Rezoning proposed for 278K sq ft spec warehouse at I‑20/Liberty Road; staff recommends approval with conditions

Breca Carter, interim director of community development, presented a rezoning request for roughly 22 acres at the southeast corner of I‑20 and Liberty Road seeking to change zoning from C‑2 (commercial) to I‑1 (light industrial) for a proposed 278,000+ square‑foot speculative warehouse by Crow Holdings.

Staff recommended approval subject to standard conditions and three staff‑recommended items including a traffic‑impact study prepared by a qualified traffic engineer; the Planning and Zoning Commission additionally required decorative screening (opaque fence and landscaping) for bay doors facing I‑20. Carter said the applicant estimates a $35,000,000 building investment and projected 175–250 permanent jobs (with 125 construction jobs), but staff noted those employment figures are speculative and the number of jobs that would go to Villa Rica residents "we do not" know at rezoning stage.

Council members pressed staff about truck traffic on two‑lane Edge Road and asked that GDOT review the traffic study. Councilman Conte requested assurance that Douglas County be included in GDOT conversations because the interchange spans jurisdictional interests. Carter said staff will seek GDOT comments before the public hearing and clarified that rezoning approval alone would create invested rights, after which plan review and any additional traffic mitigation would be required before permits are issued.

The item was presented for a future public hearing; no final vote on rezoning took place at the work session.