Some 42 acres just annexed into Fort Oglethorpe’s city limits are slated for development, but officials said they don’t know what will go there.

Fort Oglethorpe City Council voted on Monday to annex the property owned by the company DP2A, LLC into the city limits and rezone it from residential to commercial property. Councilman Richard Egeland cast the lone vote against the move, saying the city has enough on its hands without adding more property.

The land is at Battlefield Parkway and Dietz Road on the eastbound side of the highway.

Adam Driver, the engineer for the project and brother of property owner Craig Driver, said the kind of develop-ment that would go in the location has yet to be decided.

“We don’t know yet,” he said. “…Likely a retail center but that’s not even been determined yet.”

Several people at the meeting asked what the developers planned to put on the property, but both Driver and Fort Oglethorpe Building Official Mark Lindsay said they weren’t sure.

Debra Stinnett, a Chattanooga-based real estate agent, questioned officials’ uncertainty on the development. She said she has more than 20 years of experience in planning and zoning and chairs the city of Chattanooga’s zoning appeals board.

“I just find it interesting that you don’t know what’s going in there,” she said.

Two other area business owners questioned the traffic impact another development would create.

Lindsay said developers have several options including building for a nice restaurant or for a strip shopping center. He said the developers would not need further council approval for their projects once they select them unless those projects fall outside the zoning classification approved Monday.

Driver said he would be willing to put a manhole on east side of the property so neighboring developers can con-nect to sewer lines there once they’re in place.

The council also annexed a small lot adjacent to the property as well as a couple of acres on Steele Road where resident Justin Hunt plans to build six or seven condominium-style, single family dwellings.

Streetscape update

More money may be available for sprucing up an area along LaFayette Road. Mayor Judd Burkhart said the streetscape project that had been planned for part of LaFayette Road may be extended if more federal funds be-come available as he said state Sen. Jeff Mullis though they might.

Streetscaping is designed to beautify an area with improvements such as adding sidewalks, plants and signs in an effort to improve business.

Burkhart said some $800,000 is already slated for the project, but Fort Oglethorpe would need to contribute an-other $200,000 to receive the money for a total of $1 million. That money could be used to spruce up more of LaFay-ette Road if federal funds for tackling the intersections at Harker Road and Forrest Road become available, the mayor said.

The council approved spending up to $200,000 for the matching funds. Egeland voted against the move. Putting up a few benches and street lights won’t take care of business problems on LaFayette Road, he said, and the city doesn’t need to worry about coming up with the money for the project if it comes to fruition in a few years.

In other business at the meeting, the council:

* Approved raising Lindsay’s salary from $45,000 to $54,000 since he will now handle storm water management issues and supervise the code enforcement officer.

* Raised the court clerk’s salary from $29,000 to $54,000, a salary interim City Manager Ron Goulart said is more appropriate for all the responsibilities the clerk performs.

* Agreed to let the Sixth Cavalry Museum spend up to $3,800 of city funds for some renovations at the museum. The Home Depot selected the museum to receive free labor on the projects but the mu-seum must still pay for the materials. The project is to create a memorial garden in front of the flag pole and rebuild an enclosure for an Army tank there.

* Adopted a new police policy manual after revising it several times since it was introduced before Christmas.

* Decided to prohibit vehicles with three axles or more from driving on Barnhardt Circle after coun-cil members learned an 18-wheeler that is driven through there regularly was tearing up the grass and pavement.

* Agreed to let North Georgia YMCA use the sand area at Gilbert Stephenson City Park for an adult volleyball league this summer.

CLICK ON THESE LINKS

---

FEEDBACK: Send a
letter to the editor

SUBSCRIBE: Get The Catoosa County News each Wednesday

GO
BACK: Return to our homepage

---

[ad1]