The Columbus Consolidated Government
Planning Department
Post Office Box 1340 Columbus, Georgia 31902-1340
Telephone (706) 653-4116
Fax (706) 653-4120
Website: www.columbusga.org/planning
12/02/2015
Honorable Mayor and Councilors
City Manager
City Attorney
Clerk of Council
Subject: (EXCP-08-15-1777) Special Exception Use request to operate Automobile
sales under 2 acres but more than 0.5 acre located at 3350, 3370 & 3380 Victory
Drive.
Tom Williams has submitted an application for the Special Exception Use cited
above. The property is located in a GC (General Commercial) zoning district
and is 1.92 acres. The site for the proposed automobile sales lot was used for
a martial arts studio. The purpose of the Special Exception Use is to allow
for the operation of Automobile sales less than 2 acres in size, but more than
0.5 acre located within the General Commercial (GC) zoning district:
(1) Access. Is or will the type of street providing access to the use be
adequate to serve the proposed special exception use?
Victory Drive is an Urban Arterial Road. Victory Drive will provide adequate
free flow movement for both North and South bound traffic. Entrance and exit
from this site should be consolidated into one right in and one right out
entrance and exit on the southern side of the development. Consideration
should be given to distances of all egress and ingress points from the
intersection of Victory Drive and South Lumpkin Road.
(2) Traffic and Pedestrian Safety. Is or will access into and out of the
property be adequate to provide for traffic and pedestrian safety, the
anticipated volume of traffic flow, and access by emergency vehicles?
Pedestrian safety could be maximized if the number of curb cuts is consolidated
and traffic is limited to right in at the first curb cut located on 3350
Victory Drive and right out is located at the first curb cut on parcel
045-003-003 (3380 Victory Drive).
(3) Adequacy of Public Facilities. Are or will public facilities such as
schools, water or sewer utilities, and police or fire protection be adequate to
serve the special exception use?
Services such as water, sewer, utilities, police, and fire protection will be
adequate and serve the proposed use at this location.
(4) Protection from Adverse Affects. Are or will refuse, service, parking and
loading areas on the property be located or screened to protect other
properties in the area from such adverse effects as noise, light, glare or odor?
All service, parking and loading areas will be behind fencing. The properties
are surrounded by other general commercial uses and the rear of the properties
abuts a stream. Noise, light, glare and odor should be limited due to the use
of sales and not repair of automobiles.
(5) Hours of Operation. Will the hours and manner of operation of the special
exception use have no adverse effects on other properties in the area?
The hours of operation for this use will not have an adverse impact on the
neighboring properties in the area. The applicant will hold normal business
hours for used car sales. Monday through Friday hours should be 8 a.m. to 7
p.m. and Saturday through Sunday should be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
(6) Compatibility. Will the height, size or location of the buildings or
structures on the property be compatible with the height, size, character or
location of buildings or other structures on neighboring properties?
No new structures are requested at this time.
2 ; Page
Council District: District 7 (Woodson)
Sixteen (16) property owners within 300 feet of the property have been notified
by mail of the proposed Special Exception Use. The Planning Department has
received comments supporting and opposing this request. All of the comments
received were in appreciation of the notification efforts and process.
Additional Information:
There is no additional information at this time.
The Planning Advisory Commission recommended Approval at the November 04, 2015
meeting.
The Planning Department recommends that the Council Approve the use because the
application for a Special Exception Use meets the criteria for approval.
Respectfully,
Rick Jones, AICP
Director, Planning Department
Enclosure/ Attachment
ZC0102-5
Attachments