Future motorists along Interstate 475 could see up to 160 trailers for sale now that Pinnacle Trailer Sales intends to build its first Georgia location in west Macon. 

The company, which has locations in the Carolinas and Virginia, plans to hire at least a dozen employees for a new dealership at 3000 Hawaiian Village Drive, to the west of the interstate off Eisenhower Parkway.

Macon-Bibb County Planning & Zoning Commission approved the conditional use of the 48-acre tract, but Pinnacle only intends to use 35 acres and sell off a 13-acre parcel, according to the application.

The company will build a 20,385-square-foot building to house the office and service center. Roll-up doors on each side will allow trailers to be pulled through and serviced. 

Although they plan space for 160 trailers, the storage yard could be expanded if future growth demands it. 

The gravel lot will be surrounded by a 6-foot chain-link fence and P&Z requires a landscaping plan to improve the property’s appearance from Hawaiian Village Drive and I-475. 

Pinnacle sells and services a variety of trailers for construction, heavy hauling, towing and recovery, forestry, construction, trash and recycling, and intermodal freight shipping.

They plan to be open weekdays from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

P&Z’s other agenda items came mostly in pairs Tuesday as commissioners also approved two automotive repair garages, two car sales lots and a couple of downtown renovation projects. 

Two historic buildings in downtown are due for a makeover after the Macon-Bibb County Planning & Zoning Commission approved renovations during Tuesday’s meeting. 

Last week, the Design Review Board signed off on Ryan Griffin’s plans to replace windows and refurbish storefronts for the former Nu House of Johnson barber shop at 617 Poplar St. and a vacant building at 530 Second St. 

In both projects, Griffin is renovating second-floor loft apartments and sprucing up the first floor for mixed-use commercial. 

He intends to use state and federal historic tax credits and will preserve the character of both buildings. 

Car garages and auto sales lots 

Leoniber Ordaz-Chavez’s OG Repair shop has been so successful the last seven years in rented space on Houston Road that he bought and restored nearby blighted property on 1.19 acres at 5186 and 5190 Hawkinsville Road.  

Ordaz-Chavez plans to operate weekdays from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. unless extenuating circumstances arise, although his application boasts of rapid service. 

“Leo does not like for jobs to linger; he is diligent to finish them up and get the cars back on the road… and get paid,” the application stated. 

He works on foreign and domestic model cars performing oil changes, tune ups, brake jobs, and switching out engines and transmissions. 

At 852 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Michael Lopez plans to open ProTech auto repair garage in an existing building on a 0.2-acre parcel. 

Twenty years ago, a change of ownership was permitted for the existing garage, but the business was abandoned and Lopez had to apply with P&Z for conditional use approval.

Commissioners approved the application to allow him to operate with about four employees from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., although the application did not specify which days of the week.

Lopez’s customers will enter through two bays in the rear of the building to minimize traffic coming in and out of the business.   

“We estimate to have about 15 customers per day,” Lopez wrote in the application. 

ProTech will offer several services including engine work, transmission and suspension repairs.

P&Z also approved two car lots taking over existing buildings to the south and west of the county. 

At 5545 Hawkinsville Road, Rodney Mosley plans to use an existing 450-square-foot warehouse storage building as a car sales office on the 0.45-acre parcel. The business will have a maximum of four vehicles for sale and plans to be open Mon. – Sat. from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., and on Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. 

At 3266 N. Lizella Road, Kaitlyn Vaquero plans to have a 10-vehicle inventory on a portion of the 2.4-acre parcel. The Vaquero Auto Sales office will be in an existing multi-tenant commercial building on the property that includes a couple of self-storage units. The business will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon. to Fri. and from 9 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays. The car lot will be closed on Sunday. 

No vehicle repairs, car washing or detailing is permitted at either site, per the conditional use approval. 

Another car lot application for the 3000 block of Avon Road was deferred until June 10. 

P&Z also approved a variance for Henrietta and Bert Eason at 323 Mill Meadow Road. 

The Easons’ 6-foot tall fence is closer than 10 feet to the public right-of-way and two feet over the 4-foot height limit across the front.

P&Z staff recommended the variance because the front property line is difficult to define on this corner lot and the fence is the same height and in the same location as the adjacent neighbor. 

Staff concluded the variance would not substantially contradict the intent and purpose of the regulations, and does not impair the integrity of the neighborhood. 

— Civic Journalism Senior Fellow Liz Fabian covers Macon-Bibb County government entities and can be reached at [email protected] or 478-301-2976.