Proposed retail space along South Belair Road receives approval

MARTINEZ, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Columbia County Planning Commission voted in favor of a proposed retail development project in Martinez during its meeting Thursday evening.

Local Axis Real Estate Partners had petitioned to rezone six ading parcels, five on South Belair Road and one on Colonial Road, from R-2 Single-family Residential and P-1 Professional to Community Commercial.

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Axis’ plans for the site show three square foot buildings, 6,000, 5,000 and 7,000 square feet, each with a drive-thru. The rezoning request also asks for conditional use for single-family residential for five years, to enable the developer to collect rent and cover the cost of holding the properties during the multi-phase construction.

An accompanying variance request seeks to reduce the separation requirements for a drive thru, and to allow for a stormwater detention within the buffer.

Possible tenants of the proposed shop

Saj Lakhany, project manager for Axis, told the commissioners that the firm has been in discussions with potential tenants, and while none are yet committed, Axis intends to have no vape shops, liquor stores, massage or tattoo parlors occupying the retail spaces.

“We are cognizant of the character of the neighborhood, what is already there,” said Lakhany to the commissioners. “We are definitely deliberate in what type of tenants and what type of tenant mix will be there. We are not some development company out of town, from Atlanta or Charlotte or New York. We’re based right here in Columbia County.”

Community thoughts

While no one present at the meeting opposed the requests, Martinez resident Charles Petrie spoke in favor, telling the board that he grew up on South Belair Road near the subject properties, and that he has family that lives there currently.

“We used to could play in the street and somebody would just holler ‘car!’ Now you’re taking your life in your hands checking your mail,” said Petrie, noting how South Belair has become thoroughfare from Evans toward Fort Eisenhower. “I think that the development of this is inevitable. The sooner the better… It’s busy, and it’s going to stay busy, and I think it’d be a good place to put businesses.”

Bob Willis, a real estate agent involved with the transaction of the property, echoed this sentiment, telling the commissioners that Carol Chase, one of the homeowners of the subject properties and one of the applicants of the rezoning request, has been trying to “get out of that house” for the last 15 of the 53 years she has lived there because of surrounding development and resulting traffic increases.

“These days, when somebody yells ‘car!’ it means you’re getting run over when you get your mail,” he said. “We have to consider obviously the needs of the community, but I think the needs of the community in this case are better served by bringing goods and service that might actually make the neighborhood more walkable.”

Per the planning staff’s recommendations, the Planning Commission would vote unanimously (save for Commissioner Ryan Cato, who was absent) to recommend approval of both the rezoning and variance requests.