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Council approves special-use permit and variance for two warehouses at Welcome Mall Road with new conditions
Summary
After a contentious public hearing and staff recommendation to deny, the East Point City Council approved a use permit and concurrent variance allowing two warehouse/distribution buildings at 0 Welcome Mall Road with conditions including a ban on refrigerant warehouses and lithium storage.
The East Point City Council on April 21 approved a special-use permit and concurrent variance to allow two warehouse and distribution buildings on a roughly 21-acre parcel at 0 Welcome Mall Road, reversing the Planning Department's recommendation to deny the application.
Planning and Community Development Director Kimberly Smith told the council staff recommended denial “due to uncertainties about detailed traffic study information, potential environmental justice impacts, such as noise, lights, tractor trailer traffic, air quality, and water, pursuant to the uses residential uses within the vicinity.” The application included a request to waive a one-mile separation requirement in section 10-2079(d) of the zoning code.
Greystar’s representatives said the site had been graded and improved for industrial use years earlier and asked for a variance because, they said, “the lot has already been graded. It already has utilities for a warehouse.” Marvin Arrington Jr., speaking for the applicant, told the council his client would accept most staff conditions but objected to an eighth condition staff proposed that would have required adherence to the city’s WHI (Warehouse Industrial) overlay standards.
Neighbors and community groups opposed the project at the public hearing, raising concerns about truck traffic, lighting, noise and the proximity of residential neighborhoods. Several speakers asked for a community benefits commitment and for protections for nearby neighborhoods.
Councilmember Eric Freidley moved to approve the use permit and concurrent variance (case P2025V-001-03; P2024U-001-10) with the seven conditions proposed by staff; the council voted to strike staff Condition 8 and instead added two additional conditions: a prohibition on refrigerant (cold-storage) warehouse uses at the site and a prohibition on lithium storage. The motion passed by roll call: Amber Shropshire, Eric Freidley, Sean Atkins, Carrie Ziegler, Jermaine Butler and Latonya Martin Rogers recorded “aye.”
Councilmembers also required a traffic study, sidewalk connections, minimum driveway radii and other site-development items in the approved conditions. The applicant said it would discuss additional, nonbinding community benefit options with the city but the council’s vote did not condition approval on a fixed monetary benefit.
City staff will prepare the ordinance language and permit conditions for the council’s formal enactment on the required reading schedule.
The project drew sustained public comment both in favor (nearby employers supporting jobs) and opposed (residents citing quality-of-life concerns), and the council’s vote followed more than an hour of public testimony and a reserved rebuttal by the applicant.
