners Sean Kirk and Brad Stephens.
By the time that the request by Lenru Development for a Special Use Approval to allow for a Family Entertainment Center in The Village at Malcom Bridge on Malcom Bridge Road came before the Commission late in the 90-minute-long session, only the two partners of Lenru Development remained in the audience.
Rodney Jones and Hank Randolph both spoke on behalf of their request.
The Planning Commission voted in favor of each of the three requests, recommending that the Board of Commissioners give its approval of the rezones at its meeting on July 8.
None of the votes was unanimous, with a different member of the Commission voting in opposition to each of the three requests.
Mars Hill Road Request
Keller, through CK Capital, is asking the county to rezone 14.9 acres on Mars Hill Road at Bell Road from AG (Agricultural) to a mix of B-2 (Highway Business), OBP (Office-Business Park), and OIP (Office-Institutional-Professional) so he can build a nine-lot commercial development.
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| Emma Milligan And Brother Leave Podium 6/16/25 |
The lots are to be used for offices and warehousing, with lots ranging in size from one to two acres.
The commercial complex is surrounded on two sides by Timber Ridge subdivision, and Keller is proposing that most of the lots abutting the residential properties be zoned OIP to provide a transition between the more intense business uses and the residential properties.
The exception is for one of the two lots on Mars Hill Road. Keller is asking that the two lots that front on Mars Hill Road be zoned B-2, which would put one of those B-2 highway business zoned properties abutting residential properties across Bell Road and Mars Hill Road.
Emma Milligan, who came to the podium with her little brother, told the Planning Commission members that she was “speaking for the kids from the Timber Ridge neighborhood.”
“One of the things I like to do is bike riding with my friends,” she said. “I am worried it'll be less safe for us. Another thing I do not like is that we will be right next to the dumpsters and the buildings. I don't want to smell the trash or look at the buildings when I'm playing in my yard.”
Her mother, Katellyn Milligan, also spoke, saying, “I'm here to express my deep concern and opposition to the proposed development plans along Mars Hill Road, particularly in regard to the increased traffic burden, neighborhood disruption, and overall direction of growth in our community.”
Rosemary Digby and Tracy Carroll also spoke in opposition.
The Commission voted to accept staff recommendation that the two lots facing Mars Hill Road not be zoned B-2 and added as a condition that the 25-foot buffer with the residential properties be expanded to 50 feet with an eight-foot fence included.
The vote was 6 to 1 to recommend approval of the rezone request with these conditions, with Nathan Byrd voting against the recommendation and Jim Jenkins abstaining.
U.S. 441 Request
Manor Holdings LLC of Athens is asking the county to combine three parcels now zoned AR (Agricultural Residential) and AG (Agricultural) to OIP (Office-Institutional-Profession) for a three-building medical complex.
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| Middendorf Before Commission 6/16/2025 |
One of the lots fronts on U.S. 441. One fronts on both U.S. 441 and Spartan Lane. And one has no frontage on either road. The property currently is vacant.
Access to the three buildings is to be from a driveway on Spartan Lane.
Sean Kirk and Brad Stephens, who live in the neighborhood off Spartan Lane, are co-investors in Manor Holdings, and they spoke in favor of the project. Stephens said “a medical office is about the lowest impact commercial zoning can get.”
George Young told the Commission that “what seems to be untenable about this project is the traffic safety issue...That corner there is a high traffic area--55 miles an hour. Cars come flying down (U.S. 441) and there are numerous wrecks there.”
Both Joe Irving and Corinne Kupris expressed concern about traffic as well, with Kupris saying “I'm not totally against the project. It's better than a gas station.”
Corey Marcel said development of the site was not “inevitable” and the Commission has “the responsibility...to help make sure these decisions make sense.”
Bruce Middendorf said “egress ingress to me is the critical issue,” and Steve Follin said the backup of traffic at the traffic light at the entrance to Athens Academy is the problem.
Andy Simmons, formerly a principal at Athens Academy, said he was concerned about traffic as well as the impact of the development on a pond at Athens Academy.
The Commission recommended approval of the rezone in a 7 to 1 vote, with Lisa Ferguson voting against that recommendation.
Lenru Road Request
Jones and Randolph, on behalf of their Lenru Development LLC, are asking the county to grant a Special Use Approval for the 6.6 acres that make up the Village at Malcom Bridge.
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| Jones (Left) And Randolph 6/16/2025 |
Jones and Randolph say in their planning narrative that they wants to build The Village Clubhouse to include “state-of-the-art bowling lanes, cutting-edge golf simulators, an extensive arcade, and a restaurant operated by a respected local restaurateur.”
Submitted drawing show a restaurant with a bar, an arcade, two golf rooms, and 10 bowling lanes
Jones said at the June 16 meeting that the “building already is built. It is already approved.”
The zoning narrative states that the special use permit is being request to allow for “Amusement and Recreation Uses” in the already constructed building.
Jones told the Commission at the June 16 meeting that he and Randolph “have been talking with different people from the community trying to figure out what folks want and that's why (we)...have decided to do this family entertainment center.”
“If we get this approval,” he said, “our shopping center will be 80 percent leased, so we're well on our way to getting it wrapped up over there.”
Randolph said the facility is “really an opportunity for multiple generations of people to get together and converse and get along, not on screens, you know actually hang out and see each other.”
Appeal And Alcohol Sales
“I've heard from various teachers at the Malcolm Bridge Elementary and Middle Schools that are supportive of it,” Randolph said. “They're excited about it. The other the tenants at The Village at Malcom Bridge are very excited about it.”
In response to questioning from Jenkins, Jones said the center probably will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends.
“It will be a conducive place for people to hang out together,” he said.
Jones told Jenkins that he would be applying for a beer, wine, and alcohol by the drink license for the entertainment center.
“We've already done all the all the preliminary studies and we meet all the criteria,” he said.
The county revised its alcohol beverage ordinance in December of last year to allow alcohol sales in The Village at Malcom Bridge, which is across the street from Malcom Bridge Middle School.
Oconee County Planning and Code Enforcement Director Guy Herring said of the alcohol license “we’ll administer that when the application comes in.”
The vote was 7 to 1 with Jenkins voting in opposition.
Video
The video below is on the county YouTube Channel.
The meeting begins at 4:53 in the video.
The CK Capital presentation and hearing begins at 8:43 in the video.
The Manor Holdings rezone hearing begins at 40:03 in the video.
Discussion of the Lenru Development rezone begins at 1:27:24 in the video.
I attended the meeting, and the pictures used above are from frames of the video I recorded.
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