Holton’s Seafood restaurant on East Oglethorpe Highway in Midway, near Interstate 95, might become a thrift store.

Jimmy Fullwood Jr. recently filed a conditional-use request with the Liberty Consolidated Planning Commission to allow for a retail/secondhand store at the current restaurant location. The LCPC unanimously recommended last month that the request be approved.

The area near the interstate is zoned interstate commercial corridor. Retail stores and shops are only permitted with a conditional-use request.

Fullwood, owner of Plunderbox and Plunderful thrift stores on Butler Avenue in Midway, believes that moving his thrift stores will draw more motorists off the highway.

“We’ve got a lot of people into the community from Charleston (and) Jacksonville. They come from everywhere,” Fullwood said. “I want a store closer to the interstate to bring more people off the interstate, into the city.”

Holton’s Seafood owner Linda Holton said she wants to retire and is ready to do something different.

“I would like to sell it as a restaurant, but so far, I haven’t had anybody to offer me anything for it. So I would like to have this approved,” she said.

Lynn Pace, LCPC assistant vice chairwoman, told Holton she would miss the restaurant. Holton said she would too.

The petition will go before the Midway City Council for the decision at 6 p.m. Feb. 8.

Convenience store

A request for a convenience store at the intersection of E.B. Cooper Highway and Barrington Ferry Road in Riceboro was not recommended because it does not fit with the city’s comprehensive land-use map and master plans.

Alfrieda Walthour, who bought the property last year, filed an application to rezone just over an acre from agricultural residential to general commercial. According to the narrative she submitted, a building would be built to sell household items, gas and food. Old buildings on the property would be demolished.

“I work full-time in Savannah, so this isn’t something that needs to provide income, but I just wanted to do it to improve the situation that’s already there,” Walthour said. “It will be two to three full-time jobs for people in that area.”

The comprehensive plan designates the area as residential. LCPC zoning administrator Gabriele Hartage said Riceboro’s master plan also designates the area as conservation/subdivision.

Walthour said there are four stop signs at the intersection, and she cannot see someone putting a house there.

Pace said she doubted this is what the city of Riceboro wanted in its plan.

“If they decide that they would like to have this,” Pace said, “they could allow this, but we are obligated to recommend disapproval because this is what the city of Riceboro has given us to work with.”

Commissioner Durand Standard agreed with Walthour that the property isn’t good for residential use.

“There’s got to be some use for it and a soft retail, to me, would be more ideal,” he said. “We’re voting against it because of the comprehensive plan that they’ve come up with, but my thing is that they (Riceboro) missed it.”

Luke Road

Planning commissioners also did not recommend a petition to rezone 19 acres off of Luke Road from planned unit development to agricultural district. A.G. Wells, manager of HCLM LLC, filed the petition. His intention is to rezone for potential development of a subdivision. Luke Road, which is maintained by the county, is not wide enough for development.

Wells emphasized that he is not asking the commission to approve a subdivision. The land was previously zoned A-1, then changed to PUD, and Wells wanted it changed back. He said he would work with the county engineer and Public Works to address widening the road.

Commissioners then discussed that if rezoned, Wells could begin development without having to come before the commission again.

Standard said Wells could sell lots one at a time and not call it a subdivision, although it will look like one.

The vote was 4-3.

De-annexed land

A request by Liberty County to rezone 1,933 acres to A-1 was approved. The properties were formerly part of Independence tract and have been de-annexed out of Hinesville. The land will be for conservation and forestry.