Eighty-five new homes and a new sit-down restaurant were among items approved at Thursday’s regular Hinesville City Council meeting.
The council approved a rezoning petition, paving the way for a 4,200 square foot, national restaurant at 612 W Oglethorpe Highway. The council also approved a request by Dryden Enterprises for the final plat for Griffin Park phase eight, consisting 85 single-family residential lots.
The restaurant was not named during Liberty Consolidated Planning Commission planner Gabrielle Hartage’s presentation. The applicant for the rezoning is SW Hinesville LLC. The 1.4 acre parcel is currently zoned R-2. Three parcels to the south have already been rezoned to C-3 for another shopping complex. The current plan shows the entrance and exit off of Way Street and not Highway 84. The plan would also include a driveway connecting the restaurant to the proposed new shopping plaza, to its south. A six-foot fence is to be built between the restaurant and homes behind it.
Hartage also said the commission recommended approval of the final phase of Griffin Park, covering 29.7 acres, including 7.4 acres of wetland. Hartage said all special conditions were met, including securing a $150,000 letter of credit for maintenance guarantee; a $116,000 performance guarantee for paving; and another $173,000 guarantee for sidewalk and streets. All three letter of credits were with The Heritage Bank.
Both approvals were unanimous.
The mayor and council also approved the design for a second mural in downtown Hinesville. Hinesville Area Arts Council chairwoman Leah Poole and artist Christina Mansfield made the presentation.
Poole said the first mural, placed in 2012, is on a Court Street building that houses the Arts Council and Historical Society. It was a gift to the city during its 175 anniversary celebration. During her presentation, she said the first mural was painted by the community during a series of HAAC events.
Poole said the new mural will be a reproduction of a painting by the late Betty Grugin. She was the wife of retired Col. Bill Grugin, and mother of Kimberly Webster, late wife of retired Lt. Gen. Glenn Webster, a former Fort Stewart commander.
Poole said Grugin painted the original during Hurricane David by candlelight and completely with a pallet knife. The mural will be on the side of the building of the Coastal Courier office on South Main Street, facing north.
The city’s zoning map was approved.
The council awarded a contract for water tank and well work to Y-Delta of Statesboro for $968,455. P.C. Simonton and Associates representative Matthew Barrow said the project will upgrade three existing wells and well buildings to accommodate future height of raised tanks. The sites are Gen. Stewart Way well, Shaw Road well and the Cypress Bend/SR 196 well. Barrow said the buildings and equipment at both Shaw Road and Cypress Bend will be demolished and replaced. The building at Gen. Stewart will be expanded.
The total project, which will include another contract, is $2.4 million, Barrow said.
He said bids the first bids were opened Oct. 24 and Y-Delta’s was the lowest of two submitted.
He said bids for the second contract B are being reviewed.
Funding for the work is coming from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority.
The council approved a request from the Fire Department to buy two 2018 4X4 pickups. The motion was approved with J.C. Lewis Ford winning the bid of $55,997, $8,000 below the budgeted amount.