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Package store proposed in Bells Ferry mixed‑use area draws neighborhood petitions and conditions talk
Summary
An applicant seeks a package store in the Bells Ferry overlay at Bies Lake; planning staff said the application meets ordinance standards for the overlay but neighbors circulated a petition of opposition and commissioners discussed additional screening, limiting access and hours, and security measures.
An applicant requested approval for a package store and an exceptional variance for a 2.21‑acre parcel in the Bells Ferry overlay at Bies Lake (near Bice Lake Parkway and Bells Ferry Road). Planning staff said the property is in the Bells Ferry Package Store District and in a mixed‑use character area where typical distance restrictions from residences do not apply.
The Planning Commission recommended approval of the special use permit and the exceptional variance, but commissioners heard opposition from residents who circulated a petition and from those concerned about proximity to nearby apartment complexes (Howe Place was specifically mentioned). One commissioner noted that while the ordinance’s residential‑proximity rules don’t apply inside the mixed‑use area, residents remain concerned about visibility and pedestrian access.
During the work session commissioners and the applicant discussed several conditions intended to mitigate neighborhood concerns: increased screening along the parking island and Bies Lake Parkway, limiting the number of parking spaces in the front island to expand landscaping, restricting access from a planned multi‑use trail (so customers could not enter directly from the trail), specifying hours of operation consistent with ordinance standards, and standard security measures such as cameras. The applicant presented polling showing area support and staff noted the site plan met the ordinance’s parking and operational thresholds (the applicant’s plan showed roughly 30 parking spaces within the primary rectangle including the island).
One commissioner said the proposal highlights tensions in the county’s package‑store ordinance—voter referenda showed broad county approval of packaged liquor, but it can be difficult to find a site that meets all technical standards without placing a store adjacent to residents. The work session discussion did not include a final board vote; staff will include any agreed conditions when the matter is presented for action.
Why it matters: A package store in a mixed‑use area raises neighborhood quality‑of‑life questions about screening, pedestrian access to the building, and hours, and the decision will test how overlay rules interact with neighborhood expectations.
