Council approves shopping center
Published 10:28 pm Thursday, May 21, 2009
Commuters on Godwin Boulevard may not begin seeing development on a tract of land in the Godwin Commerce Park for a few years, even though City Council approved a rezoning request and conditional use permit request in a single vote Wednesday.
The proposed shopping center would include a “big box retailer” and several smaller shops on 28 acres, designer Randall Royal, of Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., told council. Medical office buildings also would be incorporated into the park.
“This will be a high-quality shopping center,” Royal said.
However, many retailers the developer, C.W. Brinkley, Inc. Construction, has talked with won’t consider coming until 2015-2016 under current economic conditions, Royal said.
Council found no opposition to the rezoning and use permit in the audience during a public hearing on Wednesday. One Hillpoint resident spoke during the public hearing at the April Planning Commission meeting, requesting a buffer of evergreen trees between the back of the shopping center and the neighborhood.
The developer offered to design the necessary improvements to the U.S. Route 58 bypass westbound off-ramp, located south of the development. It also said that the exterior of all buildings in the shopping center will be architecturally compatible with surrounding architecture, and will be modern-looking. The owner also has said that additional right-of-way will be dedicated at the end of Commercial Lane to allow future connection to the adjacent property.
After little discussion, City Council voted 8-0 to approve the rezoning request and conditional use permit request.