Now that a digital billboard along Riverside Drive near Wimbish Road is gone, competing interests want to replace it but need a variance to do it.
Lamar Advertising of Macon’s quest to put up a new multi-message sign was the most controversial item on Monday’s agenda of the Macon-Bibb County Planning & Zoning Commission that also approved a new medical facility on the west side of town, sided with a downtown business owner over the Design Review Board’s recommendation, and resolved a monthslong dilemma involving an accessory building believed to be too close to the property line.
Motorists driving past Mikata’s restaurant might have noticed Lamar removed its digital sign from the front of the old shopping center owned by Ingleside Baptist Church.
Down the street, Lamar wants to erect a new smaller electronic display where its current two-sided static billboard sits in the Mabel Masonic Lodge’s lot at 2936 Riverside Drive.
The digital billboard would face south with a static display on the north side.
P&Z shot down the request because it is only 1,852 feet from another digital billboard off Sheraton Drive on the other side of Interstate 75. Macon-Bibb County’s regulations call for a 5,000-foot radius between digital billboards, which Lamar’s attorney said was a much stricter standard than the state requires.
Representatives from Ingleside Baptist spoke in opposition. The church has a pending application of its own for a new digital billboard to replace the one Lamar removed instead of renewing an agreement with the church.
The church’s billboard would be more than 3,000 feet from the Sheraton billboard, but would still require a variance.
P&Z’s Kesia Stafford noted that staff did a very extensive job revising regulations and believes the rules should be consistently applied with rare exceptions.
“(Variances) can be widespread and you get to a point where you can’t say no to anyone because you’ve accepted so many variances,” Stafford said. “We have to start somewhere. … I want to draw a line.”
P&Z voted unanimously against issuing the variance.
Macon-Bibb County Commissioner Bill Howell spoke in favor of Lamar’s variance while representing the lodge, which would benefit monetarily from the billboard upgrade.
“I find it quite interesting that the opponents were happy with it when it was on their property,” Howell said.
He urged commissioners “to keep the same line of thought, if we’re setting a precedent,” as Ingleside is expected to be back with their request in the coming weeks.
Brick painting reversal, accessory building OK
After the Design Review Board turned down Jeff George’s request to paint his building at 512 Second St., he pleaded his case to the full commission.
Repeated pressure washing could not remove stains on the gold brick facade, but painting brick is against Central Business District guidelines.
George pointed out that the Ace Hardware on First Street was permitted to paint its red brick when replacement bricks could not be located.
Historic preservationist Tony Long spoke in favor of George’s painting proposal. Long testified that several bricks must be replaced on George’s building when the deteriorating mortar is restored, but that size and color brick is no longer available.
Custom-made bricks, like ones he used in creating the Dannenburg Lofts, will fade and need to be repainted every three years or so, something the current loft owners are not doing, he said.
“It just bothers me. It looks so ugly,” said Long, who has considered repainting those bricks for free to make it look better.
In reviewing the Design Review Board’s recommendation not to paint, P&Z’s Robby Redmond said, “I think it looks good painted, honesty.”
“It would be an improvement,” P&Z’s Mindy Attaway concurred.
P&Z Chair Jeane Easom agreed.
“If Tony Long says that’s what needs to be done, I’ll say I would agree with him,” Easom said.
The board approved painting the brick as long as George consulted staff about the type of paint used to allow the bricks to breathe and not trap moisture.
Homeowner and building contractor Luis Garcia also left P&Z smiling.
Last October, someone complained about people living in an accessory building behind Garcia’s house at 155 Castlegate Road.
In 2023, he rebuilt and enlarged a small two-story playhouse to include a bedroom and bathroom on the second floor and storage below.
He failed to get the necessary permit and the building appeared to be too close to the property line for regulations.
“This is so out of character for the neighborhood, I think they just need to tear it down or move it,” Easom said during a February hearing.
P&Z sent Garcia to get a survey to pinpoint the property line and return in late March, but he didn’t receive the report until Monday.
The surveyor determined Garcia’s fence was inside the line, so the new building precisely met the 5-foot setback requirement.
“Amazing,” P&Z Executive Director Jeff Ruggieri said.
Garcia may have occasional guests stay on the second floor, but no regular residents, Ruggieri said.
From trailers to townhomes, new urgent care
The old U.S. 41 mobile home park off Cargill Road near Ga. 247 will be transformed into 42 new townhomes on East K Blvd.
Widener & Associates received conditional use approval to build six, two-story, seven-unit buildings on 2.42 acres.
The plan calls for 77 parking spaces and a cul-de-sac.
P&Z also approved a new 2,860-square-foot urgent care clinic on 1.2 acres at 4477 Log Cabin Drive.
Rowland Engineering plans five exam rooms and one treatment room to serve about three dozen people a day. The business, which will be next to Aldi, is expected to be open seven days a week.
Other agenda items
- 713 Mulberry St. — Certificate of appropriateness granted for new handicapped accessible ramp at the rear of Mulberry United Methodist Church’s building.
- 1580 Lawton Ave. — Window modifications approved for this house in the InTown historic district.
- 1074 Georgia Ave. — Three tree removals approved.
- 1007 Magnolia St. — Exterior repairs and renovations approved for windows, gutters, siding and columns. P&Z will allow use of PVC materials at the base of the porch columns to guard against rotting wood.
- 142 Rogers Ave. — The Design Review Board ruled and P&Z concurred that corrugated metal could not be used to reroof the apartment building in the Vineville Historic District. Tracie Barksdale was approved for standing seam metal roofing or asphalt shingles.
— Civic Journalism Senior Fellow Liz Fabian covers Macon-Bibb County government entities for The Macon Newsroom and can be reached at fabian_lj@mercer.edu or 478-301-2976.
