Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rezoning Autozone topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission denies rezoning for AutoZone at Smyrna Crossing Plaza
Summary
The Rockdale County Planning Commission on Oct. 9 denied a request to rezone 13.85 acres at 2880 Southwest Highway 212 from C‑1 to C‑2 to allow an AutoZone tenant, after business owners and nearby residents raised concerns about parking, theft and environmental runoff; staff had recommended approval with conditions.
The Rockdale County Planning Commission voted Oct. 9 to deny a rezoning request that would have allowed AutoZone to occupy three combined suites at 2880 Southwest Highway 212.
Ryan Sadler, the county planner, described case REZ2025‑09 as a request to rezone 13.85 acres from C‑1 (local commercial) to C‑2 (general commercial) to allow a roughly 7,400‑square‑foot AutoZone to consolidate three tenant suites. Sadler said staff recommended approval "with conditions," including limits on repair activity, spill containment, indoor storage of hazardous materials and a requirement that any waste‑oil tank be double‑walled.
The matter drew sustained comment from commissioners and the public. Theresa Curry of Access Companies, representing the developer, told the commission the plaza has multiple vacant storefronts and "the developer is having a difficult time filling the tenant space," and said the owner would accept additional security conditions and obtain Publix’s awareness/approval for new tenants. Several business owners and nearby homeowners, however, urged denial. Sandra Holly Starr, a long‑time plaza merchant, said she opposed the application because of the clientele and the likelihood of cars being worked on in the parking lot. Greg Curtis, who lives across the street, warned that "the added motor oil runoff would negatively impact the Honey Creek watershed" and said C‑2 zoning could allow future uses he felt would not align with the neighborhood character.
Commissioner Ernestine Stovall Goolsby moved to deny the rezoning and Angelique McClendon seconded; the motion carried. Chair John Lee Peterson announced the motion to deny had been approved and the rezoning request was denied.
Staff had told the commission the site met overall parking for the development and that the proposed AutoZone would not change the building footprint; the commission and public repeatedly pressed staff and the applicant on enforcement of no‑repair rules, alarm/camera conditions and who would be responsible for enforcing overnight parking prohibitions. Sadler said lease and shopping‑center management responsibilities, plus conditions added to approvals, would be the primary enforcement routes.
The commission moved on to other agenda items after the denial; the vote record (individual yes/no votes and count) was not specified in the meeting transcript.
